All cases
Landowner at Pilgrims' Route Prohibits Priests to Enter Property
May 14, 2011, AustriaOne of the routes to the main Austrian Catholic Shrine, MariaZell, located in the Austrian mountains, leads through the forest of Mr. Josef Rothwangl. In May 2011, Mr. Rothwangl put up a sign prohibiting priests to enter his property when accompanying children or youth. He says that he was a victim of abuse by Catholic priests himself, when he was a student at a Catholic high school. It is not clear, whether such a prohibition is legally permitted or not. The social effects are in any case problematic: The measure defames and stereotypes priests by implying that all Catholic priests are child abusers.
Stage Play “Me Cago en Dios” – “I shit on God”
April 30, 2011, SpainThe Spanish play “Me Cago en Dios” was shown in Madrid in 2004. It caused public uproar due to its radical anti-religious contents. It was subsequently shown in Lisbon and in 2011 in New York City.
Atheists Announce Public Campaign Against Catholics
April 5, 2011, SpainIn a broadcasting interview by ELA radio, in Madrid, a group of people who identified themselves as “representatives of different atheist groups”, expressed openly that their goals are to “punish” the Catholic belief, and to “damage” the views of Catholics. They praised the burning of churches in 1936, and they expressed their intention to “welcome” the Pope “as he deserves”, during the announced visit to Madrid in the summer of 2011.
Atheist Procession on Holy Thursday
April 5, 2011, SpainA neighbour organization of Madrid's ambassadors’ district (Barrio de los Embajadores) and surrounding areas called for an “atheist procession”. The procession is scheduled to take place on the night of Holy Thursday departing from Plaza de Lavapies (wash feet square), and it will run parallel to the Way of the Cross, the Christian procession. According to the organizers’ web site – Atheists from Madrid (Ateos de Madrid) - the procession goal is to raise awareness against the "social and moral hypocrisy that conveys the Catholic Holy Week”.
Teacher Regularly Mocked Christianity in Class
April 2, 2011, AustriaA secondary grammar school teacher in Innsbruck regularly mocks and denounces Christian faith in class. The supervisory school authority has now reprimanded him.
Play against Catholics at Barcelona Theatre
March 24, 2011, SpainThe Cataluña National Theatre (TNC) in Barcelona is showing “Gang Band” from March 24th to April 17th 2011, during Lenten time. The plot describes the environment of a gay bar during the Pope’s visit to Barcelona. The play uses quotations from the Bible and the characters mock Christian traditional roles and beliefs. The TNC receives public funds to support culture and arts.
Reporter Calls Church Homophobic Talking About the European Soccer Championship
February 23, 2011, PolandHomosexual Polish soccer fans are demanding that a separate seating section be created at the 2012 European Soccer Championship in Poland; they claim that gays and lesbians might otherwise be subjected to harassment and violence. Associated Press Sports Editor, Ms. Terry Taylor, reported about this plea with the following comment: "Homophobia also remains deeply embedded in Poland because of the legacy of communism which treated homosexuality as a taboo and the teachings of the church in the predominantly Roman Catholic country."
Pope Mocked in Controversial Cartoon
January 10, 2011, ItalyA satirical cartoon depicting Pope Benedict XVI was shown in Italy’s public television RAI2. In the cartoon, the Pope says about Silvio Berlusconi since he “likes minors, he can always become a priest”. This caused quite an uproar as it was considered as defamatory.
Government Representative Verbally Attacks Catholic Church
December 29, 2010, SpainCayo Lara, the General Coordinator of the IU (United Left wing) told media that machismo and gender violence are strongly related to religious education. Lara also referred to the Catholic wedding vows in which partners should be united "until death", as proving "without any need of further discussion" that the Church is in favor of the discrimination of women and treats women as "the property of men."
List of Attacks Against Christian Sexual Orientation Group
December 10, 2010, GermanyAt a meeting on Freedom of Religion of OSCE/ODIHR in Vienna on Dec 9 and 10, the spokesperson of Wüstenstrom, a Christian NGO representing people with unwanted same-sex attractions, summarized a series of intolerance and attacks against them and their work. Find here the full text of his intervention.
Public Funds Used in Campaign Against Catholic Church
November 25, 2010, SpainGovernment funded atheist forum at the occasion of the Pope's visit to Barcelona concludes that "there was an increase of conflicts with a religious background, religious leaders used faith to subjugate the world, religious hierarchy attacked democracy, and religion restricted the exercise of freedom of conscience."
Political Spokeswoman States That "The Church in Spain is Sustained Tick”
November 10, 2010, SpainIn a session the Government, the spokeswoman of Esquerra Republicana, Joan Ridao, has called the Catholic Church in Spain to be "a kind of sustained, a luxury tick" (“mantenida y garrapata”).
Generalitat Catalana and Government Fund a Forum Against Public Presence of Catholic Church
November 10, 2010, SpainThe Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Equality, the Generalitat of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council and La Caixa funded the Forum Libertat 2010 on the same days on which the historic visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Santiago and Barcelona took place. The Forum advocated the withdrawal of the public presence of the Catholic Church.
University Supports Profane Show Despite of Students and Staff´s Complaints
October 28, 2010, SpainThe Dean of University of Valladolid, Marcos Sacristán, after being warned about the blasphemous content of Leo Bassi´s play, decided to offer the university premises for its performance. Students and staff of University of Valladolid had requested Dean Sacristan to ban the play because of its offensive content.
Government Representatives Verbally Attack Catholic Church
October 15, 2010, SpainOriol Amorós, the Immigration State Secretary in Cataluña, during a radio interview broadcast by RAC1 declared "Between the Pope and the Iman of Lérida, I have difficulties to make my mind. They are two version of too conservative and retrograde religions."
Painter Exhibits “Madonna Carrying Hitler Child”
October 6, 2010, ItalyExhibition in Italian city Salemi shows a painting of Madonna holding child Hitler. Jewish and Christian Church leaders have condemned the display.
(Scotland) BBC Displays "Consistent Anti-Christian institutional Bias"
September 5, 2010, United KingdomScottish Cardinal O'Brien says that detailed research into BBC news coverage of Christianity revealed a consistent anti-Christian institutional bias.
Street Dedicated to Anti-Christian War Criminal
July 7, 2010, SpainThe City of Santa Pau in Girona dedicated a street to the former mayor Joan Pinsach, who commanded the execution of priests in 1936 during the Civil War, as approved by mayor Esther Badosa.
Personal Experiences of Marginalisation in the Media
May 28, 2010, United KingdomEvangelical Premier Media conducted a survey called "Freedom of the Cross Consultations" in May 2010. 12 % of the respondants answered that they had experienced discrimination personally, another 10% that they knew someone who had. Read here some quotes with regard to the media.
Church Compared to Mafia in European Parliament
May 12, 2010, European Institutions (EU, ECHR, et.al.)In a meeting on child abuse, European Parliament Platform for Secularism says that Roman Catholic Church is protecting criminals and that its behavior is comparable to that of the Sicilian Mafia.