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Filtered by: Desecration

Update: Two Men Arrested for Theft and Vandalism of Several Churches in Paris

April 6, 2022, France

Two men were taken into custody by the police on April 6th as they were expected to have committed multiple thefts and sacrilegious acts at Catholic churches in the Paris region. The churches included the Saint-Pierre Church in Bondy and the church of Saint-Germain-l'Auxerrois in Romainville, in which the tabernacle and consecrated hosts were vandalized, as well as thefts in the Grenoble Cathedral, and churches located in Val-de-Marne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis and Paris. The total damage amounted to several tens of thousand of euros.

Orthodox Church in Strasbourg Tagged with Letter Z

April 6, 2022, Germany

The letter Z was painted several times on the entrance of the Russian Orthodox Church in Strasbourg on April 6th. This letter is a symbol that has been associated with the Russian Army and the attack was obviously hateful. A complaint has been filed and the parish commented: "We mourn what is happening and wish a quick return of peace to Ukrainian land."

Russian Troops Commit Sacrilege at Chernihiv Cemetery in Ukraine

April 5, 2022, Ukraine

Russian troops vandalised a large cemetery near Mariupol on March 4th by repeatedly driving over crosses and tombstones with tanks. The necropolis is one of the largest in Europe and those who witnessed the event called it sacrilege. The cemetery was entirely destroyed in this unnecessary, sacrilegious, and inhumane destruction.

Statue of Madonna of Fatima Stolen from Cerreto Guidi Church

April 5, 2022, Italy

A meter-high painted wooden statue of the Madonna of Fatima, along with a small crucifix, was stolen from the Church of the Company in Cerreto Guidi. The sacrilegious theft happened Tuesday, April 7th and greatly upset the people of the town. The statue was of "great emotional value" to the town said archpriest, Father Alessandro Locatelli, and "the Christian people of Cerreto have been deprived of a dear image." The incident was reported to the local police station.

Theft of Religious Objects in Rouillé Church

April 2, 2022, France

It was only noticed on April 2nd that objects of worship had been stolen from the church in Rouillé, Vienne. The last event there was on March 19th so the theft of ciboriums, chalices, and patens, which had all been locked in the sacristy, could have happened any time. This was one of many similar thefts that have recently happened in the area so churches are considering options to prevent such acts in the future.

Stones Thrown at Image of Christ in Via Merlo

March 31, 2022, Italy

Stones were thrown at a picture of Christ in Via Merlo in what could only be described as a hateful act. The incident happened on March 31st and resulted in the glass that was covering the picture getting broken. The vandals also stole candles and flowers and left inscriptions around the sight.

Religious Paintings Stolen in Marian San Nicola Church

March 31, 2022, Italy

Two religious paintings and tens of euros were stolen from the Santissima Annunziata church in Marian San Nicola on March 31st. The money was from the offertory which got damaged during the theft. Don Saji, the parish priest, reported the incident to the carabinieri who were investigating it.

Sacred Objects Stolen from Gleschendorf Church

March 30, 2022, Germany

During the night on March 30th, the Gleschendorf Church was robbed by unknown persons. The perpetrators stole valuable communion objects including a 300 year old baptismal bowl. This unfortunate event demonstrated a disrespect for the church and its proceedings.

Sacred Relic Stolen from Church in Brianza

March 30, 2022, Italy

On the 30th of April, an antique silver cross was stolen from a church in Barlassina. The cross, which was kept in a small box that was forced open, was of little monetary value which makes the theft particularly sacrilegious. Investigations were underway to find out who committed the theft.

59 Religious Buildings, Mostly Orthodox, have been Damaged by Russian Military

March 28, 2022, Ukraine

Since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 21st, 59 religious buildings have been badly damaged by Russian attacks in 8 different regions. The Ministry of Information Policy and Culture of Ukraine reported that most of these building had been Orthodox Churches while others were synagogues, mosques, and religious education institutions. The Kremlin claims to "protect Orthodoxy" but these statistics tell a different story.

