A Message from Bishop Austin

Jan 8, 2026 | #BishopStatements, #Press&BishopStatements, #PressRelease

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Since Monday, I’ve been participating in a contemplative prayer retreat with some of my fellow bishops in Schuyler, Nebraska. The time we’ve spent has been meaningful, and I am particularly grateful to have begun this new year focused on prayer—this most essential part of our Christian discipleship that can often fall by the wayside as the concerns and crush of the world mount.

Like many of you, I awoke on January 3 to the shocking and disheartening news that our country invaded Venezuela, forcibly removed their president, and unabashedly stated that the U.S. was going to run the country and control its oil production. For an administration that promised many things, including the end of our involvement in “forever wars,” this action is especially alarming. The fact that our duly elected representatives in Congress had absolutely no involvement in this decision is beyond troubling for such a weighty and consequential action.

I asked myself, “What can I do as a Christian, as an American citizen, and as a child of God who values the hard-won democracy that generations of our forebears bled for, marched for, and sought to perfect?”

I am not so naïve as to believe that my salvation arises through our political system or our elected leaders. I do my best to avoid partisan bluster. I endeavor to refrain from the same dehumanization of those who vote differently from me that I find deplorable when aimed at me.

But there are times that require us to make our ultimate allegiance known, and the combination of this action in Venezuela, repeated attempts to rewrite the history of the January 6 Capitol riot, and yesterday’s murder of Renee Good in Minnesota by ICE agents makes me do so now.

As a follower of the One we know as the Prince of Peace, I see war as one of our worst human failures and must only be considered as a last resort. To actively seek it out, especially when one’s own life is not offered in service to the cause, is reckless, foolish, and decidedly not in line with the teachings of Christ.

The attempts to whitewash the violence and insurrection of January 6, on the day we Western Christians celebrate the last day of Christmas and the arrival of the wise ones at Jesus’ manger is jarring. As Christians, we celebrate the Epiphany, which is about the promises of God extending beyond Jesus’ narrow social context and tribe to enlighten the nations and larger world. And yet, January 6 in our country is now known for division, destruction, and deceit. Such misdirection and schemes are more easily associated with King Herod than with the King of Kings who is the way, the truth, and the life.

And when I see another civilian murdered by an ICE agent on a residential street in Minnesota, and the sickening spin that ensues, I wonder when it will be enough. How many more innocent people will die before we decide to say no more?  How many of the freedoms our forebears fought for must be erased before we stand up together and take our own risks for freedom’s sake?

As I said earlier, I’ve chosen to begin this new year with a renewed focus on contemplative prayer. The Bishop of Minnesota, the Rt. Rev. Craig Loya, who now must deal with this crisis in his diocese, as well as the Bishop of Washington, the Rt. Rev. Mariann Budde, who called our country to decency and mercy last year during this season, have been praying here as well.

I ask all of you who read this, regardless of who you vote for, to join us in this renewed focus and to attend to your own prayer lives.

Not as a way of shutting out the world, or disengaging from the hard work ahead of us, but as the surest path to discerning how and when to enact your faith allegiance in the public square.

Through contemplative prayer, each of us comes face to face with two simultaneous truths—we are all beset by fears and the shadow sides of our souls that we’d prefer to ignore or hide AND we are all beloved by God in unfathomable ways that we spend this existence exploring. The more we can attune ourselves to these truths, the more we can both receive and extend grace and perceive when it is time to take the fruits of prayer and convert them into action.

As we move into this Epiphany season, in a time of uncertainty and fear in our country, I pray that you will resist the urge to meet violence with violence, hatred with more hatred, and dehumanization with more dehumanization.

Sink the roots of your heart deep into the rich soil of Jesus’ way, truth, and life and draw from the living water that only he can provide. And most importantly, connect with your siblings in Christ for strength and support and keep reminding one another of “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable,” and then find ways to live that out together.

For the sake of our country, the sake of our planet, and the sake of your very souls.

