Letters and Statements

Archbishop Cordileone: As Catholics We Pray for New Administration, Oppose Unjust Threats to Human Life and Dignity

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
January 20, 2021

On the occasion of the inauguration of Joseph R. Biden, Jr., as 46th President of the United States of America, Most Reverend José H. Gomez, Archbishop of Los Angeles and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued a statement this morning in which he discussed the role of faith in civic participation, and expressed prayers for the success of the Biden Administration. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco subsequently released this statement:

“Archbishop Gomez’s timely call for healing as a country as the new administration assumes office is both very welcome and needed.  I thank him for clarifying how Catholics approach the broad range of issues facing us that pose threats to human life and dignity.  In particular, I am grateful to him for stating clearly once again that opposing the injustice of abortion remains our “preeminent priority,” while acknowledging that “preeminent” does not mean “only.”  Catholics must and do speak out on many issues affecting the equal dignity of us all, but if life at its most vulnerable beginnings is not protected, then none of us is safe.  Affirming this equal human dignity at every stage and in every condition is the path to healing and unity.  I join Archbishop Gomez in praying for President Biden and for the future of this exceptional nation, that this vision may be realized in our time.  May God bless America.”

El llamado oportuno del Arzobispo Gómez a sanar como país cuando la nueva administración asume el cargo es muy bienvenido y necesario. Le agradezco por aclarar cómo los católicos abordan la amplia gama de problemas que enfrentamos y que representa una amenaza para la vida y la dignidad humana. En particular, le estoy agradecido por afirmar claramente una vez más que oponerse a la injusticia del aborto sigue siendo nuestra "prioridad preeminente", al tiempo que reconoce que "preeminente" no significa "solo". Los católicos deben hablar y lo hacen sobre muchos temas que afectan la dignidad igual de todos nosotros, pero si la vida en sus comienzos más vulnerables no está protegida, entonces ninguno de nosotros está a salvo. Afirmar esta dignidad humana igual en cada etapa y en cada condición es el camino hacia la sanación y la unidad. Me uno al Arzobispo Gómez para rezar por el presidente Biden y por el futuro de esta nación excepcional, para que esta visión se haga realidad en nuestro tiempo. Que Dios bendiga a América.


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Archbishop Gomez's statement

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone's Statement in Response to Riots at the U.S. Capitol
January 6, 2021

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To attack the U.S. Capitol to express your fear that democracy has been denied is wrong, and also counterproductive. Doubts about free and fair elections cannot be redressed by violence against democratic institutions. 

To the deaths from a pandemic, and destruction wreaked on people's livelihoods, we do not need to add an attempted civil war. I called for an end to violence in the streets when it happened this summer. I call on every American of good will to denounce this violence against our nation's Capitol now. 

May the Prince of Peace put an end to this strife, and bring healing and constructive criticism in the place of mob rule.  And may God bless America.

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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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Archbishop: Church’s pastors and lay Catholics who are prominent in public life should not support causes that violate the core teachings of the faith.

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
December 14, 2020

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In a recent article published in First Things (https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2020/12/mr-biden-and-the-matter-of-scandal), Archbishop Charles Chaput, the Archbishop emeritus of Philadelphia, provided valuable clarification on some foundational moral and doctrinal principles that are very much being called into question in our own time, namely, the extremely grave evil of abortion, the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church on worthiness to receive Holy Communion, and the responsibility of Catholics in public life. 
 
In addition to the July 2004 memorandum of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (Worthiness to Receive Holy Communion: General Principles) and the Catechism of the Catholic Church which he cites in his article, the U.S. bishops themselves reaffirmed these timeless teachings in their own pastoral letter of 2006, “‘Happy Are Those Who Are Called to His Supper’: On Preparing to Receive Christ Worthily in the Eucharist.”
 
I could not agree with Archbishop Chaput more when he says, “This is not a ‘political’ matter, and those who would describe it as such are either ignorant or willfully confusing the issue.  This is a matter of bishops’ unique responsibility before the Lord for the integrity of the sacraments.”  Especially compelling is the situation of Catholics who are prominent in public life, precisely because of the great influence they have on shaping the cultural attitudes and moral values of our society.  It is a cause of no little scandal when such people profess to be observant Catholics while championing causes that directly violate the inherent dignity of human life, one of the fundamental natural truths integral to the core teachings of the Catholic faith.
 
