Catholics fear attacks against pro-life

The Catholic community fears attacks against churches and pro-life pregnancy centers. Since the recent overturn of Roe v. Wade, Catholics are worried that there will be more incidents of vandalism.

Concerns Over Church's Safety

In a report with Catholic News Agency, Mary FioRito expressed her concerns over the safety of the church. She is a Cardinal Francis George Fellow with the Ethics and Public Policy Center.

The Catholic commentator told the news outlet that the Catholic church experienced a rash of 120 documented cases of vandalism in the past 18 months.

Violent Attacks of Hatred

She pointed out that the vandals attacked churches and beheaded statues. There was even an instance where thieves took the tabernacle of a church in Brooklyn.

FioRito stressed that these were all violent attacks against the Catholic church.

Right to Practice Religion

She told the news outlet that Americans had the right to practice their religion without any discrimination. Like many Catholics, she found it shocking and stressed that this should not happen in their country.

FioRito further said that the right to practice religion was something Americans fought for. These violent acts went against everything their forefathers stood for.

She added that the public criticisms of certain politicians only fanned the flames. FioRito stated that many spoke out against pregnancy centers.

'Deceit' of Pregnancy Centers

U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren recently spoke in downtown Boston, calling out the "deceit" of pregnancy centers.

Warren told the public that these centers were "deceptive outfits" that persuaded women not to get abortions.

The senator added that for every abortion clinic, there are three pregnancy centers. Warren vowed to set federal laws to address the so-called deceptive practices of these pro-life clinics.

FioRito stated that two pregnancy clinics in Worcester fell victim to attacks of vandalism from a group called Jane's Revenge.

She explained that the group sent explicit threats that encouraged vandalism.

Counts of Violence

According to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, there have been 152 counts of vandalism against churches since May 2020.

These reported acts included arson and vandalism of Catholic cemeteries. One such documented act of vandalism happened on May 28 at St. Augustine Roman Catholic Church.

Missing Tabernacle

According to a report with Religion Unplugged, Fr. Frank Tumino said that he walked into the sanctuary that afternoon. He found the church's 2-foot tabernacle to be missing.

Thieves also desecrated the sanctuary by leaving a trail of rubble and Communion hosts across the altar. The pastor also reported that the vandals decapitated the head of an angel statue.

Father Tumino called the entire incident to be devastating. He stressed the significance of the tabernacle for Catholics, saying that it was the central focus of worship.

The pastor told the news outlet that the theft was a hateful act against Catholics everywhere. According to the report, the tabernacle was dated back to 1895 and cost over $2 million.