The Gatestone Institute is a North American entity of international policy analysis who for the first time has paid attention to attacks on Christian properties and symbols in Europe, from an analysis of the press and networks of 6 countries in 2019:
– Britain
– France
– Germany
– Ireland
– Italy
– Spain
The result (can be read here in English at Gatestone Institute) records that during the year 2019 some 3,000 Christian churches, cemeteries, schools or monuments were vandalized, attacked, looted or defaced in these 6 countries.
In France and Germany what abounded were attempts to burn temples and attacks that destroy crosses in graves and cemeteries. Most attacks in those countries are linked to radical Islamists.
Instead, in Spain what abounds are the attacks of anarchists, feminists, abortionists and other elements of the radical left (sometimes Catalan or Basque independence). They are especially numerous in March, around the March 8, “Women’s Day”.
There are also fire attempts (the report finds 5), but they did not cause great damage, in some cases due to the effective action of the firefighters. The graffiti rarely speak of pedophilia: they almost always use anti-clerical classics on the left as “the best church is the one that burns”. The “satanic” signs are rarely used (3 cases are collected only) compared to communists or anarcho-feminists.
This year 2019 was a unusual novelty: for the first time, in addition to the attacks of the extreme left, there was painted in churches of activists related to Francoism, They accused the hierarchy of the Spanish Church of not firmly opposing the transfer of General Franco’s remains to another grave, decreed by the Socialist Government.
Undoubtedly, the report, although comprehensive, is not exhaustive and other organizations can document more attacks and of other types (offenses on the Internet, in the media, on posters or municipal or regional events, etc …). All in all, we can group some attacks in Spain according to their characteristics:
– 8 cases of what it seems Mere thug vandalism
– 7 desecrations of consecrated hosts: in Montilla, Casas de Fernando Alonso, Guadalajara, Málaga, Sanchinarro (Madrid), Jaén and Vigo
– 5 fires or fire attempts: Tauste, Lérida, Olivenza, Córdoba, Almería
– 4 attacks on nativity scenes: in Orense, Torrelavega, Tárrega and Callosa de Segura
– 4 desecrations (of statues, clothing, etc …) indoors
– 9 buildings painted with pro-Franco messages
– 6 clearing attacks anti-Franco elements
– 5 graffiti cases only feminists
– 4 cases of graffiti with symbols exclusively anarchists
– 4 cases of anarcho-feminist graffiti (they combined their symbols)
– 3 cases of painted with satanic signs
– 2 cases of graffiti “republican”
– only 2 clear cases of allusions to pedophilia
We can compare with previous years by reviewing the 2018 report of the Observatory for Religious Liberty and Conscience . In 2014 there were 8 attacks against temples in Spain; in 2017 there were 44; in 2018 there were 53, according to the report of that year from the Observatory.
In 2018 there were at least 3 attempts to start fires in temples: in July 2018 at the side door of the Basilica of Santa María de Elche (Alicante); the same month in Valladolid, in one of the side doors of the cathedral and in the Canary Islands a man with numerous backgrounds tried set fire to the parish of San Bartolomé de Tirajana . The 5 cases of 2019 (actually more; in Olivenza, Almería and Lérida there were 2 attempts in each building) are not reassuring.
The Gatestone 2019 report, it must be repeated, it is not exhaustive; for example, it does not include the assault of LGTB activists shouting slogans inside the cathedral of Alcalá de Henares on April 3, an act that even condemned the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
Next, we offer the list of Gatestone report 2019, in reverse chronological order (from newest to oldest), with their sources. There are 66 tickets (some include multiple attacks), 1 every 5 days.
CRISTIANOPHOBIC ATTACKS IN SPAIN 2019
DECEMBER: against nativity scenes
Orense, December 26. They attack and they break the municipal nativity scene. «After Christmas Eve, and despite being glued with glue and safely, the vandals tear it off and steal the Child Jesus again, and incidentally destroy other figures of the nativity scene repaired yesterday. It is now official: we are facing the nativity scene most attacked and with the most kidnappings in Spain, ”denounced the Mayor of Orense, Gonzalo Pérez Jácome, on Twitter. Here it connects with neighbors who consider that some figures are ugly. Explains it the newspaper ABC.
The mayor of Orense with the Child Jesus of the municipal nativity scene, mutilated
Torrelavega (Cantabria), December 17. Vandals destroy the municipal crib, they decapitate the figure of the Child Jesus and break others. The Religious Liberty Observatory spread the press release.
Tárrega (Lérida), December 16. A municipal official placed the crib, as every year, but the councilors of ERC and the CUP (radical independence left) they removed the nativity scene and they have left only the Christmas fir and the typical “tió” of Catalonia. Antena 3 told it.
