​Statement on El Paso Mass Shooting
August 3, 2019
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” ~Matthew 5: 4
 
After this tragic day in El Paso my heart is filled with sadness for the many victims and their families. Saturday began like any other. People were going about their daily activities. Some chose to stop by the local Walmart to pick up some things. And then hatred and evil insanity interjected their senseless aggression. 
As a minister I am called to be present to those who suffered this attack and to their families. I need to do so with a sense of composure. But as I visited with victims and those they love my heart was breaking within me. Their questions are mine as well. Why the innocent children? Why the mothers with babes in their arms? Why should any human being ever be subjected to such violence?
Once again in our nation we see the face of evil. We see the effects of a mind possessed by hatred. We see the effects of the sinful and insipid conviction that some of us are better than others of us because of race, religion, language or nationality. “He waited for judgment, but see, bloodshed! For justice, but hark, the outcry!” (Isa. 5:7).
In the last several months, the borderlands have shown the world that generosity, compassion and human dignity are more powerful than the forces of division. The great sickness of our time is that we have forgotten how to be compassionate, generous and humane. Everything is competition. Everything is greed. Everything is cold. Tenderness and the love that knows no borders are crucified in a whirlwind of deadly self-seeking, fear and vindictiveness. 
It was precisely to confront this diabolic evil that God sent his Son into the world. It was to enter into the midst of this and to experience its full force that the innocent one, Jesus, experienced his passion and cross. Just when it appeared that evil had won the day Christ rose victorious! 
This is my hope for all who have suffered this violence today and for our community. The Christ who suffered is in our midst. He is our companion. We trust he will raise up the fallen, bring healing to the victims and console our broken community. 
Our El Paso community will indeed rise above this terrible day. Our God is a loving God, greater than hatred, more powerful than evil. We trust that we will witness the fulfillment of his words, “See, I make all things new!” (Rev. 21:5) 
Today let us mourn the dead and pray for them. Tomorrow let us recommit to love. And let us all brace ourselves for just action that will overcome the forces of division and build a more loving society.

Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, DD
Bishop of El Paso

We here at the Catholic Diocese of El Paso are very concerned about the hundreds of people being put on the streets in El Paso at the bus depot, at the airport and at a local park..  We understand that the facilities of Homeland Security are overcrowded but the decision of our government to simply put these children and families with no money, no tickets, no food, no access to phones, out on the street, is inhumane and unconscionable. 

In the Church in cooperation with Annunciation House we are doing our best to house as many as we can and we have been receiving 300-400 a day depending upon volunteer efforts and whatever resources we have.  We have sent out messages to all our parishes asking them to make available more volunteers and facilities.

Our government has a responsibility when it takes these refugees into custody to provide for their basic needs.  We do as much for death row inmates.  With the recent deaths of two young children, the accounts of mistreatment in holding cells and the heartless expulsion of these families an undeniable picture is coming into focus and it is not one of which we Americans can be proud. 

Families from Central America are fleeing to our country because it presents the only hope to escape the endemic violence and hunger they are facing.  Who among us if faced with similar circumstances would not do the same for our family?  But instead of helping to improve the situation in their home country, a situation which our nation has contributed to in many ways, especially by our affection for illegal drugs, we mistreat those who seek refuge here so badly that it is hoped others will not come.  The truth is they are running for their lives.  They will take whatever risks necessary.  Meanwhile we who are citizens of this most wealthy nation in the world are going to have to deal with the consequences of our hardened hearts.  Clearly this Christmas the newborn Savior will find no room.

Bp. Mark J. Seitz

The Catholic Diocese of El Paso has learned that the Grand Jury has indicted Brother Edwin Gallagher, C.F.P and Brother Richard Fish, C.F.P. for criminal misappropriation of funds allegedly committed while they were serving at St. Joseph elementary school in El Paso.  Brother Gallagher and Brother Fish retired in 2015.
 
