As voters in Ohio prepare to decide on a referendum that could enshrine abortion in the state constitution, pro-abortion activists are busy vandalizing and harassing Catholic churches and schools and pro-life pregnancy centers. Signs placed outside Catholic churches urging against supporting the abortion initiative (called “Issue 1”) have been spray-painted, stolen, and even chopped up. Over a dozen parishes in the archdiocese of Cincinnati alone have been targeted by pro-abortion vandals. No Catholic church appears safe.
In some ways, this is little surprise. Catholics have been leading the pro-life crusade since before the calamitous Roe decision was handed down in 1973.
A fence outside the Cathedral Basilica of St. Peter in Chains, once visited by Pope St. John Paul II, was vandalized and numerous yard signs were stolen. Pro-life signs outside St. Mary Church were smashed and yard signs are repeatedly stolen. Pro-life signs at St. Monica-St. George Church were torn out of the ground and thrown into a dumpster. At St. Bartholomew Church, pro-life signs were stolen and replaced with pro-abortion signs. And about three weeks ago, the doors of Incarnation Catholic Church in Centerville were spray-painted to cover up pro-life signage. Vandals instead painted, “Vote yes,” and, “Issue 1: Enshrine abortion into the Ohio Constitution.” (READ MORE from S.A. McCarthy: Notre Dame President Defends Drag Shows on ‘Catholic’ Campus)
“I am grateful to all our priests and other parish and school leaders who have maintained steadfast opposition to Issue 1 despite the many challenges presented, including theft and vandalism,” Cincinnati archbishop Dennis Schnurr said in a statement emailed to press. He added, “We remain committed to the protection of and care for women, children, and families regardless of the outcome of this election.”
According to the archdiocese, over a dozen other Catholic churches, schools, and cemeteries have reported instances of theft or vandalism in the lead-up to the November 7th referendum vote. Back in August, Ohioans voted against a ballot initiative that would have required a two-thirds majority, instead of a simple majority, to approve changes to the state’s constitution via referendum, which many took as a sign the upcoming Issue 1, constitutionally codifying abortion in Ohio, would pass. Next week’s Issue 1 would, if passed, enumerate a constitutional “right” to “make and carry out one’s own reproductive decisions,” referring primarily to abortion and contraception. Although the amendment does allow the state to ban abortion after the point of “fetal viability,” the text makes it clear that “fetal viability” is to be determined on a case-by-case basis by any given physician.
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade last year, the battle over abortion has become a contentious issue on the state level. Although thousands of Ohioans gathered in the state capital last month for the Ohio March for Life, campaign filings released a few weeks later showed that pro-abortion lobbyists raised nearly three times as much in funding as pro-life campaigners. Much of the money fueling the pro-abortion effort came from out of state, including former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, billionaire George Soros, and a number of left-wing think tanks based in Washington, D.C.
The pro-abortion hostility to Catholic institutions now being witnessed in Ohio is nothing new. Last year, when Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion overturning Roe was leaked ahead of the final Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision, Catholic churches across the nation were targeted for vandalism, much of which came in the form of spray-painted pro-abortion slogans and threats, however, firebombings also made an appearance. According to the advocacy group CatholicVote, 211 Catholic churches have been attacked since the Roe reversal, including nearly 100 in 2023. (READ MORE: The Pope Is All Things to All Men)
In some ways, this is little surprise. Catholics have been leading the pro-life crusade since before the calamitous Roe decision was handed down in 1973 — indeed, it was a Supreme Court majority comprised almost entirely of Catholics which undid Roe almost 50 years later. The rash of vandalism in Ohio reveals not only the Catholic Church’s position as a bastion of strength in the war against abortion, but also the hatred pro-abortion activists harbor against the Church and the vehemence and violence with which they do and will continue to pursue their goals. This is a contingency of people who argue in favor of dismembering and discarding living, breathing unborn babies, vandalism and the use of mob violence are certainly not the worst acts in their diabolical repertoire.