All cases

Two Priests 'Kidnapped' by Russian Forces in Berdyansk

November 16, 2022, Ukraine

The Donetsk Exarchate of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church announced that on 16 November, two priests of the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin of Berdyansk, currently under Russian control, were "illegally arrested" by the Rosgvardiya (Russia's National Guard).

Ukraine: Catholic Priests Still Missing After Nine Months

November 16, 2022, Ukraine

On the 16th of November, 2022, two Ukrainian Greek-Catholic priests, Ivan Levytsky and Bohdan Heletta were taken prisoner by Russian troops in Berdjansk, south-east Ukraine, currently under Russian occupation. Since then, nothing has been heard of them. Maksym Rjabucha, auxiliary bishop: "Despite the prayers, protests and efforts of the Catholic Church, there is still no news about them."

A Pile of Books set on Fire inside church Causes Great Damage

November 15, 2022, France

On 16. November, the church in the small town of Champagnat was severely damaged by fire. 39 firemen were mobilised to secure the building and extinguish the fire, which seems to have been started on a pile of books that were placed beside a wooden confessional. The alert was raised by people attending a funeral, who saw thick smoke coming out of the church. A local volunteer fireman began containing the fire until the fire brigade arrived. They were able to preserve a painting of Christ, but another painting was destroyed, along with the books, a statue and the confessional.

Arson to church in France

November 15, 2022, France

Plastic objects inside the church have been set on fire and were burned on a candle holder on the 15th of November. The incident was discovered by a parishioner, who had opened the church and left to return a couple of hours later. When she came back, the premises smelled like burning, so she alerted the parish priest. They also notified the police, who realized that plastic objects had been set on fire intentionally by unknown perpetrators.

Unknown Perpetrators Tagg Church with Insults and Satanic Symbols

November 15, 2022, Germany

In November 2022, there was an attack on a Catholic church in Augsburg, in the Oberhausen discritc. Unknown perpetrators threw eggs at the church of St. Peter and Paul and tagged it with graffiti. The graffiti said "F*CK JESUS", it also had a Satanic star and the number "666", which refers to the devil.

Greek football star will appeal prison sentence for Controversial Social Media Post

November 14, 2022, Greece

The former football player Vasilios Tsiartas was sentenced this November to 10 months in prison for a comment made on Facebook in 2017 where he stated that “God created Adam and Eve” in response to a bill for the redefinition of gender identity. On his Twitter account, he has stated that he will appeal the sentence.

Unknown Perpetrators Set Fire to Church Germany

November 13, 2022, Germany

Unknown persons set a fire at the St. Bonifatius church on the 13th of November in Freckenhorst. According to police, the fire did not spread much but it damaged part of the stone floor. The perpetrators also smeared a wall in the church with soot. The police are now looking for information to identify the vandals.

Sacrilegious and probably Satanic attack to Italian Church

November 13, 2022, Italy

Unknown persons entered the church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Monterone, on the 16th of November. They enacted numerous acts of vandalism, destroying and stealing sacred furnishings and iconography. In particular, the perpetrators detached and carried away an ancient wooden crucifix later found by police inside a heavily damaged garbage can. According to the sources, the form of desecration and damage indicates that it might have been a satanic motivated attack.

Molotov cocktail Thrown at church in Germany

November 13, 2022, Germany

On the 13th November, the door of the Sankt Laurentius church in Langenhorn was set on fire by unknown perpetrators. A video of the crime was uploaded on the internet but it has been removed again. A vandal threw a Molotov Cocktail at the church and posted a video of the flames. The police opened an investigation with the video.

Vandals Smash Stained-Glass Windows of St. Llwchaiarn Church

November 10, 2022, United Kingdom

A church in Llanllwchaiarn (near Newtown) is facing a "at least" £30,000 bill after unknown vandals smashed six glass-stained windows. The windows of the St. Llwchaiarn church were protected with a wire mesh, but the vandals were still able to break the glass, apparently with iron rods from an old grave. The incident took place between the 8th and 10th of November.