Is a piece of paper ever real protection?

Father McTeigue, S.J. opens with the image of a domestic violence victim who thinks a restraining order means she can never be abused again, and uses it to frame a much bigger story: the Department of Justice's Weaponization Working Group report on the FBI's targeting of so-called "radical traditional Catholics."

The case traces back to January 2023, when the FBI's Richmond, Virginia field office drafted an internal report intended for distribution across the entire FBI — suggesting that communities of so-called "Radical Traditional Catholics" (RTCs) could be attracting or even generating "white supremacists" and racially or ethnically motivated violent extremists. According to the report, the "hallmarks" the FBI flagged as worth investigating included rejection of Vatican II, disdain for post-Vatican II popes, conservative family roles, rejection of modernity, and isolation — in other words, mostly features of ordinary Catholic life.

The report drew heavy backlash, and the FBI initially tried to characterize it as a misunderstanding. This year, the Bureau investigated itself and now says this was wrong and won't happen again... But is that really enough?

That same promise sounds a lot like the restraining order— a piece of paper that feels like protection but isn't backed by anything real.

What should actually be done to make sure this never happens again? Father McTeigue wants to know what you think about this. Write to him at thestationofthecross.com/askfather