Many conservatives have criticized the Biden White House for what they see as a string of actions targeting American Roman Catholics.
The Biden administration received considerable attention after an FBI field office released a draft memo targeting traditional Catholics. The memo attempted to link a number of Catholics who used the rosary or preferred Latin mass to white nationalist groups.
The FBI scrambled to control the damage from the leak. FBI Director Christopher Wray wrote to Congress, where he disavowed the message in the memo.
Wray wrote to the Senate Intelligence Committee last month that the draft memo did “not reflect FBI standards.”
He added that the agency does not “conduct investigations based on religious affiliation or practices, full stop.”
It was revealed last week that the FBI has used at least one informant to spy on Catholic groups as “new avenues for tripwire and source development.”
Wray is receiving more attention from Congress as Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), chair of the powerful House Judiciary Committee, subpoenaed the FBI chief.
When I sent a letter to the FBI with 19 other AGs demanding an explanation for the leaked internal memo that suggested surveilling Catholics, some alleged it was politically motivated.
Thanks @Jim_Jordan for working to get answers on this un-American planhttps://t.co/DlJTiExTNt
— Jason Miyares (@JasonMiyaresVA) April 12, 2023
However, the Biden White House’s string of perceived anti-Catholic offensives goes beyond the now-disavowed memo and potential spying.
There have been a rising number of attacks on Catholic churches across the United States in recent years.
When a transgender suspect spray painted phrases such as “kid groomers” and “women haters” on a Catholic church and assaulted several parishioners, the Biden Justice Department offered a plea deal that included no jail time.
Conservative critics compare that light prosecution to the case of Mark Houck. Houck’s house was raided by the FBI and he was arrested in front of his family for charges related to an argument with an abortion clinic worker. He was later acquitted of the charges against him.
A number of pro-life pregnancy centers have also been targeted for violence and vandalism, especially since the overturn of Roe v. Wade last year.
