Four churches desecrated in three months in Spain's Galicia region, group says
The Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience says tabernacles were broken into and consecrated hosts stolen or desecrated at four churches in Galicia, in northwest Spain, between August and October
Four churches in Galicia, in northwest Spain, have been desecrated in the space of three months, between August and October 2026, the Observatory for Religious Freedom and Conscience (OLRC) said. The Spanish group tracks attacks on religious freedom. The attacks were spread across the region's four provinces: Orense, La Coruña, Lugo and Pontevedra. In every case those responsible broke into the tabernacle and either took or desecrated consecrated hosts.
María García, president of the Observatory, said: "We cannot normalize the desecration of churches and attacks on what Catholics hold most sacred." She said the attacks go well beyond the theft of valuable objects, describing them as direct assaults on places of worship and on the Eucharist, the holiest thing for Catholics, and called for urgent measures to protect churches.
Three months of desecrations
The first incident took place in August at the church of San Salvador de Parada de Ribeira, in Xinzo de Limia (Orense). Those responsible desecrated the tabernacle and took an 18th-century processional cross, a silver chalice and two ciboria containing consecrated hosts.
On September 7, five people entered the church of San Martiño de Noia (La Coruña) and took two silver ciboria with consecrated hosts from the tabernacle. Twelve days later, on September 19, intruders pulled the tabernacle from its place at the church of the Sagrado Corazón de María in Guitiriz (Lugo), forced the lock and scattered the consecrated hosts across the town square.
The fourth case came on October 7 at the church of San Mamed de Priegue, in Nigrán (Pontevedra). Those responsible took several chalices, ciboria, patens and a silver jug, including the ciborium holding all the consecrated hosts from the tabernacle. "For Catholics, the consecrated hosts are the Body of Christ," García said.
Attacks on religious freedom
The Observatory's report on attacks on religious freedom in Spain for 2025 documented 306 attacks nationwide, 26 percent more than the previous year. Of those, 13 were in Galicia. Across the country, 73 attacks targeted places of worship and religious symbols, 59 percent more than in 2024, and nine of those were desecrations.
So far in 2026 the Observatory has counted seven desecrations. It spoke out publicly after the four cases in Galicia.
Calls for protection
The Observatory called for the cases to be solved, for those responsible to be identified and for preventive measures at churches, especially those in small towns and rural areas. "It is urgent to strengthen protection for churches," García said again.
She asked the authorities not to treat the attacks as simple thefts but to investigate the circumstances and the possible motives behind each one.
García said religious freedom requires that believers be able to go to their churches in peace and that their sacred places and objects be respected.
