Vandalised crucifixes and artworks, slogans such as “Islam Will Win” or “Allahu Akbar” sprayed on church façades, and objects resembling bombs discovered during church services — anti-Christian incidents are on the rise in the Austrian capital. In Vienna, numerous cases have been reported within just a few months.

In recent weeks, the threat facing Christian communities has intensified, and according to Jan Ledochowski, head of the newly established Christian Protection Reporting Centre, this is no coincidence. “The fact that the terror threat is directed specifically at the Advent period and Christmas markets represents a particularly dramatic form of hostility towards Christians,” he said in an interview with the newspaper Kurier. As he put it, Islamists are deliberately targeting the very heart of our society. Mr. Ledochowski added: “The great idea of human dignity ultimately has its roots in the manger in Bethlehem. Anyone who attacks Christmas is attacking the very foundation of our humanity.”

In recent weeks, the threat facing Christian communities has also intensified in Vienna (Photo: AFP)

His reporting hub collects incidents and makes them public with the support of church figures such as Vienna auxiliary bishop Franz Scharl, while operating as an independently organised body.

The first weekend of Advent saw a particularly symbolic incident, when two Palestinian flags were hoisted on the towers of Vienna’s Votive Church. They remained visible for three days. For many believers, this was a provocation. Mr. Ledochowski also believes that it was far more than mere activism.

“In the context of political Islam, the symbolism of raising these flags goes far beyond expressing solidarity with Palestine. It represents an Islamist claim to power that occupies public space both architecturally and spiritually,”

– he warned, while firmly rejecting secular indifference. “As a liberal society, we endanger our very existence if we allow these Christian reference points to be overwritten.”

The most serious incident of the year took place in early October at St Charles’s Church (Karlskirche). During a church service held as part of the ‘March for Life’, two handbags containing explosive material were discovered, prompting the church to be evacuated by one of the Cobra special forces’ units. For Mr. Ledochowski, this marked a new dimension: “This could have triggered mass panic among the thousands of participants in the March for Life — including many families. Accepting such a risk represents a new level of escalation.” He was particularly outraged by the way the incident was portrayed in the media, which referred to the explosives simply as “fake bombs”.

Hostility Toward Christianity: An Imported Problem

According to data from the reporting centre, we can identify certain clear patterns among the perpetrators.

Across Europe, around 40 percent of anti-Christian attacks have been attributed to political Islam. Left-wing extremists rank second, accounting for 20 percent. In Austria alone, 80 incidents have been recorded this year.

It is estimated that 80 percent of cases go unreported, as graffitis, acts of verbal abuse or religiously motivated bullying in schools are often not reported at all.

“One of the reasons why the Christian Protection Reporting Centre was established this year was precisely this apparent indifference,” Mr. Ledochowski said.

– Mr. Ledochowski dclared.