Human Life and Dignity Blog

San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone celebrated an early morning Mass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption and then led about 100 people from the cathedral to the site of the new -- not yet opened -- flagship Planned Parenthood clinic at 1522 Bush Street. In his homily, the Archbishop thanked the 120 people who attended the 8 a.m. Mass Jan. 9, including about 20 Missionaries of Charity professed nuns and novices. "Thank you for being a light in the midst of this darkness; a light being a witness to the sanctity of life,"rchbishop Cordileone said in his homily. "Thank  you for being advocates, and as we should say, activists for the Culture of Life."  And, he said, "We need the power of prayer and fasting to defeat the powers of darkness." Later, at the Bush Street clinic, the Archbishop sprinkled the front of the clinic with exorcised holy water and urged those present to continue praying and fasting. He asked that they come every Saturday and as often as possible during the week to pray the rosary and say the St. Michael prayer.  The Mass and procession was the first of the monthly events that will be held on the First Saturday going forward. During her July 13, 1917 appearance to the children of Fatima, the Blessed Mother asked us to attend Mass and pray particularly for intercession to her Immaculate Heart on the First Saturday of the month in reparation for the sins of the world. (Photo by Dennis Callahan/Catholic San Francisco)

By Melissa Vlach
As with everything in 2020, the Interfaith Winter Shelter looks a little different this year, but the faith communities of San Francisco have worked hard to make sure it can still happen. This includes the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, which is the location of the shelter this year.

The Winter Shelter, which is in its 32nd year, opened on November 30. It usually rotates between a number of different facilities over the course of a season. However, this year it will be hosted by the cathedral every night, as the cathedral has the space to accommodate physical distancing protocols for the guests, all of whom are also required to wear masks.

The food offered has changed as well. In past years various congregations would come in to cook and serve the meals to those staying in the shelter. These many volunteers earned the program a reputation for having the best food around. This year, Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco will try to meet those expectations as they deliver boxed meals in order to limit the number of people entering the location.

The shelter is not taking walk-in clients, but will be receiving referrals from partner organizations. It can accept up to 67 individuals at a time, and is scheduled to go through January 31, 2021. The situation will be monitored to see what develops after that date.

“We are grateful to the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption for generously offering their site as an extended stay location,” said Michael Pappas, Executive Director of the San Francisco Interfaith Council, in a press release.

Those who are experiencing homelessness are encouraged to visit a Coordinated Entry Access Point through the City and County of San Francisco to be directed to available resources.
 

Learn more about the Cathedral at http://smcsf.org/
SF Coordinated Entry Access Points 

Melissa Vlach is Office of Human Life & Dignity social action/digital media coordinator. 

 

• Human beings are both impelled by their nature and bound by a moral obligation to seek the truth, especially religious truth.

• The right to religious freedom has its foundation not in the subjective attitude of the individual but by his very nature.

• Man is bound to follow his conscience faithfully in all his activity so that he may come to God, who is his last end.  Therefore, he must not be forced to act contrary to his conscience.

• Men must respect the moral principle of personal and moral responsibility:  in exercising their rights individual men and social groups are bound by the moral law to have regard for the rights of others, their own duties to others and the common good of all.  All men must be treated with justice and humanity.

The Church rightly asserts the legitimate role of the civil society and the obligation of all its citizens bear in maintaining good order and peace.  However, the Church also states that civil protection by a government “must not be done in an arbitrary manner or by the unfair practice of favoritism but in accordance with legal principles which are in conformity with the objective moral order.”  In the United States of America, our national motto is In Pluribus Unum and our currency has inscribed in it the words, In God we Trust.  The free exercise of religion is at the cornerstone of our Constitution.  In fact, it is the First Amendment to the Constitution, and first among the Bill of Rights.  In reads, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”  Because so many of this nation’s first settlers were fleeing violent religious persecution in England as well as on the Continent, there was no ambiguity where the founders stood.

Yet today, elected leaders and policymakers have systematically and callously sought to take this right away.  Ironically, and there are concrete examples to justify this claim, these very politicians and policymakers themselves violate their own rules.  This hypocrisy and indifference know no political parties nor ideological labels; it is simply an attempt to assume powers not theirs under the U.S. Constitution.  I point to this issue because several parishioners and people of faith have articulated their frustration at the arbitrary harshness directed at religious institutions and pastoral care.  Simply put, what gives the government the right to determine what is “essential” and “non-essential” work in our society?  One need look no further than to review the State of California’s Covid-19 Response, “Blueprint for a Safer Economy:  Activity and Business Tiers.” The Governor of California has classified places of worship alongside entertainment venues.  One can shop indoors at large retail venues and at larger capacities but cannot attend Mass or religious services?  To minimize the role of religion in American life is benign neglect at best and insulting and bigoted at worst.

