A Catholic church in France was attacked twice in just two days. Authorities suspect arson, while Marine Le Pen, a leading figure of the right-wing National Rally, warns of a drastic rise in violence targeting Christian in the country. Statistics back up her concerns.

Last Thursday afternoon, a fire broke out at the Notre-Dame des Champs church in Paris – the second suspected arson attack at the same location within 48 hours. Authorities believe the blaze was deliberately set.

According to police sources cited by Europe 1, one or more individuals entered the church on Boulevard du Montparnasse in Paris’s 6th district, vandalized a statue on a podium, and set fire to bulletin boards.

Twice in the last 48 hours arsons have targeted the Church of Notre-Dame-des-Champs in Paris. The deliberate attack on Catholic places of worship in France must stop. pic.twitter.com/orIAqa2WWr

— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) July 25, 2025

The perpetrators fled before authorities arrived, but firefighters quickly contained the blaze, and no injuries were reported. Forensic experts were called to lead the investigation.

Reacting to the attack, National Rally politician Marine Le Pen issued a strong statement accusing French authorities of inaction in the face of what she described as a growing wave of anti-Christian violence.

“These crimes are not isolated incidents; they are part of an increasing trend of violence against the Catholic faith,”

Le Pen posted on X.

Ces actes criminels ne sont pas isolés, ils s’inscrivent dans une banalisation et une recrudescence des violences visant la religion catholique. En 2023, près de 1000 actes antichrétiens ont été recensés en France. En 2024, le nombre d’incendies criminels et de tentatives de… https://t.co/FT1ZQEO5rz

— Marine Le Pen (@MLP_officiel) July 25, 2025

She also emphasized:

“In 2023, nearly 1,000 anti-Christian acts were recorded in France. In 2024, the number of arson attacks and attempted arsons targeting churches rose by over 30%. The laxity and indifference of the authorities must come to an end,”

She called for the perpetrators to be punished „with the utmost severity” and expressed her „full support for the faithful of Notre-Dame des Champs church.”

The 19th-century church has now been targeted twice within 48 hours.

Arson and Anti-Christian Vandalism on the Rise

In May, a group of young men stormed the Montfavet church in Avignon, shouting “Allahu Akbar” and threatening to set the building on fire—an intimidation that led police to guard the site during Sunday morning Mass.

According to Father Milan, the parish priest, the youths made open threats targeting Christianity.

“They didn’t insult me personally, but they shouted things like ‘Jesus, we’ll f*ck you.’ They screamed ‘Allahu Akbar’ and kept saying ‘We’ll come back and burn your church down,’”

the priest recounted the shocking incident.

The L’Observatoire de la Christianophobie has been documenting incidents of anti-Christian hatred across the Western world, including France. According to their reports, in addition to the recent arson attacks, the past two weeks saw:

• Anti-Israel graffiti sprayed on the walls of Santa Maria Goretti Church in Epinal;
• A cemetery in Saint-Jory defaced with far-left, anti-state slogans;
• Several churches and cemeteries looted;
• A cemetery caretaker fatally threatened;
• A church in Arudy desecrated with human excrement.

The organization also notes that between January and May 2025, 322 anti-Christian acts were recorded in France—up from 284 during the same period in 2024, marking a 13% increase. Property-related crimes still make up the vast majority of anti-Christian incidents, with 271 recorded cases (84%). However, violent attacks against people (51 so far in 2025) nearly doubled compared to the same time frame in 2024 (+96%).