Editorials

Last week a statement from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Gary Sharpe found it was illegal for N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) to limit religious worship services over the coronavirus while condoning and encouraging massive anti-police brutality protests.

All the faithful in the Diocese of Paterson are looking forward to joyfully celebrating the ordination/installation of Bishop-elect Kevin Sweeney as the eighth bishop of the Diocese on Wednesday, July 1, the feast day of St. Junipero Serra. Often called the “Apostle of California,” this Franciscan priest not only helped to convert thousands of Native Americans to Christianity and taught them new agricultural technologies but also was a staunch advocate for them and a champion of human rights.

It is never easy to say goodbye. And sadly, the pandemic in our nation has only made farewells even more difficult: no huge gatherings to pay tribute to one’s lifetime of achievements, not even a handshake for a job well done is safe to do. In this “new normal” has come the time for the Diocese of Paterson to bid a fond farewell to Bishop Serratelli upon his retirement.

The U.S. House of Representatives recently voted on and passed the Health and Economic Recovery Omni­bus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act along party lines with the Democratic majority prevailing. The U.S. Senate is now in the process of reviewing the bill that has an issue that should concern every Catholic.

There is still hope that Congress can once again take up the Born Alive Act. The optimism comes from two newly elected members of Congress who signed a petition May 26 to bring a key pro-life bill to the House floor for consideration. That same day, Reps. Mike Garcia (R-Calif.) and Tom Tiffany (R-Wisc.) were both sworn in to the House, and signed the discharge petition for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act afterward according to the office of Minority WHIP Steve Scalise (R-La.).