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…

Governor’s decision to stop execution an example of restorative justice.  AUSTIN – The Catholic bishops of Texas expressed gratitude for the decision of Governor Greg Abbott to grant clemency to Thomas Whitaker. Their full statement follows: “We offer prayers of thanksgiving that Thomas Whitaker was granted clemency and mercy has been shown. We are grateful to Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, and to all those who worked for mercy and justice in this case, including Thomas’ father and stepmother, Kent and Tanya Whitaker. We remember and pray for the souls of the victims, Patricia and Kevin Whitaker. “As Pope Francis has said, ’No man ever, not even the murderer, loses his personal dignity, because God is a Father who always awaits the return of the son who, knowing that he has done wrong, asks pardon and begins a new life.’ “We believe this case suggests a spirit of restorative justice, and we pray all may reflect on how Texans would be better served by a criminal justice system which embraces restorative justice. We pray the Whitaker family may also experience healing and ongoing reconciliation in their lives.” The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops is the association of the Roman Catholic bishops of Texas. 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. 

“It is my prayer that people who find themselves in similar situations like the Hernandez family receive the charitable support necessitated by our nation’s current immigration policies,” Bishop Tamayo wrote. MORE

“These Baptist brethren are our family, friends and neighbors who live among us in the archdiocese; just minutes away from our Wilson County parishes of Sacred Heart in Floresville, St. Ann in La Vernia, and St. Mary in Stockdale. We are committed to work in unity with all our brothers and sisters to build peace in our communities; to connect in a more direct and substantial way. The Catholic Church in Texas and across the United States is with you…” MORE

Recently, several single-issue groups in our country have made an effort to advance their political agenda by establishing coalitions with each other. One such example is Indivisible, the founder of which explains his goal as follows: “You might be an abortion rights advocate, an immigrant rights advocate, a racial justice advocate, but if you wait your turn to stand up for your issue, you will wait your turn to lose. You need to stand up for the most vulnerable communities, but that’s not all of it. This is a steely-eyed strategy: if I don’t stand up for you, I’m going to lose.” – Ezra Klein, Founder of Indivisible These coalitions advocate for immigration and criminal justice reform, which are goals shared by the Catholic Church, but unfortunately they also voice support for abortion, by which more than 50,000 unborn Texas children are killed each year. Just as Catholics must not support—in any way—organizations that perform abortions, Catholics should not join pro-abortion coalitions. Catholics should also beware of those organizations that purport to act on pro-life principles, but which fail to operate charitably or transparently, relying on hardball political tactics that diminish others rather than build up a culture of solidarity and charity. Our belief in the dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life leads to a “consistent ethic of life,” or what St. John Paul II called a “culture of life.” This ethic includes all humanity in the search for and fulfillment of integral human development – that is, the development of the whole person –  and realization of fundamental human rights. St. John Paul II wrote in his encyclical, Evangelium Vitae, about the contemporary contradiction between “the solemn affirmation of human rights…

Enforcement of immigration laws should be humane, target criminals, not patients seeking surgery AUSTIN – The case of an undocumented 10-year-old who was stopped by federal agents on her way to emergency surgery highlights the need for clarification of local and federal law enforcement agents’ responsibilities in securing the United States’ borders. Rosa Maria Hernandez, 10, who has cerebral palsy and has lived in the United States since she was a few months old, was detained and held by federal agents in the early morning hours of Tuesday, Oct. 10, on her way to a Corpus Christi hospital for emergency gall bladder surgery. After the surgery she was taken from her family and placed in a juvenile detention center in San Antonio. On Thursday she was released into the custody of the federal Office of Refugees and Resettlement (ORR). “While we are grateful Rosa Maria is now in the care of ORR, and should be reunited soon with her family, there is no reason why she should have had to undergo such trauma while she was in need of medical care,” said Bishop James Tamayo of the Laredo Diocese. “I am saddened and appalled that Border Patrol agents are stopping ambulances from transporting children to hospitals,” said Bishop Tamayo. “This action is not humane. It also shows why people are afraid of law enforcement agents and why we need greater protection for locales identified by ICE as ‘sensitive locations,’ such as schools, places of worship and hospitals.” San Antonio Archbishop Gustavo García-Siller, MSpS, in whose archdiocese Rosa Maria is now being detained, stated, “I have reached out to the proper authorities and it is my hope to meet with Rosa Maria and her family as soon as…