Unknown assailants attack Serbian Orthodox cathedral in Zagreb
A shattered stained-glass window of the Transfiguration Cathedral in Zagreb. Photo: Press Service of the Zagreb-Ljubljana Eparchy
On April 23, 2026, unidentified individuals committed an act of vandalism against the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord of the Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolis of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Zagreb.
According to the Metropolis press service, during the night the attackers hurled chairs and other objects from neighboring cafés at the entrance to the church, the fence, and the churchyard. As a result of the attack, the perpetrators shattered an old stained-glass window of the cathedral and destroyed the entrance lighting, causing material damage.
The desecration of the shrine coincided with the day of prayerful remembrance for the victims of the Holocaust and the innocent sufferers of the Jasenovac concentration camp. The Zagreb-Ljubljana Metropolis expressed deep concern and sorrow over the incident. Representatives of the eparchy called on the Croatian authorities to conduct a fair investigation and take measures to curb the language of hatred in the public sphere.
“An attack on a holy place is a blow against the fundamental values of peace, human dignity, and coexistence,” the Church said in its official statement. The Metropolis noted that, with God’s help, the material damage would be repaired, but such actions inflict deep wounds on the trust and reconciliation that have been built over decades.
The clergy called on the faithful not to give in to fear and to continue coming to the cathedral, which remains open to all as a place of prayer and unity.
The Cathedral of the Transfiguration was built in 1866 to a design by architect Franjo Klein and is now a protected cultural monument of Croatia. The cathedral has already endured destruction during years of war and persecution, and is currently undergoing extensive restoration after the powerful 2020 earthquake.
Earlier, the UOJ reported that vandals in France had smashed the altar of a Roman Catholic church with an axe.
Read also
Sand for construction of Yermak’s residence brought from cemetery, MP says
MP Yaroslav Zhelezniak said that sand illegally removed from a cemetery in Ukrainka was used in the construction of the elite Dynasty cooperative in Kozyn.
Italian court recognizes family with three parents as legal
In Bari, the appellate court ordered authorities to register an adoption according to which a child is listed as having two "fathers" and one mother.
Archaeologists discover biblical Bethsaida on shore of Sea of Galilee
Researchers have discovered a first-century residential house beneath the apse of a Byzantine church and a mosaic inscription mentioning the Apostle Peter.
Israeli soldiers receive jail terms for mocking statue of the Virgin Mary
Those involved in the act of sacrilege in the village of Debel will spend several weeks behind bars for desecrating a statue of the Mother of God.
Serbian Church officially receives back land of 15th-century monastery
An agreement was signed in Belgrade transferring the territory of the ancient Vojlovica Monastery to the Banat Eparchy.
Pat Daniel comments on conflict between Phanar bishop and community in Turkey
The Bulgarian Primate believes that the hierarch of the Constantinople Patriarchate should not have forced the Bulgarian community in Edirne to serve in Greek.