Kaine, who identifies as Catholic but supports legal abortion, drew parallels between the FBI's actions and past efforts by federal law enforcement to prevent radicalization among young Muslims by working with mosques.

He told ABC13, "If the FBI has a concern like that, then go to the church leaders and say 'Hey look, we have a concern and we don't want your members to get unwittingly caught up in something.'"

Kaine's comments come at a time when the FBI is facing increased scrutiny over its apparent targeting of both "radical-traditionalist" and "mainline" Catholic parishes. The memo, which has sparked controversy, has raised concerns among Catholic communities across the country.