(LifeSiteNews) — Migrants who are in violation of the country’s laws are also now excused from attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, according to a new directive from the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are currently working their way through Ohio and Indiana, arresting illegal immigrants. As a result, Archbishop Charles Thompson released a decree, written in Spanish, dispensing Catholics from the Sunday obligation to attend Mass.
The decree states “all persons residing in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis who have reasonable grounds to fear detention, separation from their families, or intimidation due to the intensification of immigration enforcement measures” are dispensed. “This applies even to those who possess the appropriate legal documentation.”
Archbishop Thompson released a statement along with the decree criticizing “(t)he recent surge in immigration enforcement activity in Indiana” that he said “has caused fear and uncertainty for many families, particularly when detention results in the sudden separation of parents and children.”
“While recognizing the need for law enforcement to protect and defend, it is gravely concerning to witness families being torn apart,” Thompson wrote. “The family, the fabric of stability in our society, must be cherished and defended. The inherent dignity of being created in the image of God demands that every person be treated with dignity, compassion, and respect.”
The decree is in effect until the end of the month, although it could be extended.
While the Catholic Church has often taken a sympathetic view toward the plight of migrants, particularly those fleeing violence or extreme poverty, many illegal aliens here have simply overstayed their visas.
Around half of all illegal aliens did not sneak across the Mexico border but came here through tourist or business visas and subsequently decided to ignore the laws that they promised to follow.
While some of the migrants who are here illegally may have legitimate fears of violence back home, the Church also teaches that, in general, Catholics must follow the duly implemented laws of civil authorities, aligned with the Fourth Commandment.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (2241) states:
Political authorities, for the sake of the common good for which they are responsible, may make the exercise of the right to immigrate subject to various juridical conditions, especially with regard to the immigrants’ duties toward their country of adoption. Immigrants are obliged to respect with gratitude the material and spiritual heritage of the country that receives them, to obey its laws and to assist in carrying civic burdens.
The Archdiocese of Indianapolis is at least the seventh U.S. diocese to dispense the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligations due to President Donald Trump’s surge in enforcement of long-standing immigration laws.