A Statement from the Office of the Legate

To the clergy, the faithful, the frightened, and the watching world:

I speak to you today as a bishop charged with care of souls.

I have seen clergy arrested. I have seen families torn apart. I have seen immigrants taken in fear, not after judgment, but before mercy. I have seen the name of law invoked where justice was absent, and the name of order invoked where compassion was refused. These things are not distant abstractions. They are wounds in the Body of Christ.

Let me be clear. The Church does not belong to the state. The conscience of a Christian does not submit to cruelty. And no command that requires the harm of the vulnerable carries authority before God.

Scripture leaves no ambiguity. Our Lord says, “I was a stranger and you did not welcome me.” He does not ask whether the stranger had papers. He asks whether we recognized Him. The apostles remind us, “We must obey God rather than men.” The prophets warn that laws can be written unjustly and that those who enforce them without mercy share in their guilt.

Clergy who are arrested for protecting the vulnerable do not stand outside the Gospel. They stand squarely within its long and costly tradition. Immigrants taken without regard for dignity, family, or fear are not statistics. They are neighbors. They are bearers of the image of God. They are Christ among us.

From this Church, there will be no silence dressed up as neutrality. There will be no blessing given to actions that violate the baptismal covenant. There will be no refuge offered to cruelty under the guise of obedience. Those who knowingly participate in grave harm and refuse repentance place themselves outside communion, not by my will, but by their own choice.

To those who are afraid, you are seen. To those who have been taken, you are not forgotten. To those who stand between power and the powerless, you do not stand alone.

This Church will continue to speak, to shelter conscience, to protect the bruised reed, and to proclaim that the authority of Christ stands higher than every badge, order, or decree that forgets love.

Lastly, to ICE; In the judgment of this office, your continued actions constitute blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.

I do not say this lightly, nor do I claim the authority of final judgment. That belongs to God alone. His mercy is His to give, whether my judgment is right or wrong, and I presume no control over it. But I do have responsibility for what I say as a bishop of the Church, and I will speak honestly.

Christ Himself gives the criterion. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is not a careless word or a moment of fear. It is the knowing rejection and inversion of God’s merciful work. God is the author of all good works. Through the Holy Spirit they flow to humanity. The Holy Spirit convicts the human heart and inclines it toward mercy, protection of the vulnerable, healing, and love of neighbor.

When good that comes from God is seen and recognized, and is then deliberately punished, suppressed, or treated as evil in order to justify harm, the work of the Spirit is rejected. This rejection does not require verbal admission. It is evident where conscience is overridden by rationalization, force, or denial. Evil does not freely acknowledge what is good, but it does respond to it. Hesitation, defensive justification, overreaction, and suppression of doubt testify that moral agency remains intact.

When mercy is met with violence, when aid is treated as threat, and when love of neighbor is answered with lethal force, the moral line Christ names is crossed. I am not God, and I do not declare the eternal fate of any soul. But in my pastoral judgment, the criterion Christ Himself established has been met.

Repentance remains possible so long as the heart is not hardened. Mercy remains available so long as it is not despised. But the Church must speak truthfully when the work of the Holy Spirit is named evil and crushed by power.

“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.”

Given from the Office of the Legate
Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels

