The Roman Catholic bishop of Southern California told the parish diocese of about a million people this week that he could stay home on Sunday while concerns about federal immigrant sweep still looms in the area.
Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Parish of San Bernardino on Tuesday shared the fear of many church participants “attending the public for potential immigration enforcement measures,” writing that “such fear constitutes a serious inconvenience that hinders the spiritual interests of loyal people.”
Instead of Sunday’s service, Rojas encouraged “maintaining spiritual communion” by praying the Rosary and reading the Bible, and directed the Bishop’s Minister to provide support and compassion for those affected.
Since early June, countless Southern California families have lived in fear and went underground amidst the Trump administration’s push for extraordinary federal immigration enforcement. Nearly 2,800 people have been involved in a sweep exclusively in the LA area, including US citizens and hundreds of undocumented immigrants with no criminal history.
The threat of immigrant attacks has spread through all aspects of life in Southern California, including church attendance. Inside the worship house, one-third or half of the congregations say they are no longer in person.
According to a National Catholic reporter, multiple people were arrested at or near the parish church on June 20th.
“Accusations that ice entered the church to arrest the ice [is] False,” Homeland Security spokesman Tricia McLaughlin wrote in an email to the Times. [and] The officers then made a safe arrest. ”
A few days later, Rojas wrote a message to his worshippers on Facebook.
He said he respected and appreciated the role of law enforcement in “keeping the community safe from violent offenders,” but added that “authors now hold a promiscuous grasp of their brothers and sisters without respecting their legitimate procedures and dignity as children of God.”
Regarding his latest dict order, which allowed worshippers to abandon the masses, Rojas said it would be effective until further notice or until “the situation requiring this order is sufficiently resolved.”
Times staff writers Andrew Castillo, Rachel Uranga and Queen Wong contributed to the report.
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