The Diocese has always expected its employees, whether religious or lay persons, to obey the civil and criminal laws of the State of Texas.  The Diocese also understands that the District Attorney has an obligation to ask the Grand Jury to indict individuals when there is evidence that they have committed a crime.  However, the Diocese asks that all Catholics and non-Catholics alike reserve judgment on Brother Gallagher and Brother Fish until the criminal proceedings have run their course.     

Brother Gallagher and Brother Fish provided more than 25 years of teaching and administrative services to St. Joseph elementary school.  Both were much loved and respected for their work.  The Diocese asks those who lives were touched by them to pray for a just and merciful resolution of their cases.

I was very disappointed to hear of plans to open a large Planned Parenthood Abortion facility in El Paso.  With their presence in our border region our children in the womb will be facing a new and menacing threat to their existence.

Planned Parenthood will say that it is going to offer a wide range of health services to women but the truth is that as former Planned Parenthood Clinic Director, Abby Johnson has pointed out, all that they do is geared toward their primary money-making operation which is aborting children.  Planned Parenthood performs close to one out of every three abortions that take place in our country, over 320,000 every year.   Planned Parenthood performs 160 abortions for every one mother that is referred to adoption.

The related services which they do offer should concern especially parents from our region as Planned Parenthood will enter our schools and teach our children from a young age a morality that is contrary to that held by the majority of our families.  Planned Parenthood claims they will check for and help curb STD’s, but the approach to sexual activity outside of marriage that they promote increases the proliferation of STD’s, which is presently at epidemic proportions among our youth.   

Although they claim to provide many other women’s health services they do not offer mammograms and they perform less than 2% of all women’s cancer screenings in the U.S.

We in the Catholic Church and many of our brothers and sisters of other churches stand ready to provide a true choice to mothers who feel that abortion is their only choice.  We are ready to provide the support they need so that they may give birth to a baby boy or girl.  Abortion is not a solution.  It is violence against the most vulnerable and innocent human beings.  Abortion leaves physical and emotional scars on women and men involved that may never heal.

Every life matters, from the child in the womb until death and everything in between.  The life of a child takes precedent over any choice.  In El Paso, women’s comprehensive health needs are better served by our existing community health centers.

Most Reverend Mark J. Seitz, Bishop of El Paso

El Paso, Tx- September 21. 2018

Some sayings should be examined rather than simply accepted. For instance, the saying, “Good fences make good neighbors,” is found in a poem by Robert Frost. In his poem the great poet makes this observation about a walk along the fence line of his property with the person living next door:
“He only says, ‘Good fences make good neighbors.' Spring is the mischief in me, and I wonder
If I could put a notion in his head:
'Why do they make good neighbors? Isn’t it
Where there are cows? But here there are no cows. Before I built a wall I’d ask to know
What I was walling in or walling out,
And to whom I was like to give offense.
Something there is that doesn’t love a wall ... ”


To hear that our federal government plans to augment the already daunting wall that divides us from our neighbors in Juarez leads us to ask Frost’s question: “What are we walling in or walling out, And to whom are we giving offense?”


The border wall is treating a symptom and not a cause. It is a symbol of a failure on the part of our country to resolve the issues that could be dealt with by a comprehensive immigration reform. It is a response to our affluent nation’s unwillingness to love our neighbor—neighbor countries and our neighbor, the immigrant and asylum seeker.


It is a sign of our broken relationship with God.


This reinforced wall will heal no wounds; solve no problems, but stand as a further scar on our land dividing our families, our cities and our nations.

