It’s time for a history quiz. Do you remember Jan. 22, 2021? The diocese was celebrating its annual Respect Life Mass at Columbus St. Joseph Cathedral. Those assembled included clergy, families with small children, students and the elderly. The Mass was livestreamed to Catholic schools across the diocese and on St. Gabriel Catholic Radio.
Then-Bishop Robert Brennan’s homily on this anniversary date of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade decision stressed the importance of respect for one another, especially unborn children, their mothers and the most vulnerable. He talked about prayer, peace and nonviolence.
During his homily, protesters entered the cathedral carrying signs and shouting, “Two, four, six, eight. This church teaches hate.” They marched down the main and side aisles. They knocked over and broke a table.
Jerry Freewalt, previous director of my office and current executive director of the Catholic Conference of Ohio, provided firsthand testimony about the protest during a hearing on March 3, 2022, on Ohio House Bill 504, the Sacred Spaces Art.
“I could see members of the congregation shocked, frightened and disturbed,” he said. “It was a jolting disruption during what was a very peaceful prayer setting in our house of worship, our sacred space. Many parishioners immediately knelt to pray the Hail Mary.
“I also observed protesters approach parishioners as they were praying and shout vulgarities in (their) faces. I, along with diocesan officials, outstretched our arms as to not touch the protesters but shield them from the congregation to keep them safe as they were escorted out of the church.
“I followed the protesters out the front door of the cathedral to the steps. The protesters stopped halfway down the steps of the cathedral, turned towards us and repeatedly shouted obscenities to me and whoever was behind me.
“I immediately turned around to shut the cathedral doors. … As I stood on the cathedral steps, I took a deep breath and calmly prayed to God with my hands folded as the protesters repeatedly shouted at me. After several chants, they stopped.
“I then calmly said, ‘We are here in peace. We are here out of respect. We love you. I love you.’ One protester said to me, ‘We hate you.’ I was glad that at least the remarks were directed at me and not the congregation at that point.
“I wanted to stabilize the situation in a nonviolent way and return their words with a message of Christian love and respect, which in fact was the central message of the Mass. Soon after, several police officers arrived at the cathedral.”
The Ohio House passed the Sacred Spaces Act on April 6 (95-1). The Senate version was introduced on April 12 but not assigned to a committee until May 18. We now need to contact our state senators to have them move the bill forward quickly.
Certainly, the new threats of violence on social media focused on the U.S. Supreme Court’s leaked draft majority opinion on Roe v. Wade/Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization should be enough to push our state senators forward. Yet, we know politicians need to hear from their constituents.
All our brothers and sisters in the faith community understand the importance of gathering together to worship. For Catholics, the Mass is the pinnacle of communal worship. It is our encounter of the real presence of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.
For all people of faith, our houses of worship should be sacred, safe places. All are welcome to worship – friends, family and strangers.
The Sacred Spaces Act would make it clear that intentional disruption of a Catholic Mass or any religious service bears consequences. Free speech is alive and well; however, religious expression, civility and respect also are alive and well and need to be protected.
Freewalt reminds us that “the Catholic Conference of Ohio is in support of HB 504 not only because these events happened to us, but also because these events should not happen to anyone who attends a religious service. People should be able to worship in peace. … It is our hope this bill will send a message to Ohioans that our state will not tolerate the disruption of sacred spaces.”
For more information and Freewalt’s full testimony, go to Religious Liberty – Catholic Conference of Ohio (ohiocathconf.org).
Please contact your state senators and ask them to support the Sacred Spaces Act.
And, please pray for all people of faith who fight to preserve religious liberty. May the Lord strengthen their resolve to hold firm in their witness.