Church Dispenses Mass Obligation Due to ICE Raids Near Worship Sites

Dispensation from Weekly Mass

• ⛪ The Diocese of San Bernardino has issued a dispensation, allowing parishioners to miss weekly Mass due to fears stemming from immigration raids near churches.
• 📉 Attendance has dropped by half as parishioners express worry about their safety and potential detentions.

Incidents on Church Property

• 🚨 Reports detail anti-immigrant raids and detentions occurring on church properties in Downey and San Bernardino.
• 📌 In several cases, individuals were detained on church grounds, with no church employees present to witness or intervene.

Church as a Protected Space

• ⚠️ Church leaders state that churches are no longer considered protected spaces, a shift they attribute to the current administration.
• ⚖️ Traditionally, church property was a sanctuary, and any detentions would have required federal agents to produce a judicial warrant.

Human Dignity and Church Stance

• ❤️ The church's concern is rooted in matters of human dignity, not political reasons.
• 🤝 Church leaders affirm their support for parishioners and the immigrant community amidst these events.