Bishops seek a withdrawal of execution date, stay of execution and clemency AUSTIN – The 21 Catholic bishops in active ministry in Texas have written Cameron County District Attorney Luis Saenz, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and Gov. Greg Abbott to spare the life of Melissa Lucio, a mother of 14 and a grandmother, who is sentenced to die April 27. The bishops join a broad coalition, including the Innocence Project, domestic violence and battered women’s organizations, former prosecutors, bipartisan legislators and others, who call for a stay of execution to conduct a meaningful review of her case. The letter, signed by every bishop and auxiliary bishop in Texas, can be found here.
AUSTIN – The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops issued the following statement regarding the war on Ukraine: “We reaffirm the words of Pope Francis, who has been unceasing in his appeal to stop the war on Ukraine. It is a ‘senseless massacre where every day there is a repetition of slaughter and atrocities. There is no justification for this!’ “Indeed, as our Holy Father has stated, the war is sacrilegious ‘because it goes against the sacredness of human life, especially against defenseless human life, which must be respected and protected, not eliminated.’ “We call on all people of good will to pray that world leaders will find an end to the conflict and to provide solace and support to the millions of people who are now refugees.” The bishops of Texas are joining Pope Francis in encouraging all people to join them Friday, March 25, the solemnity of the Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ, in making a solemn act of consecration of Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that she, the Queen of Peace, may obtain peace for the world. The bishops also encouraged donations to agencies serving Ukraine and its people. These include: The international Caritas confederation, through Catholic Relief Services. Internationally, you can donate through Caritas Internationalis. The Ukrainian Catholic Archeparchy of Philadelphia Catholic Near East Welfare Association Aid to the Church in Need International Catholic Migration Commission AVSI-USA The Knights of Columbus’ Ukraine Solidarity Fund for humanitarian needs in Ukraine and through refugee sites in Poland. Jesuit Refugee Service and the Salesians, two religious orders serving refugees. The U.S. Bishops’ Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe designated its annual collection, taken in most diocesan parishes on Ash Wednesday,…
AUSTIN – The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops expressed gratitude for all who are responding to wildfires in the state, and prayers for those affected by the disaster. As of March 20, more than 62,000 acres in the state are ablaze, from Spring to just west of the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex. The largest fire, named the Eastland Complex, has engulfed the town of Carbon and more than 54,000 acres, claiming at least one life and leaving many families homeless. “We pray for the first responders and for the community members, as they work together to salvage homes, businesses and lives,” the Texas bishops said. “We are grateful for their dedication and their generosity toward their neighbors. “Let us also remember those who have been harmed physically and materially by the fires, especially the deceased. May they find comfort in our prayers and in the mercy and charity shown to them.” The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops is the association of the Roman Catholic bishops of Texas. The TCCB represents 15 dioceses and 21 active bishops. Through the TCCB, the bishops provide a moral and social public policy voice, accredit the state’s Catholic schools, and maintain archives that reflect the work and the history of the Catholic Church in Texas.
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops offers our prayers for George Floyd, his family and friends, and all those affected by his killing and the events that followed in Minnesota. As the US Bishops stated in their recent pastoral letter, “Open Wide Our Hearts,” the injustice and harm racism causes are an attack on the dignity of human life. We pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance as we approach this season of Pentecost in order to work toward a society where justice, peace, and charity may be shared with all of God’s children.
At this time of a highly contagious pandemic, our healthcare providers are performing heroic actions daily in serving our communities. We commend and are grateful for their efforts and ask the Holy Spirit to guide their decisions and provide them and their patients with wisdom, fortitude, and prudence. We also commend and are grateful for the efforts of Governor Greg Abbott and Commissioner of the Department of State Health Services, Dr. John Hellerstedt, in prioritizing the procurement of healthcare supplies and resources. These valiant efforts by our leaders are being made amid the most difficult of circumstances caused by this pandemic. These circumstances are rapidly changing, putting healthcare facilities in a position in which professionals may be prompted to make difficult decisions regarding the allocation of healthcare resources which have increasingly limited availability. In the midst of such difficult circumstances, the Catholic Bishops of Texas support healthcare professionals developing Mass Critical Care Guidelines based on sound bioethical principles that prioritize the protection and reverence for human life. Such guidelines should reject rationing of healthcare resources based solely on age, disability, or future “quality of life” decisions. When decisions must be made regarding the allocation of scarce resources, they should be based on objective clinical indicators, the effectiveness of the scarce healthcare interventions in each case, and the likelihood of those interventions contributing to the survival of each patient, which clinical criteria indicate can be sustained without indefinite prolongation of such interventions. Acknowledging the poor who often lack access to healthcare proportionate to their need during a disaster, scarce resources must also be distributed broadly across communities so that all patients have the best possible access to care. These critical medical triage decisions are best left to the professional judgement of healthcare…
