FBI Director Kash Patel said in a U.S. Senate hearing that the FBI is currently investigating 60 reports of anti-Catholic hate crimes, including ones in Kansas City, Missouri; Louisville, Kentucky; and Richmond, Virginia.
Patel said the FBI will look into ensuring that rewards of monetary value are offered for information on “all ideologically-based attacks.” He said the FBI will “follow the money,” and not stop at investigating the perpetrator, but will hold those who funded the perpetrator accountable.
According to the USCCB, anti-Catholic hate crimes have occurred across 43 states. Incidents have included arson, statues beheaded, smashed gravestones defaced with swastikas and anti-Catholic language, and vandalism.
Senator Josh Hawley (R-MO) also asked Patel for an update on terminations and resignations of FBI employees related to a 2023 anti-Catholic memo that detailed an investigation into “radical traditionalist” Catholics who celebrate the Latin Mass.
Patel stated that the memo was produced by Richmond, Virginia’s field office, and the agency has made policy adjustments. He did not specify how many people were terminated or what their roles were in drafting the memo.
You can read more about the FBI’s ongoing investigations into anti-Catholic hate crimes here.