“This outreach plan even included contacting so-called ‘mainline Catholic parishes’ and the local ‘diocesan leadership.'”
The Weaponization of Government Committee has discovered alarming information indicating that undercover FBI agents entered Catholic churches to investigate domestic extremism. This news reveals a deeply concerning trend in the tactics used by law enforcement, which has shocked the public and prompted numerous inquiries regarding religious freedom and privacy. The invasion of sacred spaces for the sake of national security is a worrying development that needs to be dealt with and placed in the context of the larger discussion about how to strike a balance between individual liberties and the protection of national security.
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“Based on the limited information produced by the FBI to the Committee,” In a letter to FBI director Christopher Wray, Jim Jordan writes, “we now know that the FBI relied on at least one undercover agent to produce its analysis and that the FBI proposed that its agents engage in outreach to Catholic parishes to develop sources among the clergy and church leadership to inform on Americans practicing their faith.”
Jordan states that this information is “shocking” and “reinforces” the committee’s need for the FBI to respond to its subpoenas and requests for information. He raises the spilled release from a FBI field office in Richmond recently which recognized Catholics who go to Latin Mass as likely homegrown fanatics.
New information suggests that the FBI’s focus on Catholics may have gone beyond a single contentious bulletin, bringing to light the agency’s history of targeting particular groups. Even though the initial bulletin was based on questionable sources, it raises concerns regarding the FBI’s surveillance strategies and potential bias. This raises questions regarding the agency’s capacity to serve all citizens fairly and justly in their efforts to uphold the law.
The letter refers to a record gave to the council, and states that “From this selective production, we know that the FBI, relying on information derived from at least one undercover employee, sought to use local religious organizations as ‘new avenues for tripwire and source development.'”
The letter cites a section titled Opportunities that reads: “In addition to [redaction], engage in outreach to the leadership of other [Society of Saint Pius X] chapels in the FBI Richmond [area of responsibility] to sensitize these congregations to the warning signs of radicalization and to enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.”
Jordan says that the FBI, “similarly noted two other opportunities to engage in outreach with religious institutions in the Richmond area, citing a desire ‘to sensitize the congregation to the warning signs of radicalization and enlist their assistance to serve as suspicious activity tripwires.’
“This outreach plan even included contacting so-called ‘mainline Catholic parishes’ and the local ‘diocesan leadership’. The FBI also expressed an interest in ‘leverag[ing] existing sources and/or initiat[ing] Type 5 Assessments to develop new sources with the placement and access’ to report on suspicious activity.”