Yours in Christ,

Austin

Desde el lunes, he estado participando en un retiro de oración contemplativa con algunos de mis compañeros obispos en Schuyler, Nebraska.  El tiempo que hemos dedicado en este retiro ha sido significativo, y he estado especialmente agradecido de comenzar el año nuevo centrándome en la oración—esta parte tan esencial de nuestro discipulado cristiano que a veces puede quedar en segundo plano a medida que aumentan las preocupaciones y presiones del mundo.

Como muchos de ustedes, desperté el 3 de enero con la impactante y desalentadora noticia de que nuestro país invadió Venezuela, destituyó por la fuerza a su presidente y declaró sin complejos que Estados Unidos iba a gobernar el país y controlar su producción de petróleo.  Para una administración que prometió muchas cosas, incluso el fin de nuestra participación en “guerras eternas”, esta acción es especialmente alarmante. El hecho de que nuestros representantes debidamente elegidos en el Congreso no tuvieran absolutamente ninguna implicación en esta decisión es más que preocupante para una acción tan importante y trascendental.

Me pregunté: ¿Qué puedo hacer como cristiano, como ciudadano estadounidense y como hijo de Dios que valora la democracia ganada con esfuerzo por la que generaciones de nuestros antepasados sangraron, marcharon y buscaron perfeccionar?

No soy tan ingenuo como para creer que mi salvación surge de nuestro sistema político ni de nuestros líderes electos.  Hago todo lo posible por evitar fanfarronería partidista y procuro evitar la misma deshumanización de quienes votan de forma diferente a mí y que encuentro deplorable cuando se dirige a mí.

Pero hay momentos en los que debemos hacer pública nuestra lealtad definitiva, y la combinación de esta acción en Venezuela, los repetidos intentos de reescribir la historia del motín del Capitolio del 6 de enero y el asesinato ayer de La Sra. Renee Good en Minnesota por agentes de ICE me hace hacerlo ahora.

Como seguidor del Único que conocemos como el Príncipe de la Paz, veo la guerra como uno de los peores fracasos humanos que solo debe considerarse como último recurso.  Buscarlo activamente, especialmente cuando la propia vida no se ofrece al servicio de la causa, es imprudente, necio y decididamente no concuerda con las enseñanzas de Cristo.

Los intentos de blanquear la violencia y la insurrección del 6 de enero, en el día en que los cristianos occidentales celebramos el último día de Navidad y la llegada de los sabios al pesebre de Jesús, resultan chocantes.  Como cristianos, celebramos la Epifanía, que trata sobre las promesas de Dios que se extienden más allá del estrecho contexto social y la tribu de Jesús para iluminar a las naciones y al mundo en general.  Y, sin embargo, el 6 de enero en nuestro país es ahora conocido por la división, la destrucción y el engaño.  Tales engaños y intrigas se asocian más fácilmente con el rey Herodes que con el Rey de Reyes, que es el camino, la verdad y la vida.

Y cuando vea a otro civil asesinado por un agente de ICE en una calle residencial de Minnesota, y el giro nauseabundo de desinformación que se desataba, me pregunto cuándo será suficiente.  ¿Cuántas personas inocentes más morirán antes de que decidamos no decir más?  ¿Cuántas de las libertades por las que lucharon nuestros antepasados deben ser borradas antes de que nos levantemos juntos y asumamos nuestros propios riesgos por la libertad?

Como dije antes, he decidido comenzar este nuevo año con un renovado enfoque en la oración contemplativa.  El Obispo Craig Loya en Minnesota, que ahora tiene que lidiar con esta crisis en su diócesis, así como La Obispa Mariann Budde, que llamó a nuestro país a la decencia y la misericordia el año pasado durante esta temporada, también han estado orando aquí.

Les pido a todos los que lean esto, independientemente de a quién voten, que les unan a nosotros en este renovado enfoque y que atendáis vuestras propias vidas de oración.

No sea como una forma de aislarse del mundo ni de desvincularse del arduo trabajo que tenemos por delante, sino como el camino más seguro para discernir cómo y cuándo ejercer nuestra lealtad de fe en la plaza pública.

