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Catholic Churches in the United States have experienced an unprecedented number of acts of vandalism, theft, harassment, and violence of late. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops documented some 139 instances of such crimes between May 2020 and May 2022.
Ever since the Supreme Court’s draft opinion on Roe v. Wade was leaked, however, the crisis has reached new heights, with at least 48 attacks on churches and pro-life organizations in the last 45 days.
The recent uptick in crime is thought to have been triggered by the leaked draft opinion that indicated that a majority of Supreme Court justices were prepared to overturn Roe v. Wade. Catholic parishes are now in the crosshairs of pro-abortion and anarchist organizations, partly because some of the justices are themselves Catholic.
Organizations
One such organization is Ruth Sent Us, which recently doxed the Christian members of the Supreme Court. The group claimed that the addresses of Supreme Court members were made public merely to help organize protests outside their homes. After an individual was arrested for an assassination attempt on Justice Brett Kavanaugh, however, Ruth Sent Us denied posting the addresses and shut down their website.
Similarly, in May, an anarchist group known as Puget Sound Anarchists took credit for vandalizing a Catholic church, as well as a Mormon church and two evangelical churches. These incidents saw the four properties spray-painted with abortion rights slogans. According to the Washington Free Beacon, they boasted:
The reports did not mention any legal action being taken against either organization for their admitted crimes.
Vandalism
The Washington Stand has put together a comprehensive list of attacks on churches and pro-life organizations that have occurred since the draft opinion was leaked. Since their initial post on June 10, the list has grown from 41 to 48 events.
On the list there are some 29 instances of vandalism against these properties. These are some of the least destructive offenses, but their graffiti ranges from mildly offensive to downright threatening and disturbing. For example in early May a Wisconsin anti-abortion rights group, Family Action, was firebombed overnight, with a message left that “if abortions aren’t safe, neither are you.”
At around the same time, a Michigan church was painted with satanic imagery, the number 666 (a reference to the biblical beast), and a call for the death of Republicans.
Meanwhile, just a few days after this act of vandalism, a Catholic church in Katy, Texas, reported its tabernacle was stolen. While an arrest was made in this case, the tabernacle was never recovered.
There are too many cases to cover in a single article, but the crimes targeting U.S. churches have continued through May at a rapid and consistent pace. In June, these individuals and organizations seem to have committed most of their crimes against pro-life organizations and facilities. The Washington Stand lists five such occurrences in the first half of June alone, including a Buffalo pregnancy center that was firebombed by the group known as “Jane’s Revenge.”
Still, Catholic churches have not escaped unscathed. On May 31, a particularly troubling report emerged of an 18-karat gold-plated tabernacle valued at $2 million stolen from Brooklyn church. The thieves tore open the protective case around the tabernacle to pull it out and emptied the consecrated hosts onto the floor as they fled. The heads of the decorative angels around the tabernacle were also knocked off during the theft. The thieves are still at large and the tabernacle, which dated back to the 19th century, has not been found.
At a Manhattan church, vandals scaled a barbed wire fence to gain access to a pavilion where they smashed Catholic statues. According to ABC7 NY, one statue in particular, which depicted two young girls, was damaged beyond repair. When visiting the site, Cardinal Timothy Dolan called the culprits “shrewd.” The prelate said:
