Instagram suspended Catholic Connect — which the account says is the largest Catholic organization profile on the platform — less than 24 hours after President Donald Trump issued a Dec. 8 message honoring the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.
In a Dec. 10 article, Catholic Connect founder Richy Orozco said Instagram took the page down without warning, erasing 11,000 posts and more than a decade of online ministry. The account, which had more than 620,000 followers, had generated roughly 36.4 million views in the past 30 days alone, according to the article.
Orozco said Instagram provided no violation notice or explanation before the shutdown, and the platform’s internal dashboard showed Catholic Connect in “good standing” just hours before it was taken down. Instagram also blocked access to Catholic Connect’s backup account.
According to screenshots Catholic Connect published, Instagram told the group it violated “Terms of Use on intellectual property.” Catholic Connect — which frequently reshares posts from other Catholic creators — said it always seeks permission before reposting content.
The suspension marks the second time Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has removed the page using the same rationale. In 2021, Instagram permanently banned Catholic Connect for “intellectual property violations” before reversing course amid public backlash, Catholic News Agency reported.
“This is targeted,” Orozco wrote. “Same excuse twice. Good standing both times. Backup blocked. Someone inside Instagram is doing this deliberately. We want to know who — and we want answers.”
Catholic Connect urged Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri to intervene and restore the page. It also called on the White House and elected officials — including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio — to press Meta for answers, noting that the administration had publicly praised Catholic contributions to the nation one day before the suspension.
“This isn’t just about Catholic Connect. This is about every church, every ministry, every Christian organization that’s building on Meta’s platforms right now,” Orozco wrote. “If they can do this to the largest Catholic organization account in America — twice — they can do it to anyone. Your parish. Your diocese. Your favorite Catholic creator. Your voice.”
Catholic Connect submitted a formal appeal to Instagram Dec. 9. According to screenshots the group shared, Instagram said appeals typically take one day to review. If the platform decides the account complies with its policies, it will restore it; if not, the page “will be permanently disabled and you won’t be able to appeal again.”
In the meantime, the organization has launched a new Instagram page, catholicconnect3.0, to continue posting.
“To every Catholic and Christian reading this: We need your help,” Orozco wrote, encouraging supporters to contact Meta, follow Catholic Connect’s new account, and track updates on its website.
Orozco concluded: “The President honored Catholic faith on December 8. Instagram silenced it on December 9. America is watching. History is watching. And 30 million monthly viewers don’t disappear quietly.”