Granada, December 12. They attack with graffiti the church of N.S. of the Dolores. He picked it up The ideal, from Granada
Solares-Valdecilla (Cantabria), December 5. About teenagers tear apart a historic stone cross in a humilladero on the Camino de Santiago. Picks it up The Montañés Newspaper.
NOVEMBER: graffiti and fires
Barcelona, November 27. Painted on the walls of the Barcelona seminar, apparently criticizing the archbishop’s management of sexual abuse. The Gatestone report picks it up from Infovaticana.
Zaragoza, November 16. Two vandals, apparently two residents of the town, Spaniards of 22 and 28 years, broke into destruction in the chapel of the Holy Sepulcher of Tauste and completely burned a large image of Jesus. Explains it The Herald of Aragon.
Segovia, November 13. Painted on a wall of the church of San Agustín, signed by the “antifascist” group Yesca. They paint on the Cross of the Fallen of the Blue Division: “For historical memory, against Francoism “, with hammer and sickle and feminist and anarchist signs. He picked it up ABC.
Madrid, November 11. Painted on the walls of the parish of Santa Catalina de Alejandría, with the 666 and inverted crosses (“satanic” symbols). The report take it from Infocatólica.
Lleida, November 8. Two days they try to burn the interior of the church of Sant Joan, first burning bouquets of flowers; then burning the tissues of the altar. The picked up the newspaper Segre.
OCTOBER: the month of Franco’s transfer and the “historical memory”
Zamora, October 28. The Church of San Esteban, from the 11th century, with graffiti of “Republic!” He picked it up The Opinion of Zamora.
Seville, October 28. Painted on the facade of the Basilica de la Macarena (“La Macarena cries for an assassin on her side”) after a demonstration against the fact that the military of the national side Queipo de Llano is buried there; they would be the work of anti-Francoists. The public ABC Seville.
Valencia, October 24. In the Church of San Nicolás they paint: “You have not defended Franco. Red motherfuckers”; This time they would be the work of angry Francoists. This was collected by Europa Press.
Madrid, October 21. Painted “Franco Lives”, “Franco present! Traitorous bishops “,” The PSOE desecrates graves “,” priests judas “,” Opus traitor “ in various buildings in Madrid: the Almudena Cathedral, the Apostolic Nunciature, the Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Theological Institute of Religious Life, the church of San Juan de la Cruz, the Spanish-American parish of La Merced, the parish of San Francisco de Borja and the Villanueva University Campus, among others, according to Aciprensa collects and summarizes).
Barcelona, October 18. In the Roser parish (NªSª del Rosario), independence-communist graffiti (with hammer and sickle and estelada) and the motto “fora feixistes de Catalunya” and “República popular o feixisme” E-News)
Barcelona, October 14. In the church of San Juan Bautista de Gracia, a painted with Fat “Satan Lives” Marker and an attempted hole in the facade, according to photos of the Observatory for Freedom of Conscience
Montilla (Córdoba), October 5. Desecration in the Ermita de la Rosa, in Montilla. They entered the temple through a side door that gave way without forcing it, located the tabernacle key, They uncovered the ciborium and scattered various shapes on the altar. The collected ABC Sevilla.
Cuenca, October 1. They enter the church of La Concepción in Casas de Fernando Alonso and steal the tabernacle: desecration and theft of the Holy Eucharist. He picked it up The Digital Castilla La Mancha.
SEPTEMBER: vandalisms and attempted fires
Madrid, September 27. In the Church of San Miguel de Fuencarral, painted in red of “assassins”, “fascists”, “in El Pardo we are going to burn it”. The report took it by Infocatólica
Olivenza (Badajoz), September 20. They try to burn the door of the Convent of San Juan de Dios, Well of Cultural Interest. Days before they attacked her with paint. He picked it up Cope chain.
Thus burned the door of the convent of San Juan de Dios in Olivenza; they added “accelerant” (gasoline or similar)
Seville, September 10. A vandal (apparently a woman) destroys the Cruz del Arquillo or Cruz de la Inquisicion, next to the Town Hall, in the Plaza de San Francisco, and runs away. He picked it up ABC Seville.
Carbonero (Segovia), September 6. Vandalism: they pull the granite bollards before the Church of San Juan Bautista The North of Castilla)
AUGUST: vacation!
Almería, August 31. Painted by “pederasts” in the Church of Santiago Apóstol de Almería (the report is taken from a Twitter account)
JULY: desecration and profanity in summer
Jaén, July 26. An 18-year-old boy enters the sanctuary of the Fuensanta de Villanueva, defecate in front of the altar and rub feces on a statue of Jesus Christ. It was recorded on cameras and the Civil Guard soon found the suspect, who did not live in the town. The report takes it out of Jaén newspaper.
Cambrils, July 25. In the Sant Pere church, a man made graffiti of “dimoni”, “porc” and “no hi ha spiritualitat that vingui sense dualitat that valgui”. The police arrested the author while he was walking with a spray towards the Church, says the Tarragona newspaper.
