Texas Border Business
Texas Border Business
On July 8, 2025, Bishop Alberto Rojas of the Diocese of San Bernardino issued a formal decree dispensing Catholics from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass and holy days of obligation due to fears related to immigration enforcement. The decree, titled “Decree Dispensing from the Obligation to Attend Sunday Mass (Due to ICE Enforcement),” was co-signed by Vicar General Msgr. Gerard M. Lopez.
In the official statement, Bishop Rojas declared: “All members of the faithful in the Diocese of San Bernardino who, due to genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions, are unable to attend Sunday Mass or Masses on holy days of obligation are dispensed from this obligation.” This decision follows reports of increased U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity and growing anxiety among undocumented immigrants and their families.
The decree invokes canonical authority to offer pastoral care in exceptional circumstances, citing the mental and emotional burden placed on the faithful. It acknowledges that the obligation to attend Mass, while central to Catholic life, may be suspended when individuals face serious impediments beyond their control.
Bishop Rojas also provided guidance on how Catholics can remain spiritually engaged while avoiding physical attendance at church. “Those who are dispensed are strongly encouraged to unite themselves to the Church through alternate forms of prayer,” he wrote. These include watching Mass online or on television, praying the Rosary or the Divine Mercy Chaplet, reading Sacred Scripture, and making an act of spiritual communion.
The Diocese emphasized that this dispensation applies specifically to those who are experiencing “genuine fear of immigration enforcement actions,” suggesting that the measure is not a general exemption, but a pastoral response to a particular threat affecting many in the community.
This action represents a rare but not unprecedented step by a U.S. bishop and reflects the Church’s concern for the safety and dignity of vulnerable populations. It aligns with longstanding Catholic teachings on the primacy of conscience and the protection of human dignity.
The Diocese of San Bernardino serves a large population of immigrant faithful, many of whom are undocumented and face increased scrutiny under federal immigration policies. Bishop Rojas’s decision seeks to reassure parishioners that their spiritual lives and participation in the Church remain valid and meaningful, even when they must remain at home due to fear of arrest or deportation.
