Federal Bureau of Prison Destroying Christianity

Justin Haggerty | The Daily Knight

https://churchga.blogspot.com/

In the civilian world, we have witnessed abusive local, state, and federal governments use COVID-19 to enact lockdowns and other unlawful measures to attack Christianity. The Most Holy Sacrifice of the mass, along with other Christian denomination services, were prohibited in countries like Ireland, Canada, and France, and multiple cases went to the United States Supreme Court and protected American religious liberty. Nothing has changed in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP).

Nearly seventeen months into the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, the BOP has done little to return religious liberties to inmates. Catholic priests and deacons, Protestant ministers, etc., continue to be denied access to visit federal correctional institutions. Chapels remain empty, unused, and turned into additional classrooms for first step act courses (like RDAP) to keep room occupancy numbers below CDC requirements. Catholic inmates have gone nearly a year and a half (some inmates more) without seeing a priest for confession or receiving the Holy Eucharist.

Spiritual levels are low and inmates are falling into disciplinary issues as an out. More and more drugs are being smuggled into prisons, anything from cocaine to methamphetamine, keeping inmates hooked on drugs, instead of rehabilitating them through programs like RDAP; recidivism rates, the likelihood an inmate returns into custody, remains high; many inmates are caught with drugs and receive new charges unto an already long sentence; And families continue to suffer from a system that doesn't “correct” or a rehabilitate inmates. These inmates need God and a supernatural relationship worth our Lord Jesus Christ, not a secular government to “fix” all their problems.

Unfortunately, this environment is not new to COVID-19, but has only become more severe due to the government's policies to address the virus. To the testament of multiple inmates who are currently serving long sentences, including one traditional Catholic who served his sentence over 11 years ago, many camps and institution in the BOP would only see a visiting priest every four to six months. Regardless if the failure rests on the BOP, the local institution, or nearby diocesan, these inmates are deprived of the sanctifying grace required to strengthen the mind, reinforce virtue, and heal the soul. Instead, these institutions are secular morgues, where many inmates are detached from the graces of God.

Most camps and institutions employ “chaplains”, but they are usually glorified counselors without even a minister ordination for protestants. Although of good heart, these “chaplains” do little to aid, nurture, and protect the “soul” of the inmate population. For Christians, the “chaplains” are the only source to order religious materials, like Holy Rosaries, unless families order Holy Bibles, Missiles, prayer books, and other religious literature straight through Amazon. Low value religious necklaces and medals can be ordered through the “chaplain”, but my brown scapular was taken from me upon self-surrender. No Christian items are available for purchase from the commissary; while Islamic prayer rugs ($12.75); Native American bandanas ($6.40) yarmulkes ($2.09) Aztec Bandanas ($2.95); Kufic ($6.00); and Tom Rastas ($9.50) are all listed an held in inventory at the commissary.

Not a surprise to most, the prison system in the United States is a breeding ground for Islam. Praying on the disenfranchisement of convicted black men, and some white men, Muslims in the federal system foster a radical bias against whites and Christianity, portraying it as an “European” religion that has aided the enslavement and socio-economic hindrance of African Americans. Many, in their conversion to Islam, become members of the Nation of Islam, the black separatist group that is denounced by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group. Many of the Center’s accusations are incorrect and exaggerated, but those against the Nation of Islam are not. The anti-Semitic and beliefs of the Nation's leader Louis Farrakhan and their involvement in illegal arms trafficking, for future “race war”, are evident.

Last year, a report estimated that one of five Catholics would not return to church after COVID-19 ended. For many of the faithful, struggling with their own fate and witnessing the church grow closer to the world than to Christ, they grew too accustomed to watching the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass on Facebook or YouTube. Bishops, bending the knee to the modern world, severed the stream of grace that flows from the Holy Eucharist to the hearts of the faithful. Separated for even a few months from that life-saving grace can do great harm to one's mind, body, and soul. In our fallen nature, all humans need that sanctifying grace. It is not a coincidence that crime, homicides, incarceration, divorces, political divisions and turmoil’s, international diplomatic discards have all drastically increased in the past seventeen months of fewer Masses is being offered in oblation to God and as propitiation for our sins. Now, consider the state of our inmates who have been spiritually neglected and cut from all the grace from the sacraments.

Please pray for our Catholic inmates, and write your US Senator and Congressman to bring attention to the dissipate spiritual support being given to America's federal inmates.

In Christ Crucified and the Most Victorious Heart of Jesus.