Crimes against churches and Christians in Germany on the rise
Cologne Cathedral in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. / Credit: Rudolf Gehrig/CNA Deutsch
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 23, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:
*New statistics show increase in crimes against churches and Christians in Germany*
The Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Criminal Police Office found that attacks against German churches increased by 20% in 2024, with a total of 111 registered crimes, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner. Crimes against religious communities also increased, reaching 8,531 in 2024, compared with 7,029 in 2023. A 22% increase was reported in crimes against members and representatives of religious communities, jumping from 6,122 in 2023 to 7,504 in 2024.
The German government reported that from the start of 2024 to Dec. 10, 2024, a total of 228 crimes with the subtopic “anti-Christian” were registered, including one homicide, 14 assaults, and 52 cases of property damage. During the same time period, 96 crimes with the subtopic “church” were recorded, including 47 cases of property damage.
*New bishop of Diocese of Timika appointed after five-year vacancy *
Bishop Bernardus Bofitwos Baru was ordained bishop of Timika, Indonesia, on May 14 after a five-year vacancy following former Bishop John Philip Saklil’s death. More than 10,000 Catholics and 33 bishops attended the ordination service to celebrate the second Indigenous priest to receive episopal ordination and the first Augustinian bishop in Indonesia, Agencia Fides reported.
“This ordination is a sign of the Holy See’s great concern for the Catholic faithful in Papua,” said apostolic nuncio Archbishop Piero Pioppo at the event.
Baru thanked the faithful for his ordination and shared that listening, dialogue, and cooperation will be the cornerstones of his episcopal ministry. “Our relations must be based on love, friendship, and human exchange. We are called to open doors for one another,” he said.
*Catholic organizations and environmental agencies criticize lifting of mining ban in Philippines*
Church leaders and environmental groups have criticized a top court verdict nullifying a moratorium that paused mining in the Occidental Mindoro province for 25 years. On May 15, the court in the Philippines ruled that the province could not continue a ban in such a large-scale mining area, Union of Catholic Asian News reported.
In a joint statement, the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose and the Catholic charity Caritas International said the lifting of the ban is a cause for “deep concern” and it ignores past suffering of communities across Occidental Mindoro.
“While we recognize the authority of the state to manage our natural resources, we echo Pope Francis’ warning against a technocratic paradigm that values economic gain over human dignity and ecological balance,” the statement said.
*Kidnapped priest in Cameroon released*
Father Valentin Mbaïbarem, priest at St. John the Baptist Parish, was released by his abductors this week after he was taken hostage on May 7 in northern Cameroon. Mbaïbarem was kidnapped with five other individuals, four of whom were freed and one who was killed, according to ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 25 million CFA francs ($42,750) for Mbaïbarem’s release.
Bishop Ambassa Ndjodo of Garoua, Cameroon, said: “As an archdiocese, we did not pay any amount for the release of our priest. I do not know if others have done so,” according to Fides News Service. Ndjodo thanked “all who prayed for [Mbaïbarem]” and asked “for the Lord’s blessing on all who contributed to this outcome.”
*Monastery in Iraq rekindles mission of peace and healing*
The Lebanese monastery of Brothers of the Cross and Sisters of the Crucified is providing love and service to those in Iraq. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Brother Mary Salibo decided to stay in Qaraqosh, Iraq, to serve by establishing the monastery, rebuilding a local church, and holding retreats for youth and families to provide comfort amid war, CNA’s Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported.
The two orders were originally founded in Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s but spread to Iraq after the monastery opened. The brothers and sisters continue their mission today by offering spiritual guidance and supporting the sick and marginalized in the area. Their ministry has now expanded to cities in southern Iraq and Karamles, a Christian village located in northern Iraq.
*Former homeless people in Brazil help build housing for 200 people*
The Belém Mission in São Paulo, Brazil, has began construction on a 17-story building that will house 200 homeless people. About 95% of the workers building the new structure are former homeless people rescued by the Belém Mission, according to CNA’s Portuguese-language news partner, ACI Digital.
“Normally, we would look for professionals in the market, but, like a miracle, we found these people who know how to work in the different areas of a construction site but who also have love for the Belém Mission,” Antonio Walter, the engineer responsible for the project, told ACI Digital.
The building is expected to be finished within the next two and half years. “One step at a time, one donation at a time … we will get there,” said Father Gianpietro Carraro, the priest who founded the Belém Mission. “And we thank God because, with the kindness of so many people, we are able to move forward.”