Members of the Parish of San Bernardino were released from their duty to attend Mass and were encouraged to carry out personal prayers on Tuesday in light of the rising Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) attacks throughout California.
“Because of the true fear of immigration enforcement measures, all faithful members of the Parish of San Bernardino who are unable to attend the masses or masses on Sunday on a holy day will be distributed from this obligation until this order is repealed or amended, as provided for in 1247.
The bishop’s office said the statute will remain effective until further notice or until “the situation requiring this statute is fully resolved.”
“In issuing this order, I am led by the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of everyone who is particularly faced with fear and hardship. I entrust this parish to the intercession of my American father, Guadalupe, and invoke the blessings of God to faith.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (d) rang out on the move, saying First Amendment rights are being attacked under the Trump administration.
“Religious freedom? Not in Donald Trump’s America. People now have to choose between their faith and their freedom,” Newsom wrote in a post on X on Wednesday.
His comments come after weeks of controversy as the nation engages in a lawsuit against the federal government to deploy National Guard soldiers against anti-ice protests.
Democrats argue that individuals are being detained without legitimate procedures and deprived of clean drinking water and electricity.
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