The Diocese said the fear of immigration enforcement is great among its faithful.
There have been many stories in the community about members of the immigrant community being afraid to leave home. They're not going to work and avoiding being out and about.
Now, that fear is also extending to attending Sunday mass.
The Diocese of San Bernardino is responding. Bishop Alberto Rojas has issued a rare decree that has dismissed the faithful from the weekly obligation to attend mass.
In his letter, Bishop Rojas points to the growing fears associated with potential immigration enforcement.
Churchgoers are concerned they'll be arrested and separated from their families, simply for their immigration status.
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The diocese saying attendance for Spanish language masses has already been down by about 50% since the raids the began.
"We are going to raise our voices up for their inherent dignity. That's a central piece of Catholic social teaching is the dignity of the human person, and our big issue with the tactics that are being used right now is they don't respect the dignity of the human person as we see it, and as we believe it as Catholics, in fact, it's very inhumane," said John Andrews, the director of communications with the Diocese of San Bernardino.
Those who are too afraid to attend in-person are encouraged to practice personal prayer, and where possible, they can participate in televised or online masses offered by the diocese or other reputable catholic sources.
The decree to "skip mass" in San Bernardino is in effect until further notice.
The last time there was a decree like this was during the COVID-19 pandemic.