The Catholic Diocese of Brownsville, in the Rio Grande Valley, is fighting the federal government over its plans to build part of the much-talked-about border wall in that area. The diocese claims the wall would be a violation of a clause in the First Amendment to the Constitution, which is sometimes referred to as a “wall of separation between church and state.”
John Moritz covers Texas for the USA Today Network, and says the diocese claims the wall would interfere with the practice of religion because the federal government plans to build part of the wall on the property of a historic church.
“We’re talking about the La Lomita Chapel, which is one of the oldest chapels along the Rio Grande,” Moritz says. “The chapel itself was built in 1899. It’s not used day to day. But it’s still considered a sacred place, and the bishop believes that basically taking that property would interfere with the practice of religion and his ability to tend to his parishioners.”
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Written by Caroline Covington.