Over these many months, I have had teenagers and police officers come speak to me about feelings of despair and suicidal thoughts.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have listened to parents and grandparents and watched them cry as loved ones have been laid off from work.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have ministered to those suffering with Covid-19 and their families, witnessing their fear and grief.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  I have spent hours on the telephone with elderly parishioners who are alone and isolated.  For many of them, the parish community is their only form of socialization.  Does the Governor deem this ministry of service to be entertainment?  Ministering to our people is not superfluous; it is essential. 

I know of many, many priests and ministers of other religious denominations who have tried their best to serve their congregations in the face of government trivialization and limitation of their ministry.  Some make the argument that it is unnecessary to go to church to pray.  Yes, we have been blessed at Saint Pius—through the generosity of volunteers and financial support—to offer state-of-the-art livestreaming of Masses, reflection talks and other services.  In our celebration of the Mass we have been able to join in spiritual communion. 

Policymakers have said that God can be worshipped from anywhere.  This may apply to other faith traditions, but the Roman Catholic Church is centered on the Eucharist and the sacraments.  Our belief is that the Eucharist is the Real Presence pf Jesus Christ.  So to deny our parishioners the Eucharist together as a community gathered in worship strikes at the heart of our beliefs.  We cherish the sacraments that Jesus Christ himself instituted for us to encounter Him and we must be willing to fight for our right to receive them.
Due to the incredible generosity of our parish, Saint Pius has created a safe and responsible environment during Covid-19.  The Archdiocese of San Francisco has developed a comprehensive protocol for keeping parishioners safe and healthy while attending Mass.  Here at Saint Pius we have expended significant financial resources to procure cleaning and disinfectant agents to ensure maximum safety for our parishioners.  We have strictly adhered to the County of San Mateo mandates.  We do understand that we have a moral and social obligation and responsibility to follow regulations and have done so uncompromisingly and rigorously.  Due to the seriousness with which we as a community have responded to this crisis, there have been no reported cases of Covid-19 as a result of our gathering together for Mass.  This does not, however, require that we abjure our Constitutional right to worship unimpeded.  It is now time to address this issue head-on.

On November 25, 2020 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled affirmatively on a case brought before it by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn, New York v. Andrew M. Cuomo, Governor of New York.  Another petitioner was the Agudath Israel of America and affiliated entities.  These parties asserted that the Governor of New York’s restrictions on religious services constitutes a violation of the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.  The Court ruling stated that “Both the Diocese and Agudath Israel maintain that the regulations treat houses of worship more harshly than comparable secular facilities.  And they tell us without contradiction that they have complied with all public health guidance, have implemented additional precautionary measures, and have operated at 25% or 33% capacity for months without a single outbreak.”

In its majority opinion favoring the petitioners, the Court ruled that “The Constitution ‘principally entrusts the safety and health of the people to the politically accountable officials of the States.’  Federal Courts therefore must afford substantial deference to state and local authorities about how to best balance competing policy considerations during the pandemic.  But judicial deference in an emergency or a crisis does not mean wholesale judicial abdication, especially when important questions of religious discrimination, racial discrimination, free speech or the like are raised.  Members of the Court are not public health experts, and we should respect the judgment of those with special expertise and responsibility in this area.  But even in a pandemic, the Constitution cannot be put away and forgotten.  The restrictions at issue here, by effectively barring many from attending religious services, strike at the very heart of the First Amendment’s guarantee of religious liberty.”

The late German Lutheran minister Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was hanged at the Flossenburg Concentration Camp in Germany in World War II for standing up against bigotry and injustice, wrote these salient words:  “We must finally stop appealing to theology to justify our reserved silence about what the state is doing—for that is nothing but fear.  ‘Open your mouth for the one who is voiceless’—for who in the church today still remembers that that is the least of the Bible’s demands in times such as these?”
 

Social Action coordinator Martin Ford had the privilege of spending a few hours with Pastor Walter B. Hoye II, author of "Black and Pro-Life In America."  Hoye is a powerful voice against racism and for life, who first came to widespread media attention in 2008. The interview is linked below.

In 2008, Hoye was arrested and eventually jailed for holding a sign outside an Oakland abortion clinic that read, "Jesus loves you and your baby. Let us help you!" He was sentenced to jail in 2009 under the city's "bubble ordinance"  barring protesters from coming within 8 feet of anyone entering an abortion clinic. The law was eventually ruled unconstitional.


