Free Republic

A tabernacle valued at $2 million was stolen from a Roman Catholic church in Brooklyn over Memorial Day weekend, according to the New York Police Department. Officials also say statues of angels flanking the church altar were decapitated over the weekend. The tabernacle theft likely occurred sometime between 6:30 p.m. Thursday and 4 p.m. Saturday at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church near Slope Park, according to police officials. How did vandals accomplish this much damage at the church? Police say power tools were used to "forcefully cut open" the altar and access the 18-karat-gold tabernacle — which has been part...

A few days after Muslim migrants firebombed an 800-year-old Swedish church twice over the course of four days -- once on Jan. 20, 2021 and another on Jan. 24 -- a Feb 4 report came out saying that 829 “hate crimes” against churches in Sweden have been reported between just 2012-2018, or about 138 attacks on average every year. Thus, the churches of Sweden join those of other Western European nations that have taken in sizeable Muslim migrants. In France, for example, two churches are vandalized every day. According to a 2019 PI-News report, 1,063 attacks on Christian churches or...

Reuters The State Department expressed its concern over the two-year jail sentence given to a Russian punk band over an anti-government stunt. "The United States is concerned about both the verdict and the disproportionate sentences handed down by a Moscow court in the case against the members of the band Pussy Riot and the negative impact on freedom of expression in Russia," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement. "We urge Russian authorities to review this case and ensure that the right to freedom of expression is upheld," Nuland said.

At his daily briefing, White House Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the administration is “disappointed by the Pussy Riot verdict. While we understand the group’s behavior was offensive for some, we have concerns about the way these young women were treated by the Russian judicial system.”