All cases
Arson by Unknown Perpetrators in Church Premises
October 30, 2021, ItalyOn the evening of 30. October, a fire broke out in the premises next to the church of Sant'Aniceto in Villar Perosa. Thanks to the Fire Brigade and volunteers, the fire was brought under control and no one was hurt. The parish priest, Don Orlando Aguilar Tobon, suspects that the fire was voluntary because the cleaning ladies noticed the smell of cigarettes and found a disordered room, later he was informed that a fire had broken out from a locked cabinet. A bottle of wine and two glasses were also found in the room.
Around 7.000€ Stolen from a Benedictine Convent in Italy
October 9, 2021, ItalyThe community of the Passionist Fathers of San Giovanni was having dinner when thieves broke into the convent and stole approximately 7,000 Euros, as it was reported on the 10th of October. The thieves must have known the monks' habits because the robbery was carried out without inconvenience. The money was the sum of donations, from tourists who regularly visit the monastery and from couples who get married at the abbey. As the theft became known it came as a surprise because some monks had chosen to remain silent. Police and military forces are still investigating.
Church in Badia Vandalised Multiple Times
October 3, 2021, ItalyOver the course of a month the church in Badia has been vandalised in various ways: glasses were broken with stone, stones were pulled out of the walls and dog excrements smeared on the facade of the church. The last damage was perpetrated by smashing the windows with stones. Stones falling inside the church also caused damage to the wooden pews. Police are investigating.
Madonna delle Grazie Vandalised in Salza Irpina
October 2, 2021, ItalyThe front door of a church in Salza Irpina was vandalised with graffiti on 2 October. The mayor of the city, Luigi Cella, has expressed his indignation on social media and hopes to find the perpetrator/s. "A deplorable gesture of vandalism was made against our church Maria Santissima delle Grazie".
Surveillance Camera Caught Two Burglars inside St.Liborio's Church
September 19, 2021, ItalyImages from CCTV showed that a car was driving away from the church of San Liborio where religious objects and 5.000 Euros in cash, which was contained in a metal cupboard, were stolen. The two perpetrators, 37 and 46 years-old and with previous convictions, were identified after a quick investigation by the local police station
Art Festival Against "Religious Censorship" celebrates "Blasphemy Day"
September 17, 2021, Italy"Ceci n'est pas un blasphème" is the title of the festival which claims to celebrate freedom of expression and attack "religious censorship". The festival took place between the 17th and 30th of September, the day on which "Blasphemy Day" is celebrated. The non-profit festival included exhibitions, talks, comedians, to promote anti-clerical art and raise funds to be donated to organizations that provide protection and legal assistance to people persecuted for having said or created blasphemous content. Interestingly, many artists have targeted Christian symbols to create blasphemous images, whereas the countries and cases with severe Blasphemy laws and punishments are Muslim.
Church Window Broken by a Group of Young People
September 16, 2021, ItalyThe parish of Mortizzuolo in Mirandola was vandalized by a group of young people that was gathering next to the church. The group ended up breaking a window of the church. Police are investigating and tracking videocameras.
Church Vandalised with Anti-Semitic Tags in Perugia
September 13, 2021, ItalyBlasmephic tags in red paint were found on the memorial plaque of the great Perugian Bishop Luigi Piastrelli, who was parish priest in St. Agatha's church for almost 70 years, from 1908 to 1975. The plaque is found on the facade of the Church. The residents have expressed shame and indignation, according to the report, and they have also called on the police to launch an investigation with help of security cameras on the area.
Three Teenagers Shout Blasphemies During Mass in Sorso
September 12, 2021, ItalyThree times in a row, three teenagers entered St.Pantaleon's church during mass was taking place and started shouting blasphemies. After the incident, they just left rapidly. Residents and church parishioners have been asking for more control due to the rise of acts of vandalism. The police seem to ignore the requests.
Repeated Theft in Madonna delle Lacrime Sanctuary
September 10, 2021, ItalyFor the third time in a row, the Madonna delle Lacrime Sanctuary located in Siracusa has been robbed.
