Archbishop Gomez urges calm and restraint as ICE protests erupt in Los Angeles
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Waymo cars are set on fire and vandalized during a protest against immigration raids on June 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. / Credit: Nick Ut/Getty ImagesCNA Staff, Jun 9, 2025 / 17:38 pm (CNA).Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, the nation's largest Catholic community, issued a statement calling for "restraint and calm" as tensions in Los Angeles escalated over the weekend after protests sparked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of unauthorized immigrants turned violent."I am troubled by today's immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, and I am praying for our community," Gomez said in a statement issued June 6."We all agree that we don't want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities. But there is no need for the government to carry out enforcement actions in a way that provokes fear and anxiety among ordinary, hardworking immigrants and their families."In his stament, Gomez called on Congress to fix t...
Waymo cars are set on fire and vandalized during a protest against immigration raids on June 8, 2025, in Los Angeles. / Credit: Nick Ut/Getty Images
CNA Staff, Jun 9, 2025 / 17:38 pm (CNA).
Archbishop José H. Gomez of Los Angeles, the nation's largest Catholic community, issued a statement calling for "restraint and calm" as tensions in Los Angeles escalated over the weekend after protests sparked by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests of unauthorized immigrants turned violent.
"I am troubled by today's immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles, and I am praying for our community," Gomez said in a statement issued June 6.
"We all agree that we don't want undocumented immigrants who are known terrorists or violent criminals in our communities. But there is no need for the government to carry out enforcement actions in a way that provokes fear and anxiety among ordinary, hardworking immigrants and their families."
In his stament, Gomez called on Congress to fix the country's "broken" immigration system.
The unrest, which began on June 6 in response to ICE raids at multiple work sites, escalated after the arrest of David Huerta, president of the California chapter of the Service Employees International Union, who allegedly blocked the path of ICE vehicles.
Videos showed crowds surrounding vans, chanting, and growing in number as the protests extended into the night. Demonstrations intensified on Saturday, with protesters gathering outside the detention facility where Huerta was being held after his release from the hospital, where he was treated for injuries sustained during his demonstration and subsequent arrest.
On Sunday, the situation worsened as California Highway Patrol used flash-bang grenades to clear Highway 101 after protesters blocked the roadway, throwing debris, including tree branches and fireworks, at police vehicles below.
Sunday night saw further chaos, with protesters setting multiple Waymo driverless taxis on fire, throwing rocks at officers, and defacing neighborhoods with anti-ICE graffiti.
A candlelight interfaith prayer vigil scheduled for Sunday evening at Los Angeles City Hall, organized by the archdiocese's Immigration Task Force and groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Central American Resource Center, and LA Voice, was postponed out of caution due to the escalating violence.
The groups issued a statement reaffirming their call for nonviolence and pledged to reschedule the vigil when conditions stabilize.
President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard on Saturday night, citing local leaders' failure to control the situation. Gov. Gavin Newsom fiercely opposed the move, calling it a breach of state sovereignty. On Monday, California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging its decision to federalize the California National Guard.
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A delegation of Peruvian bishops greets Pope Leo XIV, inviting him to visit Peru, during an audience on June 30, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Peruvian Episcopal ConferenceACI Prensa Staff, Jul 1, 2025 / 15:47 pm (CNA).The Peruvian bishops have officially invited Pope Leo XIV to visit Peru, assuring him that "his presence will renew the hope of our people."According to a statement from the Peruvian Bishops' Conference (CEP, by its Spanish acronym), a delegation of bishops, including the conference president, Bishop Carlos García Camader of Lurín, met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on June 30.During the audience, "the bishops extended an official invitation to him to make a pastoral visit to Peru," the CEP stated.Leo XIV, born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost in 1955, lived in Peru for nearly 20 years, serving at different times in various capacities from parochial vicar of Chulucanas in the Piura region to bishop of Chiclayo. He became a Peruvian citizen in 2015.Greetin...
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A 20-foot, 800-pound cross that has traveled to almost 50 European capitals, known as the "Cross of Gratitude," has recently been welcomed by a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the first parish of the Greek Catholic rite in America. / Courtesy: St. Michael the Archangel Ukrainian Greek Catholic ChurchWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jul 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).A 20-foot, 800-pound cross that has traveled to almost 50 European capitals, known as the "Cross of Gratitude," has recently been welcomed by a Ukrainian Greek Catholic church in Shenandoah, Pennsylvania, the first parish of the Greek Catholic rite in America."It is a great honor and a blessing for the Parish of St. Michael the Archangel to host the Cross of Gratitude, a sacred symbol of Christ's boundless love and sacrifice," St. Michael's parish priest Father Bohdan Vasyliv told CNA. "We warmly invite all to visit, pray, and reflect before this holy cross, giving thanks for the gift of salvat...
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Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez. / Credit: St. Francis of Assisi Parish, South GaviotasPuebla, Mexico, Jul 1, 2025 / 17:19 pm (CNA).The Diocese of Tabasco in Mexico reported June 30 that one of its priests was wounded by gunfire while on his way to visit a sick parishioner. The attack was apparently a case of mistaken identity.The bishop of the diocese, Gerardo de Jesús Rojas López, shared a statement explaining that at approximately 5:45 a.m. local time, Father Héctor Alejandro Pérez, a parish priest at St. Francis of Assisi Church in Villahermosa, the capital of Tabasco state, was shot.The assailant apparently mistook the priest "for someone else. Father Héctor was leaving the rectory to visit a sick person at home," Rojas stated.Following the attack, the priest underwent surgery. According to the bishop, Pérez is reported to be in critical condition, "with a guarded prognosis due to blood loss and the complexity of his internal injuries."Rojas also made an urgent appeal t...
