#Europe – A series of incidents involving vandalism, theft and arson struck Christian churches in Europe during the week of 3–10 August 2026, with the majority of reported cases occurring in France.
In Chambray-lès-Tours, in the Indre-et-Loire department of France, thieves broke into the Église Saint-Symphorien during the night of 7–8 August. They stole liturgical items including candle holders, vases, holy water fonts, crucifixes, chalices and other valuables from the sacristy. The burglary followed a desecration of the same church approximately two weeks earlier, in which the tabernacle had been forced open, consecrated hosts scattered on the floor and excrement left inside the building. Local officials indicated they would file a formal complaint.
In Lullin, Haute-Savoie, the Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste suffered a deliberate arson attack that was reported on 9 August. Perpetrators set fire to a lectern holding a prayer book and a nearby table of leaflets.
Further north, the Église Saint-Éloi in Hazebrouck, in the Nord department, was closed to the public indefinitely after a series of repeated degradations that damaged statues, holy water fonts and the altar. The closure was announced on 10 August.
In Switzerland, the church in Ardon was vandalised, according to a report on 10 August. Intruders cut the padlock on the offering box and stole approximately 100 Swiss francs. The incident came after an earlier theft of a Paschal candle from the same site during the summer.
In the United Kingdom, a group of youths climbed onto the roof of Waterfront Parish Church in Clydebank, Scotland, on 5 August and threw stones that smashed windows. Members of the congregation who were inside the building at the time reported feeling unsafe. Police launched an investigation.
A break-in at St. Martinus Church in Neuss-Holzheim, Germany, involving damage to the altar area and the theft of relics of St. Martin along with a missal (later recovered), was also reported around 5 August, though the underlying incident appeared to date to late July.
Many perpetrators remained unidentified, and investigations remain ongoing.
Cover Image: The aftermath of the arson event at Saint John the Baptist Church in France.