Actions Taken by the Office of the Legate

Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels – Minnesota Response

• Issued a formal pastoral and doctrinal condemnation of state violence against the vulnerable, grounded explicitly in the Gospel, the Baptismal Covenant, and Matthew 25, clarifying that participation in such acts constitutes grave moral failure incompatible with Christian discipleship.
• Publicly affirmed that the Church’s loyalty is to Christ and conscience, not to any civil authority, reiterating the Church’s historic position that unjust laws and actions lack moral binding force.
• Declared that no church property, sanctuary (physical or virtual), clergy authority, or sacramental act may be used to assist, justify, or spiritually launder acts of harm, intimidation, or repression, whether directly or indirectly.
• Named by office and category the moral responsibility of Christians who knowingly participate in harm, rejecting ambiguity, euphemism, or silence as forms of complicity.
• Instituted immediate pastoral protections for the vulnerable, including migrants, mixed-status families, and those fearful of engaging religious institutions due to state action.
• Ordered the temporary relocation and safeguarding of church membership records, under emergency pastoral authority, for the sole purpose of protecting congregants from intimidation or misuse of ecclesial records; explicitly forbidding destruction, falsification, or obstruction of lawful process.
• Issued clear guidance to clergy regarding encounters with civil authorities, emphasizing:
  • Non-interference with lawful process
  • Non-cooperation with unlawful or immoral actions
  • Preservation of pastoral confidentiality
  • De-escalation and protection of human dignity
• Formally warned clergy and members that participation in acts judged to be grave evil constitutes self-exclusion from communion, with excommunication recognized as a pastoral acknowledgment of that rupture, not a punishment.
• Declared that repentance, cessation of harmful conduct, and concrete amendment of life are prerequisites for restoration to communion, consistent with Scripture and historic Church discipline.
• Established a clear ecclesial distinction between protest against injustice and desecration within sacred space, affirming that churches are houses of God, not theaters for intimidation, retaliation, or coercion.
• Canonically reaffirmed the Church’s doctrine of the “bruised reed”, explicitly naming that Christ stands with the wounded, not with the machinery that crushes them.
• Extended pastoral recognition and honor to witnesses of conscience, including those harmed or killed while resisting injustice, affirming that sanctity is measured by fidelity to love and truth, not institutional approval.
• Placed the full moral weight of the Office of the Legate behind the principle that the Church must be seen choosing sides, not between parties, but between the Gospel and cruelty.
• Canonized Renee Nicole Good as Saint, Martyr, and Witness in the HCCoG faith.
• Issued an Apostolic Bull on ICE declaring that civil disobedience, and nonviolent protests are congruent with the Gospels of Christ and righteous. That anybody arrested, prosecuted, or fatally wounded for engaging in civil disobedience or nonviolent protest have been persecuted for righteousness sake and are shall be received into the church as martyrs, suffering for the sake of conscience.
• Canonized and received into the Church Alex Jeffrey Pretti as saint and martyr

Documents, Announcements, and Written Statements

From the Office of His Holiness, the Legate, of the Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels

Given this, the 22nd day of January, in the year of our Lord Jesus Christ 2026, at the Basilica of Saint Longinus.

An Annoucement from HCCoG:

In solidarity with our Minnesota faith communities, we here are highly resolved to declare tomorrow, Friday, January the 23rd, 2026, a day of prayer.

We pray for the intercession of our new saint, Saint Renee Good, and all ither saints, that they watch over the twin cities and delivers us from the abuses of ICE.

We pray that ICE leave peacefully, wothout any further escalation.

We pray for those who have been taken, attested, detained, or deported by ICE without due process.

We pray to almighty God that justice will prevail, and the constitutional rights of our friends and neighbors will be upheld.

We pray that God will incline the hardest hearts towards becoming hearts of mercy and kindness.

We pray for the Church, our fellow faith communities, and all those who seek peace, justice, and compassion.

May God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, be with you and remain with you always. Amen.

His Holiness, the Legate

Chief Legate-Bishop of the Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels

Bishop Ecclesiae of the Basilica of Saint Longinus

Announcement from His Holiness, the Legate; the staff of HCCoG; and the staff of the Basilica of Saint Longinus the Centurion

Given on the 14th day of January in 2026 at the Basilica of Saint Longinus.

To our brothers and sisters in Christ in Minnesota, and to all clergy and faithful members within the state.

We at the Holy Catholic Church of the Gospels stand with you all. In recent days, independent clergy have reached out to this office reporting that ICE agents have arrived at church property demanding entry. So we would like to issue some guidance.

First, do not forget that the Church is the House of God. The act of armed agents demanding entry is akin to trying to batter down the doors of the Kingdom of God or to attempt to take his home and kingdom by force or coercion. We are ministers and servants of the Most High, and we must protect His house of worship. If money changers weren’t allowed in the temple by Christ, we believe armed agents wouldn’t be allowed if they aren’t there to truly worship. God knows all and sees all. He knows what is in the human heart; and each shall be judged by Christ in light of faith, works, and conscience.