Hoye states: "Abortion is a form of discrimination. Just as Black Americans were both enslaved and disqualified from constitutionally protected Personhood because of their skin color. Just as Jews were legally put to death and disqualified from constitutionally protected personhood because of their ethnicity. Today, the pre-born child is disqualified from constitutionally protected personhood in the United States of America, because of his or her physical size, level of biological development, environment and/or dependency."

Pastor Walter Hoye is both Founder and President of the Issues4Life Foundation, the California Civil Rights Foundation, Founder of the Frederick Douglass Foundation of California, and an Executive Member of the National Black Pro-Life Coalition.  Walter, an ordained minister, and his wife, Lori, are leaders in the black pro-life movement.

The following interview was based on his book, Black and Pro-life in America.  Walter Hoye recounts the story of his being arrested for peacefully praying in front of an abortion clinic in Oakland, being sent to jail, his ministry in jail, about his friendship with Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone, and even a bonus question on his role as chaplain for the Golden State Warriors!

Watch the interview.

The rapid pace of federal death penalty executions is alarming.

In July 2019, the federal government reinstated the death penalty, after a 17-year hiatus. U.S. Attorney General William Barr said the goal was to bring "justice to victims of the most horrific crimes." Since then eight federal inmates have been put to death this year and five more are scheduled to be executed before Jan. 20.

Yes, the Catholic Church opposes the death penalty, and numerous bishops and popes have spoken out against it. In 2018, Pope Francis revised the Catechism of the Catholic Church to say “the death penalty is inadmissible.”  Just Nov. 18, the heads of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development and the Committee on Pro-Life Activities said in a statement, "We ask President (Donald) Trump and Attorney General (William) Barr, as an act of witness to the dignity of all human life: stop these executions.” 

Yet, for many it is not as important an issue as it should be, says Deacon Dan Rosen, a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish in San Francisco. 

By Deacon Dan Rosen

Under President Donald Trump, the government has carried out the highest number of federal executions ever in a single year, with statistics dating back to the Great Depression, according to Robert Dunham, executive director of the nonpartisan Death Penalty Information Center.

Lisa Montgomery’s case stands out. Montgomery, 52, is scheduled on Dec.  31 to be the first woman in nearly 70 years to receive the federal death penalty. Her punishment is being carried out on an unusually fast timeline — all amid a pandemic. For like us, Lisa was born with our original sin; like us she was flawed and sinful; and made serious bad choices. I think for many Catholics who support the death penalty, she seems to have forfeited her right to life.  Even though a closer read of the Catechism says: “The death penalty is inadmissible because it is an attack on the inviolability and dignity of the person” – Catechism of the Catholic Church, no. 2267.

We hear little about these executions. They go unnoticed. They are just accepted.

Yet, as Sister Helen Prejean says: “I realize that I cannot stand by silently as my government executes its citizens. If I do not speak out and resist, I am an accomplice.”

But someone reminds us that they should not be unnoticed and accepted. The next time you enter church and stare up at the Crucifix, remember that Jesus was executed by federal Roman authorities.  And his response was “Father forgive them!” Perhaps in our world today we could do with a healthy dose of forgiveness rather than another spoonful of vengeance.

Deacon Dan Rosen is a pastoral associate at St. Dominic Parish, San Francisco. He can be reached at deacondan@stdominics.org

For Archdiocesan resources on the death penalty, go here.

"I was ... in prison and you visited me."    (Matthew 25:36)

For the past few years, generous donors have contributed thousands of dollars so the archdiocesan restorative justice ministry can provide a special Thanksgiving meal to those incarcerated in the San Francisco County jails. This year, about 800 meals were prepared by a catering service staffed by formerly incarcerated people, and operated by Vocational Services of San Mateo County. The meals were to be served over three days (Nov. 18-20) in the San Francisco jail at the Hall of Justice and in the SF jails in San Bruno. Because of COVID-19 precautions, the volunteers were not able to directly serve the meals but could pray with the chaplains and restorative justice coordinator Julio Escobar for the food and those who would enjoy it. Members of the daily evening telephone rosary rally with restorative justice joined in prayer by telephone.
(Photos by Dennis Callahan/Archdiocese of San Francisco Office of Human Life & Dignity)

God bless our priests and our Archbishop who are bringing the Mass to the people even as government restrictions limit religous worship during the pandemic.

