European Court of Human Rights Upholds Right to Door-to-Door Religious Outreach
June 9, 2026, BulgariaOn 9 June 2026, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Bulgaria violated the right to freedom of religion by upholding a municipal ban on door-to-door religious outreach in the city of Shumen. The Court found that the measure amounted to a disproportionate restriction on religious freedom because it broadly prohibited religious evangelisation at residents’ homes without sufficient justification. The judgment reaffirms that peaceful missionary activity is protected under Article 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
Arson Incident at St. Peter’s Church in Lommel Following Repeated Vandalism
June 8, 2026, BelgiumUnknown perpetrators deliberately set fire to the fabric upholstery of a church bench inside St. Peter’s Church (Sint-Pietersbandenkerk) in Lommel, Belgium, on 8 June 2026. Church officials stated that the incident was the latest in a number of recent vandalism and fire-related incidents affecting the church.
Catholic Prayer Disrupted in Poissy Amid Shouting of Anti-Christian and Islamist Slogans
June 6, 2026, FranceA Catholic prayer gathering at the Church of Saint-Louis de Beauregard in Poissy was disrupted by individuals shouting slogans, including “Allahu Akbar” and direct insults against Christians, prompting concern among the parishioners.