Espanol On Wednesday, 25 March, the feast of the Annunciation, the bishops of Texas join Pope Francis, who has invited “the Heads of the Churches and the leaders of every Christian community, together with all Christians of the various confessions, to invoke the Almighty, the omnipotent God, to recite at the same time the prayer that Jesus, our Lord, taught us” – the Our Father. “On that day on which many Christians recall the Annunciation to the Virgin Mary of the Incarnation of the Word”, Pope Francis prayed, “may the Lord listen to the united prayer of all of His disciples who are preparing themselves to celebrate the victory of the Risen Christ.” An Annunciation Message of Hope On this Feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the Catholic bishops of Texas offer some words of living faith and hope to our people in this extraordinary time of anxiety and illness. While we are facing so many unknowns, we can be certain of God’s faithfulness. The Annunciation of the Lord is a feast of hope in God’s goodness and power to intervene on our behalf. The Magnificat, the song of praise sung by our Lady at the Visitation with her cousin Elizabeth, is a song of hope. Our Blessed Mother is filled with God’s grace. Her prayerful proclamation of complete dependence on and communion with God at the Annunciation inspires us all to rely on his grace, which will sustain us during this pandemic. Together with our brothers and sisters around the world, we are threatened by the effects of this disease, and we must be united in our efforts to mitigate its spread. Our faith calls us all to follow Mary’s example of trust and reliance on the…
English En esta fiesta de la Anunciación del Señor, los obispos católicos de Texas ofrecemos palabras de fe viva y esperanza a nuestra gente en este tiempo extraordinario de ansiedad y enfermedad. Al enfrentar tantas incógnitas, podemos estar seguros de la fidelidad de Dios. La Anunciación del Señor es una fiesta de esperanza en la bondad y en el poder de Dios para intervenir en nuestro favor. El Magnificat, que es el cántico de alabanza pronunciado por Nuestra Señora en la Visitación a su prima Isabel, es un himno de esperanza. Nuestra Santísima Madre está llena de la gracia de Dios. Su proclamación orante en la Anunciación de su completa dependencia de Dios y comunión con él nos inspira a todos a confiar en su gracia, que nos sostendrá durante esta pandemia. Junto con nuestros hermanos y hermanas en todo el mundo, somos amenazados por los efectos de esta enfermedad y debemos unirnos en nuestros esfuerzos para mitigar su propagación. Nuestra fe nos llama a todos a seguir el ejemplo de María, de confianza y abandono en el Señor, y lo más importante, su fe viva en el Señor. La Santísima Virgen María canta sobre el temor del Señor en su Magníficat: “su misericordia llega a sus fieles de generación en generación”. Como escribió el Papa emérito Benedicto XVI: “Tal vez conocemos poco esta palabra, o no nos gusta mucho. Pero el ‘temor de Dios’ no es angustia, es algo muy diferente. Como hijos, no tenemos miedo del Padre, pero tenemos temor de Dios, la preocupación por no destruir el amor sobre el que está construida nuestra vida. Temor de Dios es el sentido de responsabilidad que debemos tener; responsabilidad por la porción del mundo que se…
Governor Greg Abbott’s decision to turn away refugees from the great state of Texas is deeply discouraging and disheartening. While the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops respects the governor, this decision is simply misguided. It denies people who are fleeing persecution, including religious persecution, from being able to bring their gifts and talents to our state and contribute to the general common good of all Texans. The refugees who have already resettled in Texas have made our communities even more vibrant. As Catholics, an essential aspect of our faith is to welcome the stranger and care for the alien. We use this occasion to commit ourselves even more ardently to work with all people of good will, including our federal, state and local governments, to help refugees integrate and become productive members of our communities.
The Catholic bishops of Texas applaud the decision of the US Supreme Court to stay the execution of Patrick Henry Murphy since he did not have access to a spiritual director of his faith. Our country was founded on the rights of each individual to exercise his faith, regardless of whether in prison or in a church. May Mr. Murphy find peace and wise counsel in his search for purity and truth.
Lists of clergy will include years 1950 to 2018 AUSTIN – The 15 Catholic dioceses in Texas and the Ordinariate of the Chair of St. Peter made the decision on Sept. 30 to release names of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor, going back at least to 1950. The statement is available online. The bishops’ decision was made in the context of their ongoing work to protect children from sexual abuse, and their efforts to promote healing and a restoration of trust in the Catholic Church. “This is an action in response to the faithful’s call for greater accountability and transparency,” said Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, archbishop of Galveston-Houston. “Every bishop in our state has made a statement expressing his concern for all who have been hurt and I want to express my personal sorrow at such fundamental violations of trust that have happened. We are completely committed to eradicating the evil of sexual abuse in the church and promoting healing among the faithful and those injured by this crime.” With 8.5 million Catholics and 1,320 Catholic parishes in Texas, the endeavor to compile a comprehensive list of clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing a minor represents a major project. All dioceses will publish their lists by Jan. 31, 2019. “It will take some time for files to be reviewed, and there may be people who come forward with new information following this announcement. My brother bishops in Texas and I agree that transparency in this painful matter of sexual abuse can assist with healing for survivors and transformation for our Church,” explained Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, archbishop of San Antonio. The release of names of clergy credibly accused of sexually abusing…