A Christian watchdog has reported a rise in anti-Christian hate crimes against churches and other Christian sites across Europe, with arson, vandalism and desecration among the incidents recorded during February.
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe) said it documented 34 anti-Christian hate crimes during the month, including 11 arson attacks.
The total was higher than in January, which had already marked an unusually high number of incidents.
The organisation said February’s cases included 17 incidents of vandalism, 11 fire-related events, three desecrations, two incidents involving the theft of holy objects, and one case of violent assault on Christians taking part in a public event.
France, Italy and Germany recorded the highest numbers of incidents, with seven cases each in France and Italy, and six in Germany.
Additional incidents were reported in the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland and Greece, while further cases were also logged in the UK and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The group said one of the clearest trends in February was the persistence of arson attacks, including an incident in Loiret, France, where the altar of a parish church was deliberately set alight.
In the Dutch town of Ede, three churches were damaged in separate fires in the space of five days, prompting heightened concern over repeated targeting of Christian sites.
In Italy, incidents included an attempted arson at the historic Church of San Rocco in Felizzano, and an arrest at St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican after a man allegedly tried to enter carrying flammable materials and ignition devices during a papal Mass.
A priest in southern Stockholm, Sweden, reportedly prevented an attempt to set fire to a Catholic church.
In the UK, OIDAC Europe recorded two suspected arson attacks, including severe damage to a historic former church building in Camelon, Scotland, and to the former King’s Hall Methodist Church in Southall.
A second pattern was the repeated targeting of on objects with symbolic or liturgical value, like a Virgin Mary statue at Bois-le-Roi cemetery and vandalism of Montpellier Cathedral during a carnival celebration in France.
In Germany, grave crosses were burned inside a cemetery prayer hall in Amtzell and serious vandalism occurred inside a Catholic church in Steinenbronn.
St Alphonsus RC Church in Glasgow, UK, was vandalised, while in Spain, incidents included graffiti on the historic Santa Susana Church in Santiago.
A third pattern was the recurrence of attacks against the same churches or local Christian sites in quick succession, raising fears about the cumulative effect on congregations and neighbourhoods.
OIDAC Europe documented repeated damage to a church in Hastings, UK, and vandalism of St Olof’s Church in Falköping, Sweden.
In Spain, there was renewed damage to the entrance and windows of the Immaculate Conception convent in Navarre.
In Poland, threatening graffiti and satanic symbols were daubed on the wall of a Roman Catholic church in Poznań, including a warning that the church would be burned.
In the case of violent assault, two people were taken to hospital after being attacked at a Christian pro-life event in Koblenz, Germany.
The violence did not stop with the end of February.
OIDAC Europe said attacks continued during the opening weeks of March, with more arson reported in Austria, Poland, Ireland and in Switzerland, where a Bible was set alight on an altar.
Elsewhere in March, a cross was reportedly removed from the front of a Methodist church in Germany and thrown into a rubbish bin.
In Italy, a paper bomb hit a church in Modesto, while in Tuscania gunshots were directed at both a church and a religious image.
Alongside the recorded hate crimes, OIDAC Europe said it documented an additional 46 incidents involving theft, property damage or break-ins affecting churches, though these were not included in the anti-Christian hate crime count because a specific bias in the motive could not be clearly established.
OIDAC Europe said the cases demonstrate continuing risks for Christian places of worship and communities, and underline the need for protection of religious sites.
"While the figures presented reflect only the incidents documented by OIDAC Europe and therefore cannot capture the full scope of anti-Christian hostility, the patterns observed highlight ongoing security concerns affecting Christian places of worship across Europe," said OIDAC.
"Ensuring the protection of religious sites and the free and safe exercise of religion remains an important responsibility for public authorities and local communities alike."
