A suspected arson has been prevented when a churchgoer immediately alerted the fire department. Pastor Peter Leick assumes that the fire was arson.
the Government imposed a Stop for Holy Masses, but allows shops and museums to prevail. Bishops and believers all around Italy showed disagreement and expressed their hurt feelings.
A Muslim migrant from Afghanistan was arrested on April 26th after he made serious threats against the employees of the asylum center in Helchteren. The 24-year-old man also said he wanted to 'slit Christians' throats' and would blow himself up to kill as many Christians as possible. The police had responded to the center earlier in the week when the man refused to wash his hands in compliance with the coronavirus regulations, claiming that there was alcohol in the soap and therefore he would not use it during Ramadan. That incident escalated when the man began coughing and spitting at people around him.
On Saturday 25th April, unknown perpetrators set fire to the historic Leicester city center All Saints Church, which was hosting a virtual Van Gogh exhibition. The motives remain unclear whether this was an act of vandalism or an attempt to steal a painting of the artist. The fire alarm raised in the morning. A large wooden door at a side entrance was badly damaged.
Due to recent theft and vandalism, the Church of the Redeemer congregation in Mannheim's Seckenheim district will remain closed on weekdays.
On the night of Friday 24th April, thieves broke into St. Andrew's Church in Congresbury and stole two characters from its Christmas nativity display, Jesus and Mary and damaged wooden crosses. In addition, they snatched one of the three Kings, an ox, and the manager of baby Jesus. They also stole donations and several smaller figures from another nativity set. The thieves were captured on a neighbour's camera, and the incident was reported to the police.
The village church of Saint-Remy in Marly-Gomont was found vandalized on April 23rd despite a coronavirus lockdown confining people to their homes.
Unknown perpetrators decapitated a Marian Statue in Sumène on June 23rd. The attack was allegedly made with a stone that was found next to the statue along with the cut off head. The mayor of the city, Ghislain Pallier, already filled a complaint.
Bishop Aupetit strongly denounced the incident, recalling that the law prohibits "police officers from entering a church with weapons".
Several acts of thefts and vandalism of churches have occurred across Austria
On Sunday 19th April, three armed policemen burst into the church and ordered the priest to stop the mass.The parish priest of Saint-Andre-de-l'Europe was celebrating a Holy Mass with an Online broadcast for his parishioners in confinement. Inside the Church there were seven people, all involved in the celebration. The parish priests recall that the police is not allowed to enter a church with weapons, according to the law. The police can only intervene in a sanctuary at the request of the parish priest or in case of an emergency. One of the parishioners was also a policeman, who talked to the officers. It seems that a neighbour had alerted the police.
On the 19th April, the police ordered the closure of the Church and the end of worship in the parish of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Sabadell. There were only one or two people present during each adoration, which did not go against the Covid-19 regulations. The bishops started doing arrangements for a reopening of the church.
On 18th April, "Echo Online" reported that the protestant church in Mümling-Grumbach closed its doors after the discovery of a desecration and vandalism.
The Subdelegation of the Government prohibited on the 17th April the Procession of the Santa Faz relic to bless the city, which would have taken place on the 23rd April. The reason was that the act was not covered by the regulations on the state of alarm for the Covid-19 pandemic. The mayor and priests proposed alternatives for celebrating the procession without danger of contagion. However, the Council has not approved it. In other historical pandemics, the celebration had taken place.
On the 17th April, an 22-year-old vandal smeared the walls of the parish house in Omegna. On April 18th, the parishioners found urine in the confessional of the parish church, where a man was seen entering by witnesses. The police started investigating both cases, and identified the man through the surveillance cameras. He was responsible for both acts.
Arson attack took place in the St. James’ Church in Southhampton. The fire is believed to have started in a toilet area inside the church between 9pm and 8am between the 15th and the 16th of April. After smoke was seen out of a window at around 10.37 o’clock, the firefighters came and put the fire down. The foyer was also full of smoke.
The small church of Agia Aikaterini, which is located on the road leading to the Moria refugee camp in Lesvos, was the target of unknown vandals who caused extensive damage in early April.
The president of the Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience (OLRC) sent a letter to the Minister of the Interior, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, asking for "explanations" and showing her "discomfort" about the suspension of Masses in the course of their celebration that has taken place in different parts of Spain during Lent and Holy Week.
On 14th April, the Church St. Nicholas and the Children's playground were found vandalized. The religious newspapers were thrown were thrown away and the slide of the playground was smashed. Mayor asked for witnesses to contact the police and expressed his rejection to this act. The police are investigating.
On Easter Monday in the Christkönigskirche in Backnang, unknown perpetrators entered the church and set it on fire. This happened between 8 and 11 o'clock. They lit the Easter display on a high table and set fire to cloths and a pinboard. A witness was able to extinguish the fire and to prevent a greater damage, according to the police report.