Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 13, 2023 / 13:45 pm
The U.S. bishops are asking Congress to provide at least $200 million in federal funds for grants that improve security for houses of worship and other nonprofit organizations.
In a letter to congressional leaders, written last month and released to the public this week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) urged lawmakers to include additional funding for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) in a package that provides security assistance to Israel.
The federal government says that the NSGP “provides funding support for target hardening and other physical security enhancements and activities to nonprofit organizations that are at high risk of terrorist attack.”
New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chair of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty, said in the letter that the grants “enable vulnerable communities to gather for worship, prayer, and service without fear of being attacked.”