British Catholic Hospices Face Closure Following Assisted Suicide Vote
June 20, 2025, United KingdomBritish Catholic hospices and care homes for the elderly face potential closure after the controversial Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was approved at Third Reading in the House of Commons on 20 June, passing by a narrow majority of just 23 votes. This bill, if enacted, would compel Catholic palliative care institutions that refuse to participate in assisted suicide on the basis of Christian teachings to either comply or face closure, raising deep concerns over the protection of institutional conscientious objection.
Arson Attack on Evangelical Street Preacher’s Trailer in Gütersloh
June 20, 2025, GermanyIn the pre-dawn hours of June 20, 2025, unknown assailants set fire to a vehicle trailer belonging to street preacher Henning Heinrich Westrup in Gütersloh, North Rhine‑Westphalia. The trailer, emblazoned with the message “Jesus saves”, suffered extensive damage to its protective tarpaulin and exterior in what authorities are investigating as a deliberate act of arson.
Liturgical Gospel Book Ripped Apart in St. Ulrich bei Steyr Church
June 19, 2025, AustriaBetween Monday 17 and Wednesday 19 June 2025, an unknown individual severely damaged a liturgical gospel at St Ulrich's parish church in Steyr, Austria. Parish staff found the Gospel, which had been left open on the side altar, completely vandalised — every single one of its 300 pages had been torn down the middle.
