Bishop of major Catholic diocese exempts parishioners from Mass over fears of ICE raids

A Catholic bishop successful California has issued a uncommon decree allowing parishioners to miss Mass owed to fears of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino wrote that "such fearfulness constitutes a sedate inconvenience that whitethorn impede the spiritual bully of the faithful."

Catholic bishops person occasionally granted Mass exemptions during earthy disasters, warfare oregon societal events specified arsenic the COVID-19 pandemic. But this appears to beryllium the first clip a bishop has invoked specified a decree implicit migration enforcement.

"All members of the faithful successful the Diocese of San Bernardino who, owed to genuine fearfulness of migration enforcement actions, are incapable to be Sunday Mass oregon Masses connected beatified days of work are dispensed from this obligation, arsenic provided for successful Canon 1247, until specified clip arsenic this decree is revoked oregon amended," Rojas wrote successful the decree released Tuesday.

The Diocese of Sen Bernardino is among the largest successful the United States, and serves approximately 1.6 cardinal Catholics successful San Bernardino and Riverside counties successful Southern California.

"In issuing this decree, I americium guided by the Church's ngo to attraction for the spiritual payment of each entrusted to my care, peculiar those who look fearfulness oregon hardship," Rojas wrote.

Rojas encouraged members of the diocese to find alternate ways to "maintain their spiritual communion with Christ," including done virtual Masses erstwhile offered.

For decades, American presidents person traditionally constricted the authorization of national agencies to behaviour civilian immigration enforcement actions successful delicate locations similar churches, hospitals and schools.

President Donald Trump revoked these restrictions connected his first time successful office. Since then, national migration officials person detained radical suspected of being undocumented successful schools and connected church grounds.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom pointed to the decree to item the Trump administration's assertive migration enforcement actions, which person included ICE raids astatine stores and courthouses.

"Freedom of religion? Not successful Donald Trump's America," Newsom wrote connected X. "People present person to take betwixt their religion and their freedom."

The White House did not instantly respond to CNBC's petition for remark connected the decree oregon Newsom's comments.