SW News: Political advocacy group CatholicVote’s updated tracker has revealed that at least 301 Catholic churches were attacked across the United States since May 2020. According to CatholicVote, the attacks include “acts of arson which damaged or destroyed historic churches; spray-painting and graffiti of satanic messages; rocks and bricks thrown through windows; statues destroyed (often with heads cut off); and illegal disruptions of Mass.”

Attacks against churches escalated following the leak of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion overturning Roe vs Wade in May 2022. 45 attacks have been reported in California alone, while 29 were reported in New York.
                                                                                                                                                      The report lamented the Biden administration’s refusal to take steps to safeguard churches and put an end to “domestic terrorism.”

Last year, following the leak of the Supreme Court order, United States senator Michael Lee and Congress member Chip Roy had written a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland expressing concern over the attacks on churches. “Regardless of one’s position on abortion, the free exercise of religion is a core tenet of our Constitution,” they said in the letter.

The politicians also requested the attorney general to “swiftly alert and coordinate resources with state and local law enforcement to ensure that any organized effort across the country is properly addressed and the rights of Americans are protected.”