CatholicVote demands Biden speak out against church attacks, leading Dems’ ‘hate-filled rhetoric’
A conservative Catholic group has called on presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden to publicly denounce attacks on Catholic churches as well as the fueling of a “climate of hate” against Catholics by prominent members of his party.
Referring to arson-related church fires, desecration of sacred symbols and statues by extremist mobs and to “the hate-filled rhetoric of leading members of the Democratic Party,” CatholicVote said in a statement that Biden, “a baptized Catholic, has a responsibility and duty to Catholics to publicly condemn these attacks.”
“Catholic churches across America are literally burning, and Joe Biden has said nothing,” CatholicVote President Brian Burch said. “Leading members of the Democratic Party have fueled a climate of hate against Catholics, and these attacks have now led to acts of vandalism and violence. These attacks on the Church raise serious questions about the commitment of Joe Biden, a self-professed Catholic, to stand up to the rising climate of anti-Catholicism across the country.”
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Former congressman and CatholicVote Senior Political Adviser Tim Huelskamp said the “growing anti-Catholic rampage” offends “all good and decent Catholics.”
“Joe Biden’s deafening silence during this hate-filled epidemic speaks loudly of his consent to this shocking assault on our religious freedoms,” he added.
Last month, two Catholic churches were set on fire while statues of the Virgin Mary in major cities across the U.S. were defaced.
In the New York City borough of Queens, a vandal targeted a statue of the Virgin Mary located at Cathedral Prep School and Seminary.
CatholicVote says it plans to reach over 5 million active Catholics “in battleground states during this election cycle.”
President Donald Trump recently said that Biden is “against God.” In response, Biden's campaign released a statement to supporters, labeling the remarks as “shameful.”
“Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: it’s provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, it’s kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy,” said Biden through his campaign.
Last month, more than 100 Christian pastors and pro-life academics and advocates called on the Democratic National Committee “to recognize the inviolable human dignity of the child, before and after birth,” and adopt a party platform that’s friendlier to those who are pro-life.
“We urge the Democratic Party to embrace policies that protect both women and children: legal protection for pre-born children, improved prenatal care for women in need, especially women of color, alternatives to abortion, and a comprehensive culture of life free from violence, poverty and racism,” the letter said.
Last year, Biden reversed his decades-long support for restricting federal funding of abortions, according to The Associated Press, which quoted him as saying at the time: “Just as I’ve never attempted to impose my views on anyone else as to when life begins, I have never attempted to impose my view on who should pay for it.”
Steven Krueger, president of the nonprofit Catholic Democrats, warned at the time that “the far left wing of the party has had an influence on a number of issues, particularly on the issue of abortion, that is not going to serve candidates well once they’re in the general election.”
