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Los Angeles County and eight cities, including LA, Santa Monica and Culver City, are joining a lawsuit against the Trump administration over the tactics used by federal agents during recent ICE raids in the region.
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. – As ongoing immigration enforcement actions continue across Southern California and the U.S., some local religious leaders are responding by making major changes for some parishioners.
What we know:
In a statement, San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas announced a “decree dispensing from the obligation to attend Sunday mass.”
The decree allows parishioners who are unable to attend Sunday mass or masses on holy days of obligation “due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions” to be “dispensed from this obligation.”
Those who refrain from attending mass are encouraged to maintain their spiritual communion through “acts of personal prayer, reading of Sacred Scripture, or participation in devotions such as the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet.”
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Parishioners can also participate in masses broadcast online or on TV when offered by the diocese or other reputable Catholic sources.
During this decree, pastors, ministers, and other religious leaders will continue to provide support to those affected.
Dig deeper:
The decree, provided under the Code of Canon Law, particularly Canon 87, states, “A diocesan bishop, whenever he judges that it contributes to their spiritual good, is able to dispense the faithful from universal and particularly disciplinary laws issued for his territory or his subjects by the supreme authority of the Church.”
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The decree will remain in effect until it is revoked or further amended by the bishop.
What they’re saying:
“In light of the pastoral needs of our diocese and the concerns expressed by many of our brothers and sisters regarding fears of attending mass due to potential immigration enforcement actions by civil authorities, I as your shepherd, issue this decree in accordance with my authority under the Code of Canon Law,” Bishop Rojas wrote, acknowledging “that such fear constitutes a grave inconvenience that may impede the spiritual good of the faithful.”
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“In issuing this decree, I am guided by the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particular those who face fear or hardship.”
What’s next:
FOX 11 has reached out to the Diocese of San Bernardino for comment but has not heard back.
Big picture view:
This comes as eight cities including Los Angeles County joined a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming federal agents’ tactics are unconstitutional and instill fear rather than protect the public.
The lawsuit accuses the administration of violating constitutional amendments through immigration raids that involve racial profiling and arrests without warrants or probable cause.
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Local leaders criticized the federal agents’ aggressive tactics, including a recent operation at MacArthur Park, as threatening public safety and likened them to kidnappings.
On Monday, a swarm of armed federal agents descended on MacArthur Park in downtown LA, with officials on horseback and in armored vehicles sweeping the park, shutting down a children’s summer camp in the process. No one was arrested.
Earlier this month, LAPD officers deployed to downtown after reports of a kidnapping. The kidnapping turned out to be an immigration raid, and led to protests and accusations against the LAPD of assisting federal officers.
After Monday’s operation at MacArthur Park, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Gregory Bovino told FOX News, “I don’t work for Karen Bass. Better get used to us now, ’cause this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.”
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Meanwhile, Homeland Security officials have denied claims that agents don’t identify themselves in the field. In a post on X on Tuesday, DHS responded to California Sen. Alex Padilla introducing a bill that would require ICE agents to be “clearly identifiable,” with badges and without face coverings.
The Source: This report is based on an official statement from San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas, including direct quotes from his decree regarding Sunday mass obligations. It also references the Code of Canon Law, particularly Canon 87, to explain the bishop’s authority. Additionally, the report includes information from a lawsuit filed by eight cities, including Los Angeles County, and statements from U.S. Customs and Border Protection Chief Gregory Bovino and the Department of Homeland Security, along with mentions of a bill introduced by California Senator Alex Padilla.
San BernardinoReligionImmigrationSan Bernardino County