Guadalajara, July 20. First they stole the key to the tabernacle in the parish of Santiago Apóstol and a day later they opened it and they took the ciborium with the consecrated hosts. Pick it up Observatory against Religious Discrimination.
Castellón, July 18. Painted against the Cruz de Ribalta: “Fora Símbols Feixistes”, explains The Mediterranean Newspaper.
Los Corrales de Buelna (Cantabria), July 17. Painted of “immoral” in the Cruz de los Caídos in the center of Los Corrales de Buelna; the parish priest points out in the local press that the monument belongs to the town hall
Salamanca, July 16. They throw white paint against the Church from San Marcos, which is a Site of Cultural Interest. Picks it up the SIC agency.
JUNE: few incidents
San Cristóbal de La Laguna (Tenerife), June 21. Painted with the anarchist sign (and a flamenco) at the door of the churches of Nuestra Señora del Rosario de Fátima and the church of the Hospital de Dolores. Picks it up Tenerife Day.
Soria, June 23. Candles spoil the 12th century Romanesque hermitage of San Bartolomé, in the Río Lobos Canyon (Soria province). It looks like a vandal or, perhaps, people without awareness of the damage. Denounces it The Voyeur of Soria.
MAY: fewer attacks than other months
Córdoba, May 31. Thieves enter the Church of the Trinitarians and they steal gold crowns and other objects from the local brotherhoods. Picks it up The newspaper of Córdoba.
Malaga, May 24. Unknown people enter the parish of San Pablo and fill the image of the Christ of the Holy Transfer with black paint. Picks it up Sur newspaper.
APRIL: attacks and dangers at Easter
Almería, April 21. Painted with the phrase “fucking kuras” and the anarchist logo on the façade of the Brotherhood of the Holy Supper. Picks it up The Voice of Almería.
Segovia, April 18. Vandals throw two eggs at an image of Calvary in the procession of Holy Thursday, on the way to the cathedral. Picks it up The North of Castilla.
Seville, April 17. Arrested on Maundy Thursday a young Moroccan, alleged jihadist, who I wanted to attack Easter Seville. The public ABC.
Andújar (Jaén), April 16. Unknown vandals they break the stone legs of the Crucified Christ from the Altozano del Convento crossing. Picks it up Cadena Ser.
Orense, April 14. On Palm Sunday the church of Maside (a council of Orense) appeared with graffiti that included the hammer and sickle, the republican flag and phrases like “sheep”, “you are older to have imaginary friends”, “for the International”, “for the Republic” and “Religion is people’s opium”.
Video of the newspaper La Región
Tavernes de la Valldigna (Valencia), April 1. Painted with the anarchist sign and the phrase “I’d rather be an ape than an ovispo” (like this, with vee). He picked it up The Provinces.
MARCH: wave of anarcho-feminist and abortion attacks
Seville, March 19. Two women enter the sacristy of the Church of San Julián, steal liturgical vestments from priests, put them on and flee with them on. The cameras picked it up.
Malaga, March 11 and 13. They steal the ciborium (without economic value) with the consecrated hosts in the parish of the Holy Trinity; and they enter by force to rob the chapel of the Sagrada Familia in El Copo. Picks it up South newspaper.
Santiago de Compostela, March 12. Painted «I did not come out of your rib, you came out of my c * ñ *» in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. (Previous graffiti in August 2018 caused a cleaning cost of more than 10,000 euros). The picked up ABC.
Madrid, March 10. In the parish of San Rafael Arnáiz, in Madrid, in the Sanchinarro neighborhood, some criminals at night wrecked, demolished the structure of the tabernacle and burst its door. To steal the ciborium, they threw the consecrated forms to the ground and took the box that carries the virile of custody with the Holy Form. The report took data from ReligionInFreedom.
Ávila, March 10. Painted with vandals, they spoil the Hermitage of the Risen One, although without ideological symbols or slogans. He picked it up The North of Castilla.
Rivas-Vacíamadrid (Madrid), March 8. In the church of Santa Monica in Rivas (awarded for its avant-garde architecture) they make graffiti of “God is gay” and “Neither whores nor virgins nor saints” and “my c * ñ *, my standards” and feminist symbols. He picked it up OK Daily.
Logroño, March 8. In the Cathedral of Santa María de la Redonda a banner hangs on the entrance gate with the motto “You will drink the blood of our abortions“. The Cope chain.
Seville, March 8. In the church of San Roque they painted with the motto “neither God, nor master nor mario” and the feminist-anarchist logo. The report documents it with twitter photos.
Valladolid, March 8. A dozen anarchist militants of the CNT entered the archbishopric of Valladolid and interrupted the presentation of The Ages of Man to shout anti-abortion and anti-religion slogans at school, throwing lampoons. He picked it up Cope chain.
