Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch (pictured), in a rare personal statement released on 18th May, expressed his concerns regarding the extension of Title 42 restrictions on immigration, a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in Arizona v Mayorkas.

The high court on Thursday dismissed as moot a case seeking to preserve Title 42 after the pandemic emergency expired last week.

The public health authority had allowed for the swift expulsion of migrants without allowing them to seek asylum.

Gorsuch voiced his disapproval of states' attempts to prolong Title 42 despite this month's official end of the COVID-19 emergency.

Justice Gorsuch argued that the Supreme Court's decision in December 2022 to extend Title 42 was a serious mistake, as it extended an emergency decree designed for one crisis to address an entirely different situation.

Gorsuch, in an attached statement to the court's unsigned order, more broadly railed against using emergency powers since COVID-19 shut down normal life. He referenced, among other things, lockdown orders, a federal ban on evictions and vaccine mandates.

"Since March 2020, we may have experienced the greatest intrusions on civil liberties in the peacetime history of this country. Executive officials across the country issued emergency decrees on a breathtaking scale," Gorsuch wrote.

Churches targeted during the pandemic

According to Gorsuch, this action implicated the Supreme Court in a significant "disruption" of how laws are formulated and freedoms are upheld.

The Justice condemned the unrestricted and, at times, supported actions of legislative and judicial authorities, both local and executive, across the country.

Gorsuch pointed out that executive officials issued unprecedented emergency decrees, compelling people to remain in their homes, closing businesses, schools and churches, while favouring certain establishments like casinos.

He also criticised the imposition of civil penalties and even criminal sanctions for violating lockdown orders.

Gorsuch specifically highlighted the targeting of churches during the pandemic, with authorities monitoring parking lots, recording licence plates, and threatening criminal charges for attending outdoor services that complied with all social distancing and hygiene requirements.

Referring to the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v Cuomo case, where a Catholic diocese sued the former New York Governor for singling out religious institutions, Gorsuch emphasised that individuals were forced to defend their freedoms in court.

He called upon Congress and state legislatures to re-evaluate the extent of emergency executive powers, lamenting the inadequate response from these bodies during the crisis.

Gorsuch also held the judicial system partly responsible, stating that courts, with a duty to protect liberties, failed to address all infringements and even facilitated the continuation of emergency public-health decrees for secondary purposes.

He stressed the importance of learning from this chapter in history, highlighting the power of fear and the desire for safety, and cautioned against concentrating power in the hands of a few, advocating for robust and uncensored debate.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

The Hill

In the prayer, Gregory asked God to "grant eternal peace to all our sisters and brothers lost to this disease."

"Let us now open our hearts to recall those who have died from the coronavirus," Cardinal Gregory prayed. "Strengthen those families and friends who remain behind, to comfort one another and to wipe the tears from our eyes. May each one find peace and let the memory of our loved ones itself be a blessing."

The cardinal called it "a great honor and privilege" to offer the prayer at the invitation of Jake Tapper, CNN anchor and chief Washington correspondent, on the program "We Remember 500,000: A National Memorial Service for Covid-19."

The United States surpassed 500,000 deaths due to the coronavirus on Feb. 22.

More than 28.2 million Americans have been infected by the virus.

On Monday evening, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and their families gathered at the White House to mark a moment of silence for those who have died from Covid-19.

Shortly before the ceremony, Mr Biden delivered remarks. He noted the milestone comes during Lent, which he called "a season of reflection and renewal." He said that many Americans died from Covid while being isolated in hospitals, away from family and loved ones.

"As a nation, we can't accept such a cruel fate. While we have been fighting this pandemic for so long, we have to resist becoming numb to the sorrow. We have to resist viewing each life as a statistic or a blur or on the news. And we must do so to honor the dead, but equally important, care for the living and those left behind," Mr Biden said.

Mr Biden urged Americans to continue to take precautions to fight the spread of the coronavirus and to get vaccinated when possible. If those steps are taken, he said, life will return to normal sooner rather than later.

As of Feb. 22, close to 13% of the U.S. population has received the first round of the Covid-19 vaccine. Approximately 6% of Americans had received both shots by that date.

Sources

Catholic Philly

America Magazine

While that's not to say that bigger dioceses and parishes didn't feel any sting — some dioceses started making cuts in the early months of the pandemic — smaller churches and dioceses at the outset didn't have the financial wherewithal to deal with its consequences.

The year ahead may offer at least a glimmer of hope to dioceses and churches who nonetheless responded to the call for help and accompaniment, but the road is far from easy.

One thing is certain: The federal government's Paycheck Protection Program was a lifeline to parishes and dioceses of all sizes.

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