Before the mob starts attacking every Catholic church in the country...
The U.S. Catholic Bishops must take measures to ensure that the nation and their faithful know that they support Catholic culture (including statues), and deplore the wanton destruction of Catholic heritage.
Please SIGN this petition, asking the U.S. Catholic bishops to defend Catholic heritage, culture and statues.
No Catholic bishop should think that their diocese is off-limits to the type of scenes witnessed in California over the weekend, when protestors pulled down statues of St. Junipero Serra, the great evangelizer and founder of 9 out of the 21 missions in California.
In one incident in San Francisco, a video shows a toppled statue of St. Junipero being struck with objects and daubed with paint while the crowd cheers in the background.
In response to the toppling of Serra’s statue in San Francisco, Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone said in a statement that a “renewed national movement to heal memories and correct the injustices of racism and police brutality in our country has been hijacked by some into a movement of violence, looting and vandalism.”
“The memorialization of historic figures merits an honest and fair discussion as to how and to whom such honor should be given. But here, there was no such rational discussion; it was mob rule, a troubling phenomenon that seems to be repeating itself throughout the country,” Cordileone said.
Now is the time for the U.S. bishops to speak with one voice and back-up Archbishop Cordileone with their own statement defending Catholic culture, heritage and statues.
Voices in favor of the destruction of Serra’s statue have accused him of having committed numerous crimes, including genocide and the enslavement and torture of indigenous peoples.
But Cordileone insisted that Serra was a champion and protector of indigenous people.
“St. Serra made heroic sacrifices to protect the indigenous people of California from their Spanish conquerors, especially the soldiers. Even with his infirmed leg which caused him such pain, he walked all the way to Mexico City to obtain special faculties of governance from the Viceroy of Spain in order to discipline the military who were abusing the Indians. And then he walked back to California,” Archbishop Cordileone said.
Please SIGN here, and call on the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to rebuke the tearing down of statues of figures the Church and her faithful venerate and revere.
If the bishops do not - as a body - voice their opposition to these latest incidents, no saint...no church...will be immune from mob rule.
If it comes to it, Catholics may be forced to defend their churches as well as their cultural, historical and religious heritage.
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'Far-left protestors destroy statues of missionary saint in California' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/far-left-protestors-destroy-statues-of-missionary-saint-in-california
