86 French senators have signed a public appeal urging the government to take concrete steps to protect Christians and churches. The senators stated in the appeal led by Sen. Sylviane Noël: “Not a week goes by without the regional daily press or social networks informing us of these attacks, ranging from desecration to arson to physical harm.”
The statement, published on the website “Boulevard Voltaire,” noted that in the first five months of 2025 alone, 322 anti-Christian acts were reported in France, a 13% increase compared to the same period a year earlier. Around 820 cases of thefts of liturgical objects were reported in 2024, compared to 633 in 2022. In the Landes region alone, at least 27 churches have been vandalized or desecrated in a span of a few weeks while in Nice, the defilement of a cross on Boulevard de la Madeleine has left the local community shocked.
The senators also highlighted the violence done to Christians citing the examples of Ashur Sarnaya, the Christian refugee from Iraq who was assasinated on September 10 and the cold-blooded murder of Father Jacques Hamel while he was celebrating Mass in his church in 2016. They criticised that incidents involving other faiths quickly triggered political reactions and extensive media coverage. At the same time, attacks on Christian churches were not given the same attention.
The senators solemnly called on the government to act without delay and urgently establish a national reporting and support system for victims of anti-Christian acts that is effective and accessible to the general public. In strong words, the senators stated that it was necessary to send a clear signal that France would neither tolerate violence against believers nor trivialize attacks on places of worship.