San Bernadino, California – In a rare and somber move, Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino has formally dispensed Catholics in his jurisdiction from their obligation to attend Sunday Mass. The decision, typically reserved for public emergencies or grave illness, comes amid intensifying immigration enforcement across Southern California, including the detention of individuals on parish property.
The announcement follows federal immigration raids in early June that swept through communities across the region, including arrests at two Catholic parishes. Rojas, who leads more than 1.5 million Catholics in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, said the actions of federal agents have spread fear and anxiety among his congregants—especially undocumented immigrants who now fear that even their place of worship may no longer be safe.
“There is a real fear gripping many in our parish communities that if they venture out into any kind of public setting they will be arrested by immigration officers,” Rojas said in a statement Wednesday. “Sadly, that includes attending Mass.”…