Bishop Rojas on rise in ICE raids: ‘It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ'
By Kielce Gussie
On June 23, Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino, California, issued a letter responding to recent reports of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents entering Catholic churches.
Moving onto Church property
On June 20, diocesan officials stated ICE agents entered two Catholic parish properties in Montclair and Highland and detained multiple people in the parking lot of St. Adelaide Church in Highland, California.
The director of communications for the Diocese of San Bernardino, John Andrews, said those detained did not work for the parish nor were they parishioners.
However, he did report that one male parishioner was taken into custody at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Montclair on June 20.
We are with you
Bishop Rojas, who heads the sixth-largest Catholic diocese in the United States, strongly condemned the ramping up of ICE activities.
In his message to the Catholic community, he pointed out that “authorities are now seizing brothers and sisters indiscriminately, without respect for their right to due process and their dignity as children of God.”
He expressed his solidarity and closeness to the immigrant communities “who are bearing the trauma and injustice of these tactics,” reminding them that “we join you in carrying this very difficult cross.”
The Bishop stressed his support for law enforcement doing their job to protect the community from violence criminals. At the same time, he emphasized that now ICE is detaining people as they leave their homes, offices, and other public settings.
Pointing out that there is at least one recorded incident of ICE agents entering Church property, Bishop Rojas acknowledged that this creates fear, confusion, and anxiety.
“It is not of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—which guides us in all that we do.”
A call for change
The Bishop called on all political leaders to “reconsider and cease these tactics immediately” and replace them “in favor of an approach that respects human rights and human dignity.” These changes can help build “a more lasting, comprehensive reform of our immigration system.”
As many people voice their opposition to the current ICE tactics, Bishop Rojas challenged protestors to “act without vulgarity, violence toward others, or destruction of property” to avoid a furthering of tension.
Closing his message, the Bishop reflected on a statement 杏MAP导航 Francis once told him—that the Pontiff’s greatest fear was division.
“It is painful to see such division amongst God’s people at this moment,” Bishop Rojas continued, because this is contrary to God’s plan for His children.
In the context of the Jubilee Year of Hope, he urged everyone to share the hope of Christ to the world, as “this hope is an antidote to the strife and suffering in our communities.”
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