​

     I have been wrestling with the question of what to say about the latest set of abuse scandals to come out in recent weeks.  One of the reasons for my struggle is that I am dealing with my feelings of betrayal and disillusionment that such things could happen in the Church I love. Another is that I know these ongoing revelations damage the trust you have placed in all leaders in the Church.
     The issue of sexual abuse in the Church has been like a dark cloud hanging over the Church during most of the years I have been a priest.  During my seminary years I remained unaware that sexual acting out of any kind could invade the holy sanctuary of our seminary.  In years following my Ordination I would learn that a fellow seminarian, Rudy Kos, became one of the most notorious child abusers in his time as a priest.  
     In my Diocese of Dallas I learned how a disbelieving and defensive posture on the part of leaders could allow situations such as these to continue.  I also had the opportunity to know some victims of abuse.  In one case I had the honor of walking with her through many years and to seek with her a just response from diocesan authorities.  
     Since that time I have prayed daily and fasted weekly for victims of abuse. The pain of victims of abuse, especially abuse by someone who represents God in the Church, has moved me greatly. Many struggle for the rest of their lives with feelings of being unlovable, as though they are just an object to be used.  Their pain never completely goes away and their difficulty in relating to God and trusting anyone in the Church is a lifetime struggle.
     Arriving in El Paso five years ago I found that we were dealing with or had already resolved a number cases involving child predators.  None of them were recent and many no longer were eligible for prosecution. As cases became known we sought to identify victims and offer them any assistance we could.  We made sure that a zero tolerance policy was in place and that no one who had been credibly accused would ever have permission to be involved in ministry again.
     In our diocese we have been greatly assisted by the expert work of our Victims’ Assistance Coordinator, Susan Martinez.  She works alongside our Pastoral Review Board as a member of the Pastoral Response Committee, which is made up primarily of lay therapists who evaluate the claim and make recommendations regarding how the diocese can assist the victim, as well as what should be done with the perpetrator.  She will encourage the victim to report to authorities.  If the victim is a minor, she will report to the appropriate authorities. Susan has also arranged for me to meet with several victims when they requested. It has been a very heart-wrenching and moving experience for me.
       Most of the cases of which we become aware happened long ago, but we always seek to identify other possible victims.  Recently there was a credible case of abuse by a priest, Miguel Luna, which came to our attention.  He had been removed from active ministry some years earlier due to concerns we had about his behavior although no victim had come forward. When two courageous women came forward we had announcements made in all our parishes and also announced what we had learned in the media. In this way we could warn any new potential victims and invite any others to come forward.  As a result, a third victim came forward.  The statute of limitations had not passed for the third victim’s case, so Miguel Luna is presently being prosecuted.
      Another important step we have taken is our commitment to create a program of safe environment training to reach out to all children, diocesan and parish personnel, and volunteers active in the Church.  VIRTUS, as it is known, conducts criminal background checks on all volunteers and personnel and teaches children and adults, in an age appropriate way, how to recognize the signs of a potential abuser.  In just the last few years we have trained thousands. Our hope is that we will provide the tools not only to protect our parishes from the presence of child predators, but that we will also create safer homes and schools, which are the places where most abuse takes place.
      I am confident that on a national level the Church will continue to seek better ways to assure that no person, no matter their rank, will be above the law.  Meanwhile, here at home, we will continue to do all in our power to regain the trust that you have a right to expect from leaders in the Church.