Second, at this time we direct our own clergy to move to home churches. When Christianity was outlawed by Rome, the faithful met in homes and hidden places. In our day, some of our members are being treated as outlaws. Historically, churches have held protections against interference; this norm can no longer be presumed. The easiest place to surveil, identify, or seize the faithful is during public worship. Therefore, for the safety of the vulnerable, we instruct that worship be moved into private homes and dwellings until further notice. If necessity requires it, make worship services by private invitation only (specifically by clergy invite only).

Third, we ask that our clergy remove their church’s records to a safe location in a private space. While this contradicts the bylaws, we believe this step is necessary to ensure that member information stays between that member and the church. This directive is issued as an emergency pastoral and protective measure under extraordinary circumstances, and shall remain in force only so long as the threat persists. This directive does not authorize destruction, falsification, or concealment of evidence, nor does it authorize interference with lawful process; it is issued solely to protect pastoral confidentiality and the safety of the vulnerable. This directive applies only where a church property is routinely unoccupied for extended periods due to safety concerns or unrest, and is intended to reduce the risk of theft, damage, or unauthorized access to confidential pastoral records.

To the state of Minnesota, this church stands with you. As per our baptismal covenants which require that we abstain from helping or assisting that which is evil, we will not help or aid ICE. We will, to the furthest extent allowable under law, refuse to help ICE in any way without a judicial warrant signed by a judge. Clergy, regardless of denominion, please do not obstruct or physically interfere with officers; if presented with a judicial warrant, comply and contact your church’s counsel immediately. Furthermore, for purposes of accurate emergency response, our members should record relevant medical conditions, allergies, and medications on their membership forms so that, if EMS has to be called for any reason, first responders can give appropriate life-saving care. In a world where a physician was denied access to provide medical care, we as a church must do what we can to protect and serve our flock. We further remind Minnesota clerics that under Minnesota law and the First Amendment, church records are afforded strong constitutional and statutory protections, and any attempt to compel their disclosure is subject to strict judicial scrutiny.

Effective immediately, any member of this Church who knowingly and willingly participates in acts of coercive detention, family separation, or warrantless intrusion in violation of conscience and human dignity is hereby excommunicated, and is done “auctoritate mea, in nomine Ecclesiae.” When one knowingly and intentionally commits evil acts, we believe in seeking forgiveness and we know pardon will come from Christ if truly sorry. However, part of repentance is being truly sorry and endeavoring to abstain from committing that act again. Until true repentance is made, and the notoriously evil life such a member is living in ends, we cannot give them the blessed sacrament. We suggest, but in no way ask, other clergy to do the same. Our first reaction is to help such a member reattain their state of grace, however we are not miracle workers. Some things, like the conviction of one’s soul, belong to Christ. We must love such members from a distance.

His Holiness, the legate has returned to his home state until further notice. We only know he will be moving throughout the State of Minnesota, trying to help wherever possible. He asks that other faith leaders stand with their colleagues at city council meetings to discuss how the church is being impacted by ICE. We can no longer stay silent while the federal government, much like Rome, inflicts wounds anew on the body of Christ.

It pains this body to have to undertake these steps, and to give such public guidance. However, our doctrine recognizes that not every law is a good law. At this time, we remember in our hearts the people detained, killed, and those deported by ICE. We especially remember Germany, where ordinary people once hid their neighbors when secret police went door to door. It is sad that in the 21st century, in a country that portrays itself as Christian, is betraying the core tenet of the faith; to love and care for all, including the stranger. What we do for those we call “the least” or “lesser” than us, we do to Christ. His face is their face. Those who deny them, and hurt them, hurt Christ himself. We implore all persons engaged in this evil work to repent and amend their way of life.

We remain, brothers and sisters, laborers in Christ’s Vineyard

His Holiness, the Legate

The Staff of The Basilica

The Staff of HCCoG