❓WHAT HAPPENED: A man was arrested outside a Washington, D.C., Catholic cathedral after allegedly carrying a Molotov cocktail and refusing to leave.
👤WHO WAS INVOLVED: Louis Geri, a 41-year-old from Vineland, New Jersey, Washington, D.C., Catholics, and law enforcement authorities, including the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and federal agencies.
📍WHEN & WHERE: Early Sunday morning, October 5, during the “Red Mass” at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C.
💬KEY QUOTE: “Its purpose is to invoke God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials,” the church wrote about the Red Mass being held at the time.
🎯IMPACT: The incident prompted a police investigation involving multiple agencies, and the cathedral’s front entrance was temporarily closed for safety.
A 41-year-old man from New Jersey, Louis Geri, was arrested early Sunday morning outside the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, D.C., after authorities say he was found with a Molotov cocktail and other suspicious materials. Police said Geri had set up a tent on cathedral property that contained vials of liquid and what appeared to be fireworks. He reportedly refused to leave when approached by law enforcement.
According to the Metropolitan Police Department, Geri had previously been banned from the cathedral, though officials did not disclose the reason for the restriction. The police secured the area and brought in their Explosive Ordnance Disposal team and the Arson Task Force to inspect the scene. Geri was charged with unlawful entry, making threats to kidnap or injure, and possession of a Molotov cocktail.
The incident occurred during the Red Mass, an annual tradition held on the Sunday before the U.S. Supreme Court begins its new term. The Catholic Church describes the Mass as a service to invoke “God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials.”
Federal and local authorities, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Washington Field Office, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), are investigating the case.
The attempted attack in D.C. reflects a broader surge in violence and vandalism against churches across the United States, particularly Catholic institutions. According to a recent report by the Family Research Council, there were 436 documented incidents targeting American churches in 2024, a sharp increase from 315 the previous year. These attacks, recorded in 43 states, ranged from vandalism and arson to bomb threats and mass shootings. Most notably, a transgender gunman opened fire inside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in August, killing two children and injuring more than 20 others.
Between 2018 and 2024, the Family Research Council recorded nearly 1,400 acts of hostility against churches nationwide. Catholic sites have been especially affected. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops documented at least 139 incidents targeting Catholic churches between May 2020 and May 2022 alone.
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