A Catholic bishop in Southern California is giving parishioners permission to skip Sunday mass due to fear of immigration enforcement, sparking debate over the Church’s role in aiding illegal immigrants during federal crackdowns.
Key Facts:
- San Bernardino Bishop Alberto Rojas issued a decree excusing churchgoers from Sunday mass obligations due to fear of immigration raids.
- The Diocese of San Bernardino covers over 1 million Catholics in two California counties.
- The dispensation follows an ICE operation in a Los Angeles park and rising enforcement nationwide.
- California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the federal immigration actions.
- This is not the first such decree; the Diocese of Nashville issued a similar one in May.
The Rest of The Story:
Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino issued a rare religious dispensation this week allowing Catholics to skip Sunday mass if they fear immigration raids.
“All members or the Faithful… who, due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions, are unable to attend Sunday Mass… are dispensed from this obligation,” he wrote.
This type of decree is usually reserved for war, natural disasters, or extreme hardship.
Bishop Rojas stated his decision was driven by “the Church’s mission to care for the spiritual welfare of all entrusted to my care, particularly those who face fear or hardship.”
The San Bernardino diocese is the sixth largest in the U.S., serving about one million Catholics in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The move came after immigration agents conducted enforcement in a Los Angeles park where Mayor Karen Bass appeared and demanded they leave, calling it “unacceptable.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom claimed the decree reflected the Trump administration’s “aggressive” immigration tactics.
He posted on X: “Freedom of religion? Not in Donald Trump’s America.”
A White House spokesperson fired back, accusing Newsom of hypocrisy for shutting down churches during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Supporters of the Church’s decision, including Catholic writer James Martin, called it “a dramatic sign that not even Catholic churches are considered safe places any longer.”
He asked, “Where are the voices for religious freedom now?”
Bishop Alberto Rojas issues a decree dispensing the obligation to attend Sunday Mass due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions.
Yesterday, Bishop Rojas released the decree, stating:
"Dispensation from the Obligation to Attend Mass: All members of the faithful in… pic.twitter.com/YvRePuAEvt— Diocese of San Bernardino (@sbdiocese) July 9, 2025
Commentary:
Bishop Rojas’s decision may be cloaked in compassion, but it reads more like a political maneuver meant to obstruct legitimate immigration enforcement.
Dispensing parishioners from mass out of fear—not of violence or natural disaster, but of law enforcement—is a bold step that raises serious questions about the Church’s priorities.
For years, Catholic dioceses and affiliated charities have operated under the radar, offering aid and services that, knowingly or not, help illegal immigrants remain in the country.
This latest decree takes things a step further—it leverages spiritual authority to counter federal action.
That’s not ministry; that’s interference. If church leaders are going to act as de facto political actors, they should be treated as such.
Their organizations should not enjoy special privileges, nor should they receive taxpayer money.
Aiding and abetting unlawful entry and stay in the U.S. is not a charitable act—it undermines the rule of law.
It’s past time to reconsider federal funding to these religious charities that facilitate mass migration.
When government money props up organizations that work against federal immigration law, taxpayers are footing the bill for their own national erosion.
Religious liberty must not be confused with immunity from legal accountability.
If bishops use the pulpit to protect lawbreakers and demonize enforcement agents, they bear some responsibility for the consequences.
Let’s also be honest—this has little to do with safety and everything to do with activism.
Bishop Rojas is not protecting his flock from danger. He’s shielding them from the law. That’s not his job, and it’s certainly not his right.
The Bottom Line:
A Southern California bishop has told Catholics they can skip mass if they fear immigration enforcement, framing the move as spiritual protection.
But it appears to be part of a broader pattern of the Church shielding illegal immigrants.
Religious leaders aiding unlawful behavior should face consequences, and charities that do so must be cut off from federal support.
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