On both Saturday, August 22, and Sunday, August 23, 11 priests joined Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to celebrate Mass at 9 a.m. on the plaza of the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption. That follows a similiar demonstration of faith on August 15, the Feast of the Assumption and August 16, the Sunday.

The Archbishop plans to continue offering Masses  on the plaza, and another 13 Masses were scheduled for Sunday, August 30 at 9 a.m.  In addition, there is Sunday Mass at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (Spanish) and a Vigil Mass on Saturday. 

Click here for full information.

[photo by Dennis Callahan, Catholic San Francisco]

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"Worship is a First Amendment Right...."

This is the year when distancing-learning came home--literally! Parents who would never have considered home-schooling are forming 'pods' with friends, and parents--whether they have to leave for work or are working at home--are baffled about how to oversee their children and their school-work and still make a living. While home-schooling has always seemed a bit off the beaten track to most parents, San Francisco resident Vivian Dudro has a few tips. She and her husband educated four children, with all of them at one point or another home-schooled, while at other times they attended 'regular' school. Here is her take on the advantages of home-schooling.
 

Can You Homeschool Your Children? Yes, You Can!

By Vivian W. Dudro

                As the new academic year fast approaches, recent studies show that many parents across the country are considering homeschooling their children because of uncertainty about the risks of Covid-19 and what schools are doing to address them. Having educated four now-adult children through eighth grade (and one of the four through high school), I have some tips and encouragement to offer parents who are considering homeschooling.
                1. First, let me state the obvious: in order to educate a child successfully, parents need to be actively engaged in their child’s learning. But before anyone gets scared off by this prospect, remember that parent involvement is what assures the academic success of any child, whether at home or in a brick-and-mortar school.
                2. But what if I don’t have the time?  Contrary to what you might expect, homeschooling doesn’t take all day. In fact, grammar school children need to spend only about three hours a day in active instruction to cover all the ground they cover during a school day. Parents are often surprised to hear this because their children spend so many hours at school and often have homework to do afterward. They don’t add up how much time in school is spent on other things besides actual instruction—everything from attendance to recess.
                3. Once parents understand that it takes only three hours to cover grade-school academic material each day, they can begin to visualize all the creative ways that teaching or supervising instruction could take place in their family: parents can take turns covering different subjects or parents can join together with other parents to form small learning groups for their children. In these arrangements parents can teach various subjects to the group or they can share the expense of hiring tutors for certain subjects. This latter option is particularly helpful for high school math, science, and foreign language.
                4. What about math and science? is another common question. First, there are so many excellent resources out there for children learning at home that there really is no such thing as a mountain too high in this regard. I know of some parents with no more than a high school diploma who successfully educated their children at home.
                5. And here is a fun but little-known fact—one of the great things about homeschooling is all the wonderful things you get to learn yourself. So many things I either never learned or learned poorly when I was young I discovered along with my children.
                6. For many families, the corona virus pandemic has been opportunity to get back to basics. In the more than 25 years I have been living in San Francisco, I have never seen so many parents playing outdoors with their children. When I see these parents, I feel like approaching them and saying, Cherish this time with your children. The years I spent with my young children--reading books aloud, walking on the beach, visiting museums (which sadly are still closed, but outdoors ones, at least, are open), and celebrating the riches of our Catholic faith— were the most joyful years of my life. Yes, they were challenging too, but the best things in life usually are.                  

Vivian Dudro is a senior editor at Ignatius Press. Over the years she has contributed articles to National Catholic Register, Catholic World Report, and Catholic San Francisco on topics related to faith and family life. 

By Valerie Schmalz,
Director of Human Life and Dignity
July 22, 2020

The Catholic bishops of California are calling on Gov. Gavin Newsom to develop safety protocols to allow children to return to in-person schooling, saying in a letter today “what our children will lose by ‘virtual; education—in terms of emotional development, skills and learning and achievement—will have a significant impact. In the name of protecting their health in the short-term, we may very likely be risking their long-term growth and potential.”

The bishops called on Gov. Newsom to “expedite issuing regulations that will enable local health authorities to grant waivers for pre-K, primary, and secondary schools to open for in-person instruction.”

And they noted: “Catholic schools are not just a concern for Catholics and it is not accurate to describe our schools as ‘private.’ Our schools serve an irreplaceable public good in giving young people the chance to realize the American dream, especially young people from racial minority and low-income families.  Across California, our schools serve mostly racial minority students, and more than half of our schools are located in urban or inner-city neighborhoods. Many of the children we serve are not Catholics.”

Well said!

The numbers collected by the state Department of Public Health support a compelling case for a return to in-person schooling.

