BISHOP'S STATEMENT ON S.C. RULING

Soon after the US Supreme Court's Feb. 26 ruling, Bishop Oscar Cantú issued a statement expressing satisfaction in the High Court's decision rejecting Santa Clara County’s ban on indoor worship services.

"I join all Catholics and people of faith in Santa Clara County in expressing our satisfaction in tonight’s U.S. Supreme Court decision rejecting Santa Clara County’s ban on indoor worship services. Santa Clara was the only county in the country to continue such a ban. Banning indoor worship and yet allowing people to gather at airports, personal services establishments, and retail shopping is unconstitutional—and the Supreme Court has said so several times."

San Jose Bishop points out the support for the five churches in their appeal, "the Diocese of San Jose worked with Becket Law to file a friend-of-the-court brief in the matter of Gateway City Church v. Newsom before the Supreme Court on February 24, 2021."

As a result, "All parishes, missions, and chapels in the Diocese of San Jose may resume

services up to 20% capacity effective immediately, but only if and when each parish can safely resume indoor worship do so following all masking, social distancing, and sanitization protocols," the Bishop said.