CatholicVote Warns Pro-Abortion Protestors: Blocking Church Entrances or Threatening Force Is Against Federal Law

(CNS News) — Because pro-abortion activists such as “Ruth Sent Us” plan to protest “at or in” Catholic churches this Sunday, the non-profit group CatholicVote issued a statement warning the radicals that it is a violation of federal law (the FACE Act) to block the entrances to churches or threaten physical force there.

Section two of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE Act) says that it is a crime for whoever “by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction, intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate or interferewith any person lawfully exercising or seeking to exercise the First Amendment right of religious freedom at a place of religious worship.”

Persons who commit such crimes can face very stiff fines and prison terms.

CatholicVote President Brian Burch said, “The aggressive rage exhibited by pro-abortion advocates over the past week, and the plans of anti-Catholic zealots to disrupt Catholic masses around the country this weekend, is a vile attempt to harass, threaten, and intimidate.”

“It is religious bigotry of the worst kind,” he said. “It is also against the law.”
 
“Yet these threats to the safety of Catholic pastors and parishioners have been met with a stunning silence from our Catholic president,” added Burch. “Silence is not an option.”

“President Biden must make clear that the targeting of Catholic churches is indefensible and against the law,” he said. 
 
“Further, Attorney General Merrick Garland must make clear that acting on these plans would constitute a violation of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and will be punished to the full extent of the law,” said Burch.  “The Attorney General has an obligation to alert every U.S. Attorney across the country and remind them of the law and their duty to enforce it.”

In a May 3 tweet, Ruth Sent Us posted a video of some of its members — dressed as Handmaid’s Tale maidens — entering and then protesting inside a Catholic church. They shouted at the parishioners, “For 2,000 years the Catholic Church has been an institution for the enslavement of women.”
 
Burch continued, “No religious believer in America should fear for their safety while attending church this Sunday, or any day. We once again call on all responsible leaders in Washington to condemn and stop these dangerous threats before they result in violence.”

There are calls for a #MothersDayStrike. We support it, along with @StrikeForChoice who’s planning a day of walk-outs on Thu May 12. #DefendRoe

This is what Mother’s Day should look like. Catholic and Evangelical Churches nationwide: pic.twitter.com/BxvGhBGodn

— Ruth Sent Us ???? (@RuthSentUs) May 3, 2022

As reported on May 2, an opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito that argues for overturning Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey, was leaked to Politico. The article noted that at least four other justices support the opinion: Amy Coney Barrett, Brett Kavanaugh, Clarence Thomas, and Neil Gorsuch.

All of those justices are Catholic except for Gorsuch, who is Episcopalian.

From CNSNews - READ ORIGINAL

Some media, including videos, may only be available to view at the original.