We also urge increased mental health outreach and services to identify and treat potential areas of conflict before they become tragic occurrences. Our Conference has called for many years for rational yet effective forms of regulation of these dangerous weapons. “As Americans we must understand why these horrific occurrences of violence continue to take place in our communities, and then unhesitatingly act to root out the causes of such crimes. It is particularly tragic that in a city named in honor of Saint Joseph, who was such a loving guardian of the Holy Family, we are unable to protect our own fellow citizens from the ravages of gun violence. This shooting reminds us once again that something fundamentally broken in our society and culture must be courageously examined and addressed, so that ordinary places no longer become scenes of violence and contempt for human life. There are reports of at least nine fatalities, including the gunman. “This morning, shootings took place at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard in San Jose, California.
Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, issued a statement in response to the tragic shootings this morning at a rail yard in San Jose, California.Īrchbishop Coakley’s full statement follows: Coakley of Oklahoma City, chairman of the U.S. Therefore, the Diocese of San Jose is exploring its legal and administrative options in response to the County’s treatment of places of worship.WASHINGTON-Archbishop Paul S. To be clear, I understand the county public health officials are trying to keep people safe – a tall order, indeed, but they should not be treating retail, shopping malls, and personal services providers more favorably than places of worship when evidence shows the risks are the same when safety protocols are followed. I am quite concerned about the inequality created by the County’s use of the term “gathering” to artificially distinguish places of worship from other businesses, which are allowed to operate indoors during this pandemic. This County appears to be the only county in the country making this claim. Supreme Court decisions do not apply in Santa Clara County. Yet, Santa Clara County claims that the U.S. Then earlier this month, the Supreme Court’s injunction in the South Bay United Pentecostal Church, et al., case struck down California’s blanket ban on indoor worship. In December, the Supreme Court’s 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 the rules for indoor retail, for example, should also apply to indoor worship. All the while, retail stores, shopping malls, and personal services remained open indoors. Yet, until this month, California continued to be the only State in the country to ban indoor worship. In recent months, we have been making the evidence-based case that in each of the other 49 States where indoor worship has been allowed to some limited capacity, the transmission of the virus has not been attributed to indoor worship when safety protocols are followed (distancing, masking, sanitation, etc.). Throughout the past 11 months working with the County and the State health officials, the Diocese and its 54 parishes and 26 schools have been diligent in following the safety protocols. In March 2020, when the imminent danger of COVID-19 became apparent, the Diocese of San Jose willingly and preemptively closed our churches and schools out of concern for all parishioners and the general public. Human life is precious and should be protected from conception to natural death. The Diocese of San Jose continues to be concerned for the health and wellbeing of our parishioners and the wider public. Download Statement English | Spanish | Vietnamese