All cases

110 Year Old Cross Stolen from St. Michael Church in Germany

December 11, 2022, Germany

Unknown perpetrators stole the cross from the church of St. Michael in Blumenfeld, as reported on 11. December. It seems that this happened soon after the Advent singing, leaving the dean and the mayor stunned with the theft. The cross, which is more than 110 years old, is estimated to be worth up to 12,000 euros. The police have started an investigation and are looking for witnesses and information.

Assault in an Evangelical Church in Caserta: Worshippers Robbed During the Service

December 11, 2022, Italy

An armed robbery took place on 11. December night in an evangelical church in Orta di Atella, in the province of Caserta. The six robbers, according to the witnesses, entered the church during the Sunday service with covered faces and, at least two of them, armed with pistols, robbing some of the worshippers present. The whole incident lasted only a few minutes, after which the bandits fled in a car, with the Carabinieri only appearing at the scene later.

Right-Wing Slogans Tagged on Church in Germany

December 11, 2022, Germany

The Door of St. Peter's Church in Versmold has been tagged with right-wing extremist slogans by unknown perpetrators. The graffiti shows inciting symbols and slogans, as it was reported on the 11. December. The police of Bielefeld are investigating and trying to identify the perpetrators.

Church Robbed and Vandalised in Portugal

December 10, 2022, Portugal

The bells of the Church of Santa Marta, in the parish of Benfica do Ribatejo, were stolen and the facilities of the scouts were robbed. The alert for the theft was given this Saturday morning, December 10, but the robbery would have occurred on Thursday or Friday. The bells were stolen from the Church Tower and the robbers caused even more damage. They entered the Scouts' premises and destroyed various Scout materials and even stole several tents.

Arson to Church in Calais

December 10, 2022, France

On 10. December, rooms, doors, and objects at the Notre Dame des Armées Church in Calais were burned during an arson attack. One of the parish members commented that they perceived a"strong burning smell" when they entered the building on that day. Unknown perpetrators had burned the door leading to the sacristy, the room where the priest prepares the celebrations and the floor tile. The police have opened an investigation, they are treating the case as an intensional fire caused by the perpetrator. Fortunately, no injuries were reported and the fire did not affect "valuable objects".

"God is Dead, We killed him" Tagged on St. Nikolaus Church and Primary School

December 9, 2022, Germany

Between December 9 and the 13th, the buildings of the St. Nikolaus church and an elementary school were smeared with graffiti and anti-Christian slogans in Konz. One writing said, "God is dead, we killed him", while other symbols were tagged such as pentagrams and inverted crosses. The police have proof from the CCTV cameras of two unidentified perpetrators who entered the elementary school grounds and graffitied the walls. However, the persons are yet to be identified.

Insults Tagged on Catholic Monument in Valladolid

December 9, 2022, Spain

On the night of the 9. December, unknown perpetrators spray-painted insults on the Monument to the Brotherhood of Valladolid in the city of Valladolid. The vandals painted the word "paedophile" on the statue of the brother and "little slut" on the statue of the girl. The monument represents the tradition of the Valladolid Holy Week. The incident has been reported by the police and the cleaning service has been notified. The police is looking for witnesses to identify the perpetrators.

Man Arrested After Physically Attacking Priest

December 8, 2022, Spain

A 60-year-old man has been arrested by the police in Medina Sidonia for allegedly assaulting a priest in the church of San Juan de Dios on Thursday 8th of December. According to witnesses, the man attacked the priest with several punches before a funeral was going to take place. He caused him a series of injuries for which the priest had to be treated later at a hospital. The incident occurred at around 16.30 hours. The priest, Fr. Stuart James Chipolina was preparing to officiate at a funeral in the church when, after an argument with the local, the latter punched the priest several times.

Pro-terrorist Graffiti at Church's Door in Sevilla

December 6, 2022, Spain

A tag with the words "Gora ET(A)" appeared at the door of San Marcos' parish in Sevilla on December 6. The meaning of the painted slogan in Basque language is "long live ETA", in reference to the Basque separatist organization ETA, classified as a terrorist group by Spain, France, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada and the European Union.

Church of Santa Maria dei Centurelli in Caporciano Vandalised

December 6, 2022, Italy

Signs and writing appeared on the façade of the Church of Santa Maria dei Centurelli, in the municipality of Caporciano. The report was made by the Celestinian Movement, which posted photos showing the vandalism. A graffiti on the wall of the church seems to say "thieves", and the information sign outside the church was also defaced with graffiti. The perpetrators remain unknown. The photos were shared on social media by Massimo Alesii and caused indignation. "A serious, very serious fact happened in Centurelli. The appeal is to the local communities... to raise their eyes to the mountains,' wrote Massimo Alesii.