Assault of feminist activists in the archbishopric of Valladolid on March 8
Barcelona, March 8. Abortionist / feminist graffiti on Radio Estel, the radio of the archbishopric of Barcelona, with the phrase “Get rosaries out of our ovaries.”
Córdoba, March 6. Arsonists shed a molotov cocktail against a parish window de San Miguel, in Córdoba. Luckily, it did not explode or cause almost damage. The public ABC Seville.
Camargo (Cantabria), March 5. Painted communist and anarchist symbols on a cross of the fallen of the national side (where there were symbols of the Phalanx). He picked it up the Religious Freedom Observatory.
Alicante, March 4. According to the report, “some Satanists celebrate a occult ceremony in front of an evangelical church; then they dirtied the church entrance with satanist graffiti “. The report does not detail the source, but on March 5 I counted it Digital Protestant.
Gijón, March 2. Vandals destroy the marble balustrade next to the altar of the church of San José, in Gijón. He picked it up the Religious Freedom Observatory.
FEBRUARY: desecration, paint and upload it to the Internet …
Jaén, February 18. In the parish of Santa Isabel they robbed the virile with the consecrated host and a portaviático with 4 consecrated forms for celiacs. The parishioners later found “some shattered pieces of the Blessed Sacrament and the manly bent. “He picked it up Jaén newspaper.
Seville, February 11. Painted “the only church that illuminates is the one that burns” and a symbol anarcho-feminist in the church of San Martín. The two authors boasted on social media of the acts, uploading a video to the Instagram platform. He picked it up ABC Seville.
Ávila, February 10. Painted with anarchist symbols in two village churches, in the towns of Gil García and Umbrías, in the Tormes region. In one of them they also wrote “neither God nor Christ, I believe in Evaristo” and “the church that illuminates is the one that burns”, including feminist symbols. He picked it up Ávila’s Diary.
Painted with rude feminism in a small church in Ávila
Cimadevilla (Gijón, Asturias), February 7. Vandals litter the facade of the collegiate church of San Juan Bautista with graffiti, although without ideological slogans. He picked it up The New Spain.
JANUARY: against nativity scenes, schools, hermitages …
Córdoba, January 30. Painted “fucking church, K arda”, on the exterior wall of the La Trinidad Catholic School in Vistalegre. (In 2015, a bust of the founding priest of the Trinity, Antonio Gómez Aguilar, was inaugurated nearby, on La Victoria Avenue; in these years they have broken his glasses, they have painted inverted crosses, etc..). It counts ABC Seville.
Vigo, January 22. Two young men (with numerous history of theft and petty crime) they stole the tabernacle from the chapel of the Álvaro Cunqueiro Hospital, taking also the ciborium and the consecrated hosts. Both the Blessed Sacrament and the Tabernacle later appeared broken on a nearby plot. The counted chain Cope.
This is how the police found the tabernacle in the chapel of the Álvaro Cunqueiro hospital
Pasaia (San Sebastián), January 22. Someone threw the Cristo del Buen Viaje into the sea, which was normally in a niche on the street. People from the neighborhood quickly struggled to trace the water and retrieve it in a few hours despite the bad weather and the troubled bottom. The diocese of San Sebastián spread the chronicle of Basque newspaper.
Almería, January 20 (and also 11). Twice (the January 11 and January 20) tried burn the door of the hermitage of Torregarcía, precisely as the traditional pilgrimage approaches, apparently to damage the party. The rapid action of firefighters prevented serious damage. Cope picked it up and Almería News.
Córdoba, January 16. They attack the church of Santa Victoria, of the Piarists of Córdoba, with graffiti violet color of “Death to fascism” and “School is prison”, with an anarcho-feminist symbol. He picked it up ABC Seville.
Ondarroa (Biscay), January 14. Youth abertzales (Basque independentists) destroy the great cross of 1958 with drills in broad daylight in memory of the Ondárroa natives who died on the ship “Baleares” in 1938 during the Civil War (most of them were Carlist volunteer sailors, the ship escorted a convoy and was sunk by republican torpedoes). Counted it The Independent.
Soria, January 4. Vandal graffiti (including a crossed swastika) on the walls of Santa María la Mayor, a church that is a Site of Cultural Interest. I picked it up The Herald of Soria.
Córdoba, January 2. Unknown destroy a cross in the Puente Genil cemetery that he remembered Antonio Baena Castellano, owner of an orchard killed by axes by two Marxist militants during the civil war. The Popular Front militiamen in this town killed 154 non-combatants (often amidst extremely cruel torture) and destroyed 7 churches. The report takes it from a Twitter post Although the event is collected in several digital.
Callosa de Segura (Alicante), January 1. Find smashed the nativity scene that since 1962 they place hikers every Christmas in Alto del Águila, in the mountains. Pick it up Daily Information.
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