Bp. Mark

    He estado luchando con la pregunta de qué decir sobre el último conjunto de escándalos de abuso que se publicaron en las últimas semanas. Una de las razones de mi lucha, es que estoy lidiando con mis sentimientos de traición y desilusión,  de que cosas así puedan pasar en esta Iglesia que tanto amo. La otra, es que sé que estas continuas revelaciones  dañan la confianza que usted ha depositado en todos los líderes de la Iglesia.
     El tema del abuso sexual en la Iglesia ha sido como una nube oscura que pende sobre la Iglesia, durante la mayoría de los años en que he sido sacerdote. Durante mis años en el seminario, permanecí inconsciente de que la actuación sexual de cualquier tipo, podía invadir el santuario sagrado de nuestro seminario. En los años posteriores a mi ordenación, me enteré de que un compañero seminarista, Rudy Kos, se convirtió en uno de los abusadores de niños más notorios en su tiempo como sacerdote.
     En mi Diócesis de Dallas aprendí cómo una postura incrédula y defensiva por parte de los líderes podría permitir que situaciones como estas continuaran. También tuve la oportunidad de conocer a algunas víctimas de abuso. En un caso, tuve el honor de caminar con ella durante muchos años y de buscar con ella una respuesta justa de parte de las autoridades diocesanas.
     Desde aquel entonces, he orado diariamente y he ayunado semanalmente en beneficio de  las víctimas de abuso. El dolor de las víctimas de abuso, especialmente el abuso por alguien que representa a Dios en la Iglesia, me ha conmovido enormemente. Muchos luchan por el resto de sus vidas con sentimientos de no ser amados, como si fueran solo un objeto para ser utilizados. Su dolor nunca desaparece por completo y su dificultad para relacionarse con Dios y confiar en alguien en la Iglesia es una lucha de por vida.
     Al llegar a El Paso, hace cinco años, descubrí que estábamos tratando o ya habíamos resuelto un número de casos que involucraban depredadores de niños. Ninguno de ellos era reciente y muchos ya no eran elegibles para enjuiciamiento. A medida que se conocieron los casos, buscamos identificar a las víctimas y ofrecerles la asistencia que pudiéramos. Nos aseguramos de que existiera una política de cero tolerancias y de que nadie que haya sido acusado de manera creíble, tuviese permiso para participar nuevamente en el ministerio.
    En nuestra diócesis, se nos ha ayudado enormemente por el trabajo de nuestra experta Coordinadora de Asistencia a Víctimas, Susan Martínez. Ella trabaja junto con nuestra Junta de Revisión Pastoral como miembro del Comité de Respuesta Pastoral, compuesto principalmente por terapeutas laicos quienes evalúan el reclamo y hacen recomendaciones sobre cómo la diócesis puede ayudar a la víctima, así como qué se debe hacer con el perpetrador. Ella alienta a la víctima para que informe a las autoridades. Si la víctima es menor de edad, ella reporta a las autoridades apropiadas. Susan también ha dispuesto para que me reúna con varias víctimas, cuando lo piden. Esta ha sido una experiencia muy desgarradora y conmovedora para mí.
    La mayoría de los casos de los que nos enteramos sucedieron hace mucho tiempo, pero siempre buscamos identificar a otras posibles víctimas. Recientemente hubo un caso creíble de abuso por parte de un sacerdote, Miguel Luna, el cual nos llamó mucho la atención. Él había sido removido del ministerio activo algunos años antes, debido a las preocupaciones que teníamos sobre su comportamiento, aunque ninguna víctima se había presentado. Cuando dos valientes mujeres se presentaron, anunciamos en todas nuestras parroquias y también anunciamos lo que aprendimos en los medios. De esta manera, pudimos advertir a cualquier nueva víctima potencial e invitar a otras a presentarse. Como resultado, una tercera víctima se presentó. El estatuto de limitaciones no había pasado para el caso de la tercera víctima, por lo que Miguel Luna actualmente está siendo procesado.
     Otro paso importante que hemos dado, es nuestro compromiso de crear un programa de capacitación ambiental seguro para llegar a todos los niños, el personal diocesano,  parroquial  y los voluntarios activos en la Iglesia. Se le conoce como  VIRTUS y lleva a cabo verificaciones de antecedentes penales de todos los voluntarios y el personal, además de enseñar a niños y adultos, de una manera apropiada para la edad, cómo reconocer los signos de un posible abusador. En los últimos años, hemos entrenado a miles. Esperamos que proporcionemos las herramientas, no solo para proteger a nuestras parroquias de la presencia de depredadores de niños, sino también crearemos hogares y escuelas más seguros, donde ocurren la mayoría de los abusos.
    Confío que a nivel nacional, la Iglesia continuará buscando mejores formas de garantizar que ninguna persona, sin importar su rango, esté por encima de la ley. Mientras tanto, aquí en casa, continuaremos haciendo todo lo que esté en nuestro poder para recuperar la confianza que usted tiene derecho a esperar de los líderes en la Iglesia.


Bp. Mark