Daniel Suhr reminds us here, “in January 2023, the Richmond Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation circulated an intelligence analysis to other FBI offices on “Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology.” The memorandum stated “with high confidence” that a new trend was emerging in potential domestic terrorism that demanded “mitigation,” namely “increasingly observed interest of [racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists] (RMVEs) in radical-traditionalist Catholic (RTC) ideology.”

The DOJ has released it’s After Action report here documenting that what transpired was far more egregious than we were initially led to believe, and paints a dark picture of religious persecution against Christians in America. While persection against the Body of Christ exists in many other parts of the world, America has always prided itself on the freedom of religion. Until now.

As the DOJ report says

On January 23, 2023, the FBI Richmond Field Office published a Domain Perspective entitled “Interest of Racially or Ethnically Motivated Violent Extremists in Radical-Traditionalist Catholic Ideology Almost Certainly Presents New Mitigation Opportunities” (the “Richmond Catholic Memo” or “Memo”).4 The Richmond Catholic Memo was the outgrowth of a single FBI investigation and linked what it viewed as certain traditional Catholic ideologies (what has, in the records the Working Group reviewed, been called “radical traditionalist,” “radical traditional,” or “radtrad” Catholicism) with violent extremism. On the afternoon of February 8, 2023, the Richmond Catholic Memo was leaked to the public. After the leak, internal reviews concluded that the Richmond Catholic Memo did not meet FBI standards, including by improperly suggesting that certain domestic terrorist and religious viewpoints aligned without supporting evidence and by creating the impression that the FBI conducts investigative activity based on religious affiliation. The FBI withdrew the Richmond Catholic Memo, though the Richmond Field Office stood by its work.

Astonishingly, the investigation began because of a criminal case unrelated to the Catholic Church. I encourage you to read the report in entirety.

The Bible indicates that an unprecedented worldwide persecution of the global church is coming just before the return of Christ. This DOJ report frighteningly indicates how easily and quickly such persecution can arise. Fortunately, “the FBI personnel involved in the creation of the Richmond Catholic Memo have been terminated from their positions.”