A territorial intelligence report consulted by French radio Europe 1 shows that anti-Christian acts in France fell in 2024, while attempted arson attacks and fires targeting places of worship increased, as did thefts from religious buildings.

Less attacks, more fires

The police recorded a 10% drop in anti-Christian attacks last year, with a total of 770 incidents (853 in 2023).

On the other hand, their report reveals that there were almost 50 attempts on and arsons of Christian places of worship in 2024, compared with 38 in 2023, an increase of more than 30%.

According to the report, the increase can be explained, among other things, by the arson attacks on churches in New Caledonia (a group of French islands in the Pacific South) during the riots that took place there last year.

In mainland France, the two biggest fires affected the Catholic Saint-Omer church, when the entire roof of the church and its steeple were ravaged by flames, and the church of Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers, which was targeted by two simultaneous outbreaks of fire and damage.

Five thefts a week

In addition to fires, thefts from places of worship are also on the rise, with 288 incidents recorded in 2024, compared with 270 the previous year, an increase of 7%. This means an average of five thefts per week from Christian places of worship.

The regions most affected are Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Ile-de-France, Grand Est, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes and Occitanie.

Jews, the most targeted

Despite these recent data, anti-Christian acts are not the most frequent anti-religious acts in France. Since 2023, the Jewish community has been the most targeted.

Anti-Semitic incidents account for 62% of anti-religious incidents, anti-Christian incidents for 31% and anti-Muslim incidents for 7%.