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Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone's letter to the priests of the Archdiocese December 18, 2020, regarding the status of indoor/outdoor worship:
As you may be aware, the Supreme Court’s decision to issue a preliminary injunction in the Diocese of Brooklyn case established the principle that religious worship may not be treated less favorably than the most favored classes of business, meaning at a minimum the rules for indoor retail, for example, must also apply to indoor worship.
This principle was reaffirmed in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, granting the same sort of injunctive relief in the Nevada Calvary Chapel case. There have been a number of other similar decisions in court cases at various levels, and others still waiting to be decided. Given the consistent direction of these court decisions in Diocese of Brooklyn and since, we are interpreting the Governor’s order together with the court decisions to mean that under the Constitution, houses of worship have to be treated at least as well as retail, which for us in California means 20% indoor capacity at this time.
While this comes as welcome news, I hasten to remind us all that court rulings do not change the science. In the midst of this continuing pandemic, it is always much safer to hold large gatherings outdoors. I therefore ask you to continue to celebrate Mass outdoors (or to start if you haven’t yet) whenever possible. Even with winter upon us, God has blessed us with many days in which the weather has been quite amenable to the outdoor celebration of Mass.
At the same time, we cannot rely on this always being the case. Therefore, if in your best judgment it would be safer for your people to have Mass indoors rather than outdoors, you may bring them into the church for Mass observing the 20% capacity rule and all of the safety protocols of the Archdiocese. The determination of safety may depend not only on the weather (e.g., rain, cold or wind) but other factors as well, such as security (e.g., Mass after nightfall in certain neighborhoods) and avoidance of bodily harm (e.g., a large group in a limited outdoor space immediately next to a street during peak traffic hours).
I want to emphasize once again how absolutely important it is to follow the safety protocols to the last detail: social distancing, face coverings, windows and doors open for ventilation, singer(s) (if there is music) set apart in a separate area, and all the rest. With reports of a surge and limited ICU beds, we will likely be criticized for purportedly endangering public health. These criticisms will have no basis in fact if we scrupulously follow our safety protocols. We have the science that demonstrates that. It is of the utmost importance that we not give credence to such criticisms by failing to observe our safety protocols. The reported surge is not so severe as to close non-essential indoor retail; our churches (which provide the most essential service of all) can be even safer than stores if we act responsibly. And our faith, of course, always dictates that we do so.
In a separate matter, Cardinal Robert Sarah, Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in a decree dated December 16, 2020, extends the permission granted to local ordinaries to allow priests to celebrate four Masses on the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God and on the Solemnity of the Epiphany, as well as on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. I therefore hereby grant this permission to all priests in the Archdiocese of San Francisco.
Finally, allow me to take this opportunity to renew my thanks to you for all you are doing to provide pastoral care for your people under these extraordinarily challenging circumstances. I pray the celebration of the birth of our Savior will bring you peace and spiritual solace in the midst of these trying times.
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The California Catholic Conference Supports COVID-19 Vaccinations
"The California Catholic Conference affirms that the imminent Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable and commits to working closely with Catholic health care ministries and Catholic Charities to: Promote and encourage COVID-19 vaccinations in collaboration with state and local governments and other entities; advocate on behalf of vulnerable populations to ensure that they have access to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines; and, provide regular and accurate information to parishioners and the community in support of morally acceptable, safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines."
The full statement, released December 3, 2020, by the bishops of California (in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese), along with other news, information, and resources, can be found at the California Catholic Conference website, cacatholic.org/covid-vaccines.
READ VACCINES STATEMENT HERE
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
December 3, 2020
“I join my brother bishops throughout California in welcoming the news that safe, effective vaccines against the Covid-19 virus will soon be available. Together, we bishops affirm that the imminent Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines are morally acceptable, and we encourage everyone to receive the vaccine when it becomes available. Until then let’s minimize COVID’s impact as much as possible by being vigilant about watching our distance from each other, washing our hands often, and wearing a mask. I encourage you to learn more at cacatholic.org/covid-vaccines.”
Archbishop Cordileone Calls on California to Implement Supreme Court’s Ruling, and for Safe Public Worship: “Catholics Need the Body and Blood of Christ This Christmas”
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
December 3, 2020
Today in Harvest Rock Church, et al. v Newsom, the Supreme Court remanded a California District Court ruling that had permitted California’s restrictions on worship to continue in order for the court to reconsider its decision in light of the SCOTUS ruling on November 25 in Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo.
In that decision, the Supreme Court clearly ruled governments may not favor secular indoor activities, such as indoor retail, over worship. The same restrictions must, at a minimum, be applied to both.
Catholics and other responsible faith communities should not be lumped in with a few irresponsible bad actors. This is not done with anyone else, and it should not be done with people of faith. And the timing now is critical, lest Christians be deprived of celebrating the Christmas holy days in their churches, even if with limited numbers and other reasonable safety precautions. The time is overdue for our civil officials to work with us and other churches on worshiping safely. Catholics need the Body and Blood of Christ this Christmas, in California as everywhere else. And they have every right to access it.
Experience shows that when responsible actors are irresponsibly discriminated against, people tend to congregate in less regulated settings, such as private homes.
Worship is not less important than shopping for shoes; it is certainly more important to people’s spiritual and psychological health; it is a natural and Constitutional right, and we Catholics have shown for months that we can worship safely–with masks, social distancing, ventilation, and sanitation.
We prefer not to go to court to win this fight. We prefer, and have been working hard for a long time to achieve, resolving this impasse with mutual understanding and respect. That would save a lot of valuable time and resources. It would also help to build up good will.
Let my people worship.
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Contact:
Maggie Gallagher
Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship
Maggie1960Gallagher@gmail.com
Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
November 28, 2020
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone reacts to today’s announcements of a return to restrictions that included no congregations for worship inside churches in two of the three counties that comprise the Archdiocese, effective noon tomorrow:
“After weeks of demonstrating we can celebrate the Mass safely, the state of California has put San Francisco and San Mateo Counties into the purple tier, which bans indoor worship altogether. The order lumps religious worship with non-essential indoor activities such as gyms, movie theaters, and museums. At the same time, the health order allows for indoor retail at 25 percent capacity and permits massage parlors, hair and nail salons, and tattoo parlors to operate indoors.
“This is precisely the kind of blatant discrimination to which the Supreme Court gave injunctive relief in New York. The government is demoting worship to the same status as watching a movie: “non-essential.” But worship is both a natural and a Constitutional right. My people want to receive the Body and Blood of Christ; they need it, and have every right to be free to do so.
“Catholics in San Francisco are absolutely committed to public safety in conducting worship services. Our protocols require masks, social distancing, sanitation and ventilation. But the government still chooses to treat worship as less important than shopping for shoes.
“While the safety protocols of the Archdiocese have served us well and we know of no cases of transmission of the virus as a result of in-person worship inside of our churches, I am also deeply sympathetic to public health concerns about a surge in COVID hospitalizations. In order to discern what our faith and responsible citizenship call us to do at this time, then, I will confer with my brother bishops, review our safety protocols with infectious disease specialists, and consult with the lawyers on the legal options we have available.”
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Benedict XVI Institute Launches Petition to Mayor Breed
The Benedict XVI Institute has launched a public petition on which Bay Area Catholics can voice their support for the Archbishop and demand that the Mayor lift unfair restrictions. “Let us have the Mass,” said Maggie Gallagher, executive director. “We need the Body and Blood of Christ. We cannot worship via livestream. Our faith is incarnational all the way down. We have shown Catholics can celebrate the Mass safely. Enough is enough. It’s time for Catholic San Francisco to speak up!”