Church in Campania desecrated with excrement in the holy water fonts

December 4, 2022, Italy

Urine and excrement were found in the two stoups at the entrance to the Church of Sant'Adiutore in Cervinara. This was revealed during Mass on December 4 by the parish priest of Cervinara, Don Renato Trapani. All the churches in Cervinara are also open at night so that those who want to gather in prayer freely at all hours can do so without restrictions. The priest showed his sorrow, inviting those in the know to come forward to shed light on this episode.

Vandalic Attack to the Oldest Church in Madrid

December 3, 2022, Spain

On the night of December 2 to 3, unknown persons defaced the walls of the hermitage of Santa María La Antigua of Carabanchel with graffiti, one of the tags containing the Anarchist Ⓐ and an upside-down cross. This 13th-century Mudéjar temple is the oldest building constructed in Madrid.

Altar cloths set on fire in Bauler church

December 3, 2022, Germany

In the period from December 2 to December 3, 2022, the altar cloths were burnt in the parish church in Bauler, according to the Bitburg police department. The perpetrator or perpetrators, who are as to date unknown, lit all the sacrificial candles and then also the altar cloths, some of which burnt down, causing material damage, according to the police.

Raising concerns over Zelensky's green light to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church activities

December 1, 2022, Ukraine

On 1. December Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky announced that he had signed a decision by the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine (NSDC). The decision instructed the government to submit a bill "on the impossibility of religious organizations affiliated with the centres of influence in the Russian Federation to operate in Ukraine" to the Verkhovna Rada. Although this is a political decision conveyed during a war period, the way it is put into practice could gravely affect religious freedom in the country.

Religious Objects and Valuables Stolen from Church in Treviso

December 1, 2022, Italy

In late November or early December, the Church of 'Santa Maria della Pieve', in Via Borgo Pieve in Castelfranco Veneto, was targeted. Two glass and brass candle holders, various liturgical booklets and votive candles were stolen, while a copper cover and a holy water stoup were partially damaged in an attempt to steal them. Two persons, also linked to other church thefts in the area of Treviso, have been arrested.

Church in Vienna Tagged With Anti-Christian slogan

November 30, 2022, Austria

"No God, No State, No Patriarchy" was sprayed on the walls of the Breitenfeld Church in Vienna in a vandalic attack that took place in late November. An eyewitness sent the picture to OIDAC Europe.

Good News: Russian Court Overturns Decision to Mobilise Christian Conscientious Objector to War

November 30, 2022, Russia

After the Russian mobilisation for the war in Ukraine was announced in September 2022, Pavel Mushumansky, a young Evangelical Christian, was called to a military unit. He appealed to the court, as he is a conscientious objector to take up arms. The court concluded, that as he had previously completed an alternative civilian service, he could no longer be sent to the active army during mobilisation. The Gatchina City Court of the Leningrad Oblast therefore declared illegal the decision to conscript Pavel Mushumansky.

Pew Research Study: Christians faced harassment in more countries than any other religion worldwide

November 29, 2022, International

In November 2022, the Pew Research Center published a new worldwide study on harassment and restrictions against religious groups in 2020. According to the findings, government authorities harassed religious groups in 178 countries in 2020 and social groups or individuals harassed religious groups in 164 countries. Both numbers show a slight decline in comparison to 2019. Christians and Muslims, the largest religions in the world, faced harassment in more countries than any other religious group, same as in previous years. The study documented that Christians were harassed in 155 countries, (2019: 153). Muslims were harassed in 145 countries (2019: 147) and Jews faced harassment in 94 countries (2019: 89).

Chaplain receives Apology after being pressured to remove his half-inch cross

November 28, 2022, United Kingdom

Derek Timms, a chaplain from Solihull, was told in September at the Marie Curie charity’s Solihull branch, that he must not wear the cross as it might "offend’ and "create barriers" with patients. He was also told that he would face consequences if he did not remove the cross, which was a symbol of his faith but also a memory of his late wife. After receiving legal support, Mr Timms received an "unreserved" apology letter from the Marie Curie charity's regional head office.

400kg Bells Stolen from Church in Gelsenkirchen

November 27, 2022, Germany

Between 22 and 27 November, unknown assailants have stolen a 400-kilogram bell from a church in Gelsenkirchen-Scholven. The bell has a diameter of about 75 centimetres and a height of 1.15 metres, according to the police. The bell itself was not in the tower of St. Joseph's Church at the time of the theft. It was was placed in the interior.