Offering Box Keeps Being Robbed
September 9, 2021, ItalyThe rector of St Anthony's exposed a warning on the church's news table: 'He steals our money, but I want to avoid him trouble'. Repeatedly, the priest had found the box containing the offerings of the faithful robbed for several times.
Two Churches in Siracusa Vandalised
September 5, 2021, ItalyThe Church of the Mazzarrona and now also the basilica sanctuary of the Madonna delle Lacrime have been the target of thieves and vandals. Police are investigating.
Chiesa Matrice di Alessandria della Rocca Robbed and Vandalised
September 3, 2021, ItalyAccording to initial investigations, the robbery took place on the 27th of August, but the parish priest of the church reported the incident to the police only on 3 September. Unknown perpetrators broke into Chiesa Matrice di Alessandria della Rocca and vandalised the tabernacle by stealing the gold and cooper door of the tabernacle. The perpetrators also looted the collection box. The police are investigating.
Statue of Saint Timothy Vandalised in Termoli
September 1, 2021, ItalyA vandal damaged the clay statue of Saint Timothy on 1 September, located on the roundabout near the Homonim church. As reported by a witness, the perpetrator seemed restless because he was muttering and accusing.
Vandalism and Desecration in the Church of Ca' de Caroli in Scandiano
September 1, 2021, ItalyOn 1 September the walls of the church were vandalised and statues, furnishings and liturgical objects destroyed. The Vicar-general rushed to the place of the incident as soon as possible, to evaluate the damages and calm down the community. In the forthcoming weeks, Bishop Massimo Camisasca will visit the church and preside a Holy Mass.
Theft of Sacrilegious Objects in San Felice Church
August 26, 2021, ItalyUnknown perpetrators stole offerings and gold objects such as rings and a golden necklace from the San Felice di Tenna parish church in Tramonti. The incident is said to have happened sometime overnight from 25 to 26 August. The culprits must have known that parish priest Father Justin Nnamdi Emeziem left the town to attend a summer camp. Apart from the stolen offerings and a broken offertory box, the military and the police found a damaged statue of the Virgin Mary and gold objects belonging to the statue missing. Police in cooperation with the military is investigating the incident, which was caught by nearby surveillance cameras. An exact amount of the stolen goods has yet to be determined.
Statur of the Virgin Mary Desecrated in Massafra
August 14, 2021, ItalyA statue of the Virgin Mary was destroyed in Massafra. The incident happened sometime overnight from 13 to 14 of August. A Madonna from Medjugorje, as the statue is also known, was placed outside the Sacro Cuore Church. Massafra's community, as well as parish priest Don Michele Bianco, were shocked by the incident. The latter also informed the police about the incident. According to reports, the police is evaluating video surveillance, which shows two rather young people committing the act.
Desecration of Church Garden in Monfalcone
August 14, 2021, ItalyOn 9 August, currently unknown perpetrators vandalised the garden of the church in Monfalcone. The incident was reported by the San Giuseppe association, which manages the oratory. Their president, Luca Waldner, explained the necessity of keeping the garden closed until the reparation work is completed. According to Waldner, this is just one of many vandalism acts targetting the church and its premises. Police have been informed and are currently investigating.
Stolen Crucifix of Church in Vada Recovered
August 10, 2021, ItalyA stolen crucifix from the church in Vada was recovered and brought back to its place. The small sacred object was stolen from the altar of the parish of San Leopoldo for unknown reasons. A passerby spotted the gold-plated object in a bush, not far from the parish. Police were informed and the crucifix has now returned to its former place. However, the investigation to find the culprit is still ongoing.
Pope Received Threatening Letter Containing Bullets
August 9, 2021, ItalyItalian law enforcement is investigating a suspicious envelope addressed to Pope Francis. The letter that contained three bullets, was discovered by postal employees at a mail sorting facility near Milan on 9 August. According to a paramilitary police spokesperson, the envelope had been sent from France and was addressed by hand in pen to “The Pope, Vatican City, St Peter’s Square, Rome”. Apart from the bullets, which police presumes to be for a pistol, the letter contained a message referring to financial operation at the Vatican.