Sacred Objects Stolen from Couhé

March 28, 2022, France

A ciboria and chalices, both of which were in the sacristy or tabernacle, were stolen from the Couhé church on March 28th. Consecrated hosts were also taken, which implies the perpetrator was targeting the celebration of the Eucharist as hosts can be sold for high prices in some satanic circles. The theft of these objects of worship was a hateful attack on the religious traditions of the church.

Cross Stolen from St. Michael's Church

March 27, 2022, Germany

On March 27th, a cross made of cast bronze was stolen from the crypt of St. Michael's church in Fulda. It was not known who did it but the police were investigating.

Police Detain Church Burglar in Luban

March 24, 2022, Poland

A 22 year old man was detained in Luban for the burglary of a church, and church buildings, on the 24 of March. He damaged the door of the sacristy and broke windows to gain access to the other church buildings where he stole property left there. He was responsible for 11 thefts in all, some unrelated to the church, and was put under police provision and banned from leaving the country.

Precious Items Stolen from St. Nicholas Statue in Bari

March 22, 2022, Italy

Unknown thieves broke into the St. Nicholas Basilica of Bari and stole valuable items from the St. Nicolas statue within. They took a book with three silver balls and a cross with some precious stones. From the other hand, they took a golden ring with some stones and an old necklace. This statue has become a symbol of peace in the last weeks, due to the Ukraine war, which made the theft especially malicious. The theft occurred on 22. March.

Statue of Virgin Mary Stolen in Ardennes

March 19, 2022, France

The bronze statue of the Virgin of Chesnois-Auboncourt (Ardennes), was stolen on March 19 from the entrance to the village, where it had been since 1990. It was fixed to a concrete base with a marble plaque that commemorated Germaine Justin, the donor of the statue. The villagers were disappointed as the statue was beloved by them.

Stations of the Cross Vandalized in Wettenhausen

March 18, 2022, Germany

Almost all of the Stations of the Cross in Wettenhausen have been violently vandalized by unknown persons on March 18th. The police estimated that the damage was around 150,000 Euros but with the cleanup would probably end up being more. The deliberate attack on sacred Christian symbols demonstrates a complete lack of respect.

Statue of Christ Stolen from Crucifix in L'Escaillère

March 18, 2022, Belgium

A metal statue of Christ in L'Escaillère was ripped from its crucifix by thieves on March 18th. It was suspected that the act was done because of the rising metal prices and the statue could be sold and melted down. Nevertheless, the symbolic value of the statue of Christ for the community is very high and this theft shows clear disrespect for religious sentiments.

St. Bernard Church in Angelmodder Ransacked

March 16, 2022, Germany

The sacristy of the St. Bernhard church in Angelmodder was ransacked by unknown vandals who stole and broke sacred objects. The thieves broke through a window made by the famous artist Johannes Schreiter and stole chalices, destroyed a monstrance, and broke into a safe. The damage and theft of these sacred objects was reported to the police.

Theft of Sacred Objects in Courcoury

March 14, 2022, France

The Saint-Martin de Tours church in Courcoury was targeted by a thief who stole consecrated hosts on March 14th. The tabernacle was broken into and a lunula, which contained a large consecrated host, was taken. The Bishop of La Rochelle, Mgr Colomb, commented on, "this act of pure hatred and denounced a very serious sacrilege committed against Christ and against his Church". He called in a "new blow of the spear in the side of Christ." An investigation was launched by the police.

Russian Orthodox Church in Oxford Looted

March 12, 2022, United Kingdom

On March 12th, the Russian Orthodox Church of St Nicholas in Oxford was looted by unknown individuals who damaged the holy alter and stole other religious items such as crosses, and altar vessels. They also broke open the church safe and stole a collection of money that was intended for Ukraine. The police were investigating the crime.