Europe sees a record number of arson attacks on Christian churches

The cover of the OIDAC Europe human rights organization report for May. Photo: OIDAC Europe

The number of attacks on churches and believers in Europe has increased, with 13 cases of arson recorded in a single month. This data was published by the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe (OIDAC Europe), which recorded 37 hate crimes in May.

The highest number of incidents occurred in Germany, Italy, and France. In Genoa, vandals desecrated the Basilica of San Siro with calls to "burn churches," while in Britain and Ireland police launched investigations into a series of fires at church buildings.

Radical aggression escalated into direct violence against people. In Hanau, Germany, unknown individuals fired a pneumatic weapon at the Church of the Holy Spirit during a Mass, when 200 parishioners were inside. In Poland, a Ukrainian attacked a nun and tore a cross from her neck, while in Austria, left-wing extremists inflicted serious injuries on two Catholic students.

In Leipzig, a Christian café was forced to close due to constant harassment and 26 attacks by left-wing radicals, unable to continue operating under systematic pressure.

Experts expose a systemic flaw among European authorities, who refuse to acknowledge the scale of persecution of Christians. Despite the fact that in Greece over the past 10 years, 96% of all attacks on religious sites targeted Orthodox churches specifically (more than 4,400 cases), European politicians continue to ignore this problem in their resolutions.

OIDAC specialists emphasize that such a policy leads to the displacement of Christian values from Europe's public space.

As the UOJ reported, militants killed 37 Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia.

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