Catholic bishops seek answers in rising vandalism incidents

By ALEJANDRA MOLINA
Religion News Service

From toppling statues to setting churches ablaze, anti-Catholic vandalism is on the rise. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops is trying to understand why and has started to document and track vandalism at Catholic sites across the country. The organization has logged news reports of such incidents dating back to May 2020 and has counted more than 105 acts of vandalism — including arson, graffiti and defaced statues. Aaron M. Weldon, of the USCCB’s Office of Religious Liberty, wonders: “Did they single out the Catholic Church, or is it simply that our symbols of religion are so visible that they make an easy target?”