I pray that Archbishop Chaput’s timely and thoughtful article will motivate a more candid and honest discussion and resolution of these issues among the Church’s pastors and lay Catholics who are prominent in public life in our country.

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Contact:
Maggie Gallagher
Benedict XVI Institute for Sacred Music and Divine Worship
Maggie1960Gallagher@gmail.com

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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Response to Marin County DA's Decision to Prosecute for Felony Vandalism Mob who Toppled St. Junipero Serra Statue at Mission San Rafael

Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
November 13, 2020


This is a breakthrough moment for Catholics.  Marin County District Attorney Lori Frugoli’s decision to prosecute on the charge of felony vandalism represents the first time that any of the lawbreakers attacking statues of St. Junípero Serra and other acts of vandalism on Catholic Church property across California will be held accountable for their actions in a court of law.

I would like to thank the hundreds of San Francisco Catholics who have already signed the petition launched this weekend by the Benedict XVI Institute at FreeTheMass.com/Serra supporting my call for prosecution of these offenders.

The crime was caught on video.  The lawbreakers came prepared with ropes, chisels and spray paint, clearly indicating forethought in committing this crime.  If crimes like these are not punished, then the government is telling mobs they get to decide what symbols Catholics and other faiths may display.

Given that this was vandalism at a house of worship, the San Rafael Police Department understandably recommended that the perpetrators be charged with a hate crime.  Indeed, to vandalize a house of worship to express one’s views is not a mere property crime: it is an attack on the identity and rights of a whole faith community.
In a diverse society we may debate and disagree about many things, including St. Junípero Serra’s legacy.  But mobs do not get to trespass on other people’s holy grounds to destroy their sacred symbols. While a hate crime was not charged in this case, let us hope that this prosecution will nonetheless contribute to putting an end to attacks on all houses of worship.

Father Luello Palacpac, pastor of San Rafael Parish and Mission, added, “The traumatic experience of the parishioners at Mission San Rafael caused my flock to enthusiastically support the Archbishop’s call to prosecute those who first desecrated and then toppled the statue of St. Junípero Serra.  St. Junípero Serra is the first Latino-American saint, canonized by Pope Francis.  Whether you agree or disagree with the historic record of St. Junípero, no one has a right to trespass on a faith community’s sacred grounds to destroy property and even more importantly the symbols of its faith.”

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Most Rev. Salvatore J. Cordileone
November 10, 2020

Today in Rome, the Vatican released its report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. The report is available here. Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone had the following reaction:

Like many priests, I hold treasured and amusing memories of children entering or leaving church, walking past me as I’m greeting the people, looking up, smiling, and exclaiming, “Hi, God!”  It speaks to me of the high calling the priest has in committing himself to be another Christ for God’s people, and the great trust our people place in us.

Which is why the results of the Vatican’s long-awaited report on former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, released today, are deeply painful to me. The mystery of iniquity pierces deeply in my soul in a very personal way at the thought of a fellow priest, let alone bishop or cardinal - anyone with such a high degree of responsibility and authority for leading God’s people in the ways of holiness - abusing his power to molest vulnerable young people and further his “career;” likewise for those who try to advance their “career” by covering up crimes of abuse.   Priesthood is not a career; it is a vocation, a call to follow the Good Shepherd by laying down one’s life for his flock.

My heart goes out to the victims of this kind of evil at the hands of one who was called to be your protector and guide, called to be, not God, but a man of God.
I also want to reassure Catholics that I am doing everything I can to continue the good work of my predecessors in protecting children and the vulnerable from abuse, and to ensure that St. Patrick’s Seminary be a place that forms heroic and holy men to serve as your priests.

Our website has specific information about the safeguards that are in place in the Archdiocese, as well as information on how to report abuse (sfarch.org/protecting-children); this year the national bishops conference, the USCCB, created a third-party reporting system for claims of abuse committed by bishops, reportbishopabuse.org.

Please join me in praying for all victims of abuse; for an end to the evil impulses that cause harm to others; and for strength in our good and holy priests during this difficult time.

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