The number of infections continued to climb in the state of California to above 413,000, YET, COVID-19 has claimed ZERO children’s lives in the Golden State. No deaths from COVID-19 have been recorded in anyone 17 or under as of this week. That’s according to the California Department of Public Health’s July 21 report found here.

Nevertheless, Gov. Newsom on Friday, July 17, announced that all TK-12 schools in California will be held to new requirements for resuming in-person instruction. With that order, schools in 33 counties across the state of California will begin the new school year with only distance learning. Schools can only reopen after the county where they are located is off the state watch list for 14 days. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has already announced it will have to start the school year with distance learning.  Update as of July 23 -- Archdiocese of San Francisco's Catholic elementary schools in San Francisco and Marin counties will also begin the year online. See Superintendent Pam Lyons' letter in English and Spanish.

In general, Catholic schools are able to return to in-person instruction, safely, with all the protocols that are required by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, and they should be allowed to re-open—no matter what the public school districts decide.

Let’s be real—the decision for distance learning is going to be bad for the kids, and if it is possible to open schools and comply with public health protections—all schools should try to open.

 “The sad fact, and nobody wants to say it out loud, is that if we continue with distance learning, the vast majority of students will not get anywhere near what they would get in the classroom.” That’s from San Francisco School Board president Mark Sanchez, in a July 11 story written by Heather Knight in the San Francisco Chronicle. Sanchez added: “That is doubly so for students who are already vulnerable.”

On Sunday, former SF Mayor Willie Brown wrote in his column in the Chronicle: “San Francisco Unified’s decision to open the school year with distance teaching will have a devastating effect on kids in the Bayview, Hunters Point and Mission. Many of them don’t come from families with a lot of technological advantages. Trying to teach them via computer is a joke and will put them further behind in their learning. Plus, keeping at-risk kids at home will have a terrible impact on the mental, physical and economic health of both the children and their families.”

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Letter from Catholic California Bishops to Gov. Newsom:Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the Catholic Church in California has supported and cooperated with public officials’ efforts to contain the spread of this deadly disease, including closing our schools and suspending public worship. We took these steps, not because the government issued orders, but because our God is love and he calls us to love for our neighbors. That means working for the common good and protecting the sanctity and dignity of human life, taking special care for the poor and elderly, the sick and vulnerable.
In the wake of the coronavirus lockdowns, our schools made a remarkable transition to distance learning. Within days, all of our state’s Catholic schools were up and running teaching students online.

On Friday, the 17th of July, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that all TK-12 schools in California will be held to new requirements for resuming in-person instruction.  As a result, schools in 33 counties across the state of California will begin the new school year with only distance learning.
Catholic schools are not just a concern for Catholics and it is not accurate to describe our schools as “private.” Our schools serve an irreplaceable public good in giving young people the chance to realize the American dream, especially young people from racial minority and low-income families.  Across California, our schools serve mostly racial minority students, and more than half of our schools are located in urban or inner-city neighborhoods. Many of the children we serve are not Catholics.

We understand that the threat of the coronavirus is real and ongoing in our state. And we understand the legitimate concerns that teachers, parents, and elected officials have about the safety of returning to the classrooms this fall. At the same time, we are deeply concerned about the broader health and development issues for our children if the state presumes to rely only on distance learning until a vaccine is developed.
In-person learning, especially at the lower grades, provides emotional and social skills and supports that are crucial to early childhood development and the overall wellbeing of children which simply cannot be replaced.

What our children will lose by “virtual” education — in terms of emotional development, skills and learning and achievement — will have a significant impact. In the name of protecting their health in the short-term, we may very likely be risking their long-term growth and potential.
Our Catholic schools across the state have been diligently implementing the Centers for Disease Control guidance for schools and the recommendations of local health authorities in preparing to return to the classrooms. As many businesses, organizations, and government offices around the country are doing, we are making accommodations to adapt to the new realities caused by this pandemic.

The public-health science suggests that elementary-age students can return with low risk of infection or transmission of the virus among students or between students and teachers. So, we are urging Governor Newsom to continue the dialogue on this crucial question of how to reopen our schools safely.
We urge the Governor to expedite issuing regulations that will enable local health authorities to grant waivers for pre-K, primary, and secondary schools to open for in-person instruction.

Fast action by the Governor will allow decisions to be made on a case-by-case basis at the local level, by those public officials, along with educators, who are in the best position to evaluate safety concerns in individual schools.  
We stand ready to work with the Governor and our neighbors on this matter of vital concern to our great state and especially to its poor and minority peoples.

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