White House condemns attacks on Catholic churches following Supreme Court abortion ruling

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FIRST ON FOX: The White House on Thursday condemned the recent spate of violence against Catholic churches across the country following the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade.

At least six Catholic churches have been targeted with arson and vandalism since the Friday ruling, including a 145-year-old Catholic church in West Virginia that was burned to the ground in what police are investigating as an arson attack.  

President Biden speaks about inflation and supply chain issues at the Port of Los Angeles, Friday, June 10, 2022, in Los Angeles.  ((AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes))

"The President condemns these attacks," White House deputy press secretary Andrew Bates said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "He has always denounced violence, threats, and vandalism committed by anyone, for any purpose. And he explicitly repeated those values in his remarks reacting to the Dobbs decision, calling for all protests to be peaceful."

Bates was referring to President Biden’s speech Friday immediately following the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the question of abortion to the states to decide. During that speech, the president broadly called on protesters to remain peaceful.

HISTORIC WEST VIRGINIA CATHOLIC CHURCH BURNED TO GROUND BY ARSONIST, POLICE SAY

"First, I call on everyone, no matter how deeply they care about this decision, to keep all protests peaceful," the president said. "Peaceful, peaceful, peaceful. No intimidation. Violence is never acceptable. Threats and intimidation are not speech. We must stand against violence in any form regardless of your rationale."

Biden slammed the Supreme Court’s ruling as "a sad day for the Court and for the country." 

President Biden addresses the Supreme Court’s decision on Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization to overturn Roe v. Wade.  (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The president, who has described himself as "deeply Catholic," has repeatedly defended his pro-choice stance despite the Catholic Church condemning abortion as sin. The Vatican praised the Supreme Court for "choosing life" in Friday’s ruling.

The White House condemnation of violence specifically against Catholic churches comes after at least six Catholic churches were targeted in the one week since Friday’s ruling.

The St. John Neumann Catholic Community Church was covered with graffiti over the weekend. (WTTG)

The Holy Name of Mary Catholic Church in New Orleans reportedly saw a statue honoring aborted children defaced with red paint on Friday.

The St. Colman Catholic Church in West Virginia was burned to the ground in a suspected arson attack Sunday.

The St. John Neumann Catholic Community Church in Reston, Virginia, had profane messages and pictures of female genitalia spray-painted on its exterior over the weekend.

Protesters shout as they join thousands marching around the Arizona Capitol after the Supreme Court decision to overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision Friday, June 24, 2022, in Phoenix.  (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

The St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Harlingen, Texas, reportedly had three statues vandalized over the weekend.

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The Ascension Roman Catholic Church in New York City was reportedly tagged Monday with graffiti on its doors reading, "If abortion isn’t safe, neither are you."

The St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue, Washington, was vandalized Tuesday and spray-painted with messages that read "woman haters," "religion of hate," "lies" and "sheep."