They are giving people warnings.
The Committee on Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has flagged attacks on churches as the most significant threat to religious freedom in 2024. In their recently released annual report titled “The State of Religious Liberty in the United States,” the committee outlined various issues impacting religious freedom, including abortion, human sexuality, and immigration.
According to the report, the committee expressed deep concern over the rising incidents of violence and vandalism directed at houses of worship, particularly Catholic churches. The publication of a leaked draft decision in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which rejected a constitutional right to abortion, triggered a wave of outrage from pro-abortion activists. In response, Catholic churches became targets, experiencing acts such as graffiti vandalism and the theft of religious artifacts like tabernacles.
The committee highlighted the potential for far-left extremists to intensify attacks in the heightened political atmosphere of the 2024 election. Additionally, they noted the risk of far-right extremists targeting Catholic institutions, possibly motivated by anti-immigrant sentiments.
The issue of abortion is anticipated to be a prominent factor in the 2024 election, with several states considering ballot measures to establish a constitutional right to abortion. This has raised concerns about an increased likelihood of targeting Catholic churches.
In addition to attacks on churches, the committee identified other threats to religious liberty. The second most significant threat was identified as the possibility of doctors at Catholic hospitals being compelled to perform elective trans procedures on children. The committee also expressed worries about federal laws limiting the ability of Catholic nonprofits to assist illegal immigrants, enforcing adherence to gender ideology, and the potential impact of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act requiring employers to grant paid leave for obtaining an abortion.
The report underscores the unique and severe nature of the threat posed by attacks on places of worship, emphasizing that there is “no greater threat to religious liberty than for one’s house of worship to become a place of danger.” The committee, established in response to growing legal challenges to religious freedom, emphasizes the urgent need to address these threats to protect the lives of people of faith.