Lisa McClain and Republican Leaders Send Letter to the Department of Justice Calling for an Investigation of "Anti-Catholic" Attacks on Churches
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Rep. Lisa McClain led the letter with several others to Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the attacks on Catholic churches. The GOP letter first obtained by Fox News Digital wrote that religious freedom "is under attack in the United States" pointing to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ estimate of "at least one hundred sixty hate crimes against the Catholic Church across thirty-seven states."
"As a result, millions of Christians are under assault for merely exercising their constitutional right to freely practice their religion," the lawmakers wrote.
The lawmakers wrote that America’s "basic tenet" of religious freedom "is being debased" in the wake of the attacks and laid out some of the attacks levied against American churches.
"Just this year, the altar at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Brooklyn, New York, was destroyed," they wrote.
"Vandals stole the church’s historic tabernacle that held the Eucharist, the body of Christ in the Catholic faith, before proceeding to wantonly decapitate the statues of angels and desecrate the Eucharist on the altar."
"Other incidents of anti-Catholic violence include arson, destruction of Church property, and the defacing of gravestones with swastikas and anti-Catholic slurs," they continued. "As the elected U.S. Representative of many Christians, we are forced to wonder if your Department of Justice will ever address the over one hundred crimes against Christian holy sites in America?"
"Americans are watching in horror as your DOJ fails to respond to the violence threatening religious freedom across the country and wondering why certain criminals seem to always avoid your interest," they wrote.
"The principle of religious freedom is woven into the fabric of what makes America great. No American should live in fear of practicing their religion and no religion should be subject to attack in this land of the free. Religious freedom is not only a Constitutional right but a human right, too. We are calling on you and your department to uphold your oaths to the Constitution and bring justice to the anti-Catholic criminals who are running rampant across America."
The letter refers to many recent violent attacks on Catholic and other Christian churches in response to the overturning of Roe vs. Wade.
Signatures on the letter come from; Reps. Andrew Gabarino of New York, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, and Barry Moore of Alabama.
Source: Fox News
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