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Alberto Rojas, Bishop of San Bernardino, who leads more than 1.5 million Catholics in Southern California, has officially excused parishioners from his weekly mandate to attend the post-immigration public on two parish property.
Distribution is a movement that is usually reserved for expansion situations, such as the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. But Rojas says it’s necessary as fears of being arrested and possibly deported wiped out communities, including the Catholic Church.
“There’s a real fear that many people will fascinate in our parish community. If they challenge any kind of public environment, they’ll be arrested by immigration officials,” Rojas said in a statement Wednesday.
“Sadly, that includes attending Mass. The recent arrests of two individuals in our Catholic parish have intensified that fear. We want our immigrant community to know that their churches will stand with them and walk with them throughout this ordeal time.”
Except for serious reasons, Catholics are mandated by their faith to attend Mass on Sundays and on the Day of Holy Duty. In May, the Nashville Diocese of Tennessee issued a similar statement following immigration enforcement measures in the area, not termed a formal distribution, but made excuses for fear of attending the public out of holy duties.
Rojas is the immigrants themselves. He was born and raised in Aguascaliantes, Mexico. He said when he assumed that he was consistent with immigration support and that role would be one of his top priorities.
In early June, the Trump administration significantly increased the arrests and attacks of immigrants in Southern California, particularly Los Angeles, with federal agents sweeping in workplaces and public spaces, arresting hundreds of people.
Last month, as the federal government arrested and deployed the National Guard to maintain the order amid the protests in Los Angeles, Rojas entered the parish property, called for federal agents “to capture multiple people” and issued a statement that created an environment of fear and chaos.
“It’s not the gospel of Jesus Christ. It leads us to everything we do,” he said. “I ask all political leaders and decision makers to immediately rethink these tactics in support of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity and builds towards a more lasting and comprehensive reform of the immigration system.”
Created in 1978, the parish serves more than 1.5 million Catholics in San Bernardino County, 52.5% Latinos and San Bernardino County, according to the 2020 US Census.
Members of local parishes in the United States, without documents, are making an active contribution to the community “without any issues other than legal status,” the bishop said.
“Most of them are here because they wanted to save their families. They had no other options. They want to be legalized, but who can help them?”
Rojas said he knows these people are in the church, but because of the threat to their safety and family unity, he knows.
“The burden they may be feeling because of all the worries and anxiety they want to take away, for a while, they are unable to fulfill this commitment that our Catholic faithful are called,” Rojas said.
The Rev. Omar Coronado of the Inland Congregation united for Change, a faith-based nonprofit serving Riverside and San Bernardino counties, calling the bishop’s orders “an extraordinary act of moral courage and pastoral care.”
When so many families live in fear and uncertainty, the bishop’s voice brings hope as well as protection. He said in a statement.
San Bernardino is California’s fifth largest Catholic parish next to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the second largest in California, the largest in a country with around 5 million members. Neither the Archdiocese of Los Angeles nor the nearby Orange Parish, which serves around 1.3 million Catholics, have issued similar distributions.
A spokesman for the Orange Parish said that in recent weeks, steps have been taken to support the immigrant community. It included asking priests to bring communion and celebrating the public in the homes of those who are afraid to leave their homes. The parish also shares protocols with parishes and Catholic schools to help them properly prepare and respond appropriately to the presence of immigration officers on church and school grounds, he said. Additionally, the parish also accompanies priests and deacons and coordinates efforts to support people spiritually at immigration court hearings.
The parish under the Archdiocese of Los Angeles “continue to provide outreach to affected families and individuals,” said an archdiocese spokesman.
A conflict occurred outside the San Francisco immigration court between US immigrants, customs enforcement agents and protesters.
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