Human Dignity

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” (Matthew 25) 

This past Tuesday marked the one-year anniversary of the murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis.

Collectively and individually, the members of the California Catholic Conference of Bishops have called for an end to violence, discrimination, and hatred as we stand in solidarity with our Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) brothers and sisters.  As AAPI Month comes to a close, the Conference offers the following reflection on a history of unjust discrimination, the uniqueness and pride of the many AAPI nationalities, and the ongoing contributions of our AAPI brothers and sisters.

A Minneapolis jury convicted former police officer Derek Chauvin this week of the murder of George Floyd. The jury in the closely watched trial took 10 hours over two days to convict Chauvin of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter. He will be sentenced in eight weeks.

Following the recent tragic shootings in the Atlanta area this past week and the dialogue that has been ignited about other reported incidents of aggression against people of Asian descent, several bishops have publicly denounced the violent attacks.

Black Catholics, parishioners of St. Francis of Assisi, played an important role in the formation of the town of East Palo Alto and in its history before and after its 1983 incorporation.

Governor Gavin Newsom today announced a major effort to increase assistance to low-wage Californians suffering economically from the impact of the pandemic.

On December 4, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to reinstate the entire Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program by December 7, and to resume accepting first-time DACA applicants.

The measure asks California taxpayers to provide an additional $5.5 billion dollars for the California Institute of Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) so it can continue funding research using human embryos

WASHINGTON– Wednesday night, the State Department issued its report to Congress recommending 15,000 refugees be allowed to be admitted to the United States for 2021.