All cases
Model Of Basilica Of San Simplicio Di Olbia Vandalized
April 5, 2020, ItalyThe model of the basilica of San Simplicio in Olbia, a meticulous reconstruction and a symbol of the city, was damaged by vandals. Unknown perpetrators broke the roof and the top of the facade. This incident occurred while the city was on lock-down due to the corona virus. It was not the first time the monument had been vandalized.
Vandalism and Theft in Saint-Laurent Church in Lambezellec During the Lockdown
April 5, 2020, FranceOn Sunday 5th April, Father Jean Baptiste Gless noted the degradation and theft at the Church Saint-Laurent of Lambezellec in Brest. The candlesticks and candles were overturned and the lamp of the tabernacle was stolen. The parish priest refuses to close the doors of the church due to the degradation, because he says the perpetrators shall not win, he always leaves the door open in the morning, so that people can meditate and pray. During the Lockdown, the priest also prayed for the people of the town, and he hung a sign on the facade saying "Take care of you all, we pray for you".
Parish Offices of the Church of Amabilina Vandalized
April 4, 2020, ItalyUnknown intruders vandalized the parish offices of the San Giovanni Maria Vianney of Amabilina church in Marsala. The printer and the drawer of the photocopier were opened and the electrical wire was cut. Nothing was stolen because money and valuables had been removed while the church remains closed due to corona virus precautions.
Golden Cross Stolen from Osnabrück Chruch
April 3, 2020, GermanySometime during Holy Week unknown perpetrators broke open a glass case in the St. Joseph Church in the Miquelstraße in Osnabrück and stole a golden cross. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
The Police Evacuated A Church Even Though the Regulations Allow Mass in Churches
April 3, 2020, SpainOn 3. April, the national Police evacuated the church of San Servando y San Germán, in the district La Laguna of Cádiz. The Police said that the security measures for the Covid-19 Pandemic were not being held at the mass. The parish priest wrote afterwards an open letter, assuring that the fifteen parishioners in the Mass were taking the right measures, and that the evacuation was not justified.
Hateful and Stigmatised Speech Against Evangelical Christians
April 3, 2020, FranceFollowing the incident where The Open Doors Church was unfairly accused of spreading the Covid-19 infections, Christians have experienced intolerance and hate-speech all around France. Thierry Le Gall, from the national evangelical Council, mentions that in the last weeks they collected a lot of violent comments on social media, saying that the Christians should be erased or that they should not be in the country. Also, Pastors have received threats through letters and phone calls. Le Gall believes these attacks are because of ignorance about religion, intolerance and a scapegoat mechanism.
Window Smashed at Protestant Church
April 1, 2020, GermanyAn unknown person smashed a window of the evangelischen Gemeinde Mainz-Laubenheim with a stone between April 1st and 2nd. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
The Police Reported a Priest Who Was Celebrating Mass With 5 People
March 31, 2020, SpainOn the 31. March two police agents knocked on the door of the Church in Valldoreix and said to the priest "It's prohibited to open the Church and you are a murderer." They denounced the priest, although there were only five people present including the priest, and the Mass was celebrated with the regulations and on a legal basis.
Repeated Burglary At Catholic Church
March 30, 2020, GermanyOn March 30th between 09:00 and 19:45, unknown perpetrators broke into the Catholic church in the Brüder-Grimm-Straße in Vellmar. They opened the door of the sacristy, the organ control panel, the cover of the baptismal font, the safe, and searched several cupboards before fleeing in an unknown direction. The total damage amounts to 1.000 euro. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Fire at Catholic Church in Rohrbach
March 29, 2020, GermanySunday afternoon unknown perpetrators set fire to the catholic church in the Sudetenstraße in Rohrbach. A stacks of newspapers caught fire at the rear entrance of the church. The firefighters quickly extinguished the fire, so only the church walls and the door were slightly affected. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Police Raids on Italian Churches Raise Religious Freedom Concerns
March 29, 2020, ItalyAn unclear regulation about churches caused difficulties between churches and police. The Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti of Perugia, president of the Italian bishops' conference, asked the government to clarify these rules. During the Lockdown, the churches were allowed to be opened, but the assistance of a Mass was not declared as a vital necessity. The police raided several Mass being celebrated by small groups of people separated throughout the church and some bishops received reports of hundreds of euros for organising a mass.
Polish Village Shocked over Vandalism in Cemetery
March 28, 2020, PolandDuring the night between the 28th and 29th of March unknown people vandalized several tombstones, knocked over plaques and crosses, and broke many candles in the parish cemetery in Wysoka, despite the corona virus lockdown measures in Poland. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Vandalism at St. Remigius Church
March 28, 2020, GermanyOn the afternoon of March 28th, an unknown perpetrator broke into and damaged the organ case of the church Saint Remigius in Ingelheim. Furthermore, one page of the Gospel book, which has been laid out and opened, was set on fire. Just before this criminal incident a witness noticed a "strange" man, who pretended to want to play something on the organ. The police are investigating and searching for more witnesses.
Theft of Statue of the Virgin Mary in Dorsten
March 27, 2020, GermanyOn March 25th a statue of the Virgin Mary was stolen from the St. Antonius church in Dorsten. CCTV captured a couple entering the church and stealing the relic. The police is investigating and asking the public for help to find the statue, as it has a high ideational value for the parish.
Significant Vandalism in St. Michael Kirche
March 26, 2020, GermanyBetween 6:00 and 7:20 pm on the evening of March 26th, an unknown perpetrator vandalized the St. Michael Kirche on Kämpenstraße in Versmold. A shelf with Easter candles was knocked over, and the candles were scattered throughout the church. A large glass sanctuary lamp with the eternal flame candle was destroyed and a microphone was torn out of the ambo. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Protestant Church In Dreieichenhain Vandalised
March 25, 2020, GermanyBetween Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon, three windows of the Protestant church in the Fahrgasse in Dreieichenhain were damaged by an unknown perpetrator. Two windows had a hole and the glass of the third one was cracked. The damage amounts to 500 euros. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
An Angel Statue Vandalised
March 25, 2020, PolandIn the night of March 25th, two wooden statues; one of an angel and the other of a woman, were damaged in Kadzidlin. An unknown person cut off the wing of the angel standing by the building of the Municipal Library as well as the upper part of the woman`s figure. The whole damage amounts to 4.000 zlotys. A 43-year-old was caught and admitted the crime using a petrol saw. According to the Criminal Code, the crime committed by the 43-year-old man for unknown reasons is punishable by up to 5 years in prison.
Offensive Graffiti on Church Door in Poznań
March 25, 2020, PolandThe main entrance door of the church on Dąbrówki Street in Poznań was smeared by an unknown perpetrator during the night of March 24th to March 25th. An anarchist "A" symbol was sprayed on a pillar and the phrase "zdejmij suknię śmieciu" This roughly translates to: "take off your dress, punk" in blue paint was sprayed on the church. The police are investigating and searching for witnesses.
Graffiti On Door Of The Church Saint-Hermeland
March 25, 2020, FranceIn the night between March 25th and March 26th, a graffiti with the slogan "Vive le marriage libre" (Long live free marriage) was sprayed on the door of the church of Saint-Hermeland in Loire-Atlantique. The police immediately identified the perpetrator, a well-known militant in anarchist circles.
Anti-Christian Graffiti On The Church of Bouguenais
March 25, 2020, FranceOn 25th March in Bouguenais, graffities were discovered on the walls of the city and the entrance of the church with hostile phrases saying "Save a Life, cough up a policeman", "Hang the Priests and Hang the Counts" and "No God, No Father, No Mother".