Medjugorje vandalisation is latest in wave of desecrations

From Spain to the USA, several churches have been vandalised in the past three months. Although the attacks seem unrelated to each other, they show that religious freedom is not to be taken for granted, even in majority Christian countries.

The popular European shrine of Medjugorje, in Bosnia, was vandalised and desecrated in the early hours of Tuesday, 28 July.  Local authorities were investigating the incident, which involved the desecration of a statue of the Virgin Mary and damage caused by fire. 

This case is the latest in a wave of attacks against churches in several countries across Europe and the Americas, involving acts of vandalism, desecration, arson or theft, raising concerns over a growing pattern of attacks against Christian places of worship.

While the circumstances and motivations behind each case vary, all have one element in common: churches and Christian religious symbols were deliberately targeted. The succession of incidents has alarmed local communities and renewed concerns about growing hostility towards places of worship, even in countries where Christians make up the majority of the population.

According to information gathered by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) from local news reports, incidents occurred in Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Northern Ireland, Belgium, Colombia, Nicaragua, Poland, Mexico, Dominican Republic and the USA.

In Nicaragua, a country where the Church has suffered from severe persecution at the state level in recent years, a church was broken into two times in the Diocese of Estelí, on 13 and 16 June. Thieves took musical instruments and furniture, but also destroyed an image of Jesus in the Franciso de Asis parish. 

Another very disturbing incident took place in southwest France, where individuals broke into a Church in Mugron and stole the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle. The break-in took place between 14 and 17 June and is being investigated by the authorities.

The Diocese of Saltillo, in Mexico, also saw a case of theft of the Blessed Sacrament from the tabernacle on 12 June, although in this case it appears that the criminals were after the vessels, rather than the Eucharist itself, as they abandoned the consecrated hosts nearby. The local bishop called for prayer and ordered an act of reparation before the Church could be used again.

Acts of vandalism also took place in Spain. In Catalonia, a group of youths broke into the Church of Our Lady of Peace, in Òdena, on 19 May, causing serious material damage to the interior, desecrating the altar and a Bible, stealing metal objects, including instruments, and graffitiing the walls.

A more severe attack took place in Colombia, on Sunday 21 June, where an unknown armed group used drones to fire explosives against a Christian church in the north of the country. A ten-year-old boy was killed in the attack, which also left five people wounded. Northern Colombia is one of the most badly affected by internal violence, but the reason for the attack is not known. 

In Oakland, California, unknown assailants damaged the Church of St Columba, breaking crosses and other religious images and even damaging a fountain that had been erected in memory of six Irish exchange students who died in an accident in 2015. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops keeps a list of such incidents, which is periodically updated.

The wave of attacks confirms the warning made by religious freedom expert José Luis Bazán, one of the authors of ACN’s Religious Freedom in the World Report, that religious freedom and the right to freedom of worship are not given factors even in majority Christian countries.

Although these incidents differ in nature and severity, their frequency within such a short period raises concerns about the protection of places of worship and respect for religious belief. 

They also serve as a reminder that threats to religious freedom can also manifest themselves through repeated attacks on religious communities and their sacred spaces in Western countries. 

Addressing the Spanish Parliament on 8 June, Pope Leo XIV stressed that “freedom of thought, conscience and religion” is “a decisive issue for every truly democratic society”. He also noted that an authentic State “recognises the religious dimension of the person” and therefore “not only respects it, but protects it as well”. 

The recent attacks on churches across Europe and the Americas serve as a reminder that safeguarding religious freedom involves not only protecting the right to believe, but also ensuring that places of worship are respected and protected.