A través de la oración contemplativa, cada uno de nosotros se enfrenta a dos verdades simultáneas: todos estamos acosados por miedos y los lados oscuros de nuestra alma que preferiríamos ignorar o ocultar Y todos somos amados por Dios de formas insondables que dedicamos esta existencia a explorar.  Cuanto más sintonizemos con estas verdades en nosotros mismos, más podremos tanto recibir como extender la gracia y percibir cuándo llega el momento de tomar los frutos de la oración y convertirlos en acción.

Al adentrarnos en esta temporada de la Epifanía, en un tiempo de incertidumbre y miedo en nuestro país, rezo para que ustedes resistan el impulso de responder a la violencia con más violencia, al odio con más odio y a la deshumanización para más deshumanización.

Hundan las raíces del corazón profundamente en la rica tierra del camino, la verdad y la vida de Jesús y tomen del agua viva que solo Él puede proporcionar.  Y lo más importante, conecten con sus hermanas, hermanos, y hermanes en Cristo para obtener fuerza y apoyo, y recuerden mutuamente “lo que sea verdad, lo que sea honorable, lo justo, lo que sea puro, lo que sea agradable, lo que sea encomiable” — y luego busquen maneras de vivir eso juntos.

Por el bien de nuestro país, por el bien de nuestro planeta y por el bien de sus propias almas.

Suyo en Cristo,

Austin

A Letter from the Episcopal Bishops in the State of California

Jun 10, 2025 | #BishopStatements, #Press&BishopStatements, #PressRelease

Beloved in Christ,

Like all Californians, we are watching with great concern the events unfolding around immigration protests in Los Angeles. We are deeply concerned about the ICE raids and about the potential for violence arising from the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to the Los Angeles area. We are concerned that military deployments will escalate the confrontations unnecessarily, and worry that all of our regions in California may be subject to future deployments that heighten tensions rather than resolving them.

Bishop John Harvey Taylor, the Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles, has posted on social media this past weekend about what is happening in Los Angeles and his interpretation of the ways in which local officials, law enforcement, federal agencies, and protesters are all interacting. He expressed deep pain and anger as fourteen people in one single Episcopal congregation in that diocese were detained by ICE on Friday. Certainly, we as Episcopalians are shocked and saddened when any of our own are removed from our beloved community.

In all six of our dioceses, people are concerned and fearful about the denial of due process for those detained and the potential for ICE raids targeting beloved community institutions and people working to support their families. People feel angry and threatened that the haven they sought in our communities is no longer safe. US citizens and legal residents feel deep grief at losing beloved friends and family members. Children whose parents are deported face uncertain futures. In our churches, we strive to protect our members who are at risk.

Our Baptismal Covenant asks us, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people and respect the dignity of every human being (BCP p. 417)?” This question is a direct and ongoing call to us as persons who follow Christ to live out our calling opposed to injustice, to violence of any kind, and to stand up where human beings are not treated as we would treat a child of God. This question needs to be foremost in our thoughts as we consider our response to the situation in Los Angeles.

In the Episcopal Church, we uphold a proud tradition of advocating for civil rights and supporting the vulnerable in our society. We stand for fierce love and for justice that leads to peace, as well as societal practices that preserve human dignity. With God’s help, we will speak and pray on behalf of all in this situation.

Bishop Taylor has asked for our prayers for Los Angeles, and we invite all our dioceses to pray for the unfolding situation there as well as for peace and justice in all our communities. We ask that you join us in praying:

“Grant, O God, that your holy and life-giving Spirit may so move every human heart, and especially the hearts of the people of this land, that barriers which divide us may crumble, suspicions disappear, and hatreds cease; that our divisions being healed, we may live in justice and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen (BCP p. 823).”
In Christ,

The Rt. Rev. Lucinda Ashby
Episcopal Bishop of El Camino Real

The Rt. Rev. David Rice
Episcopal Bishop of San Joaquin

The Rt. Rev. Austin K. Rios
Episcopal Bishop of California

The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook
Episcopal Bishop of San Diego

The Rt. Rev. John Harvey Taylor
Episcopal Bishop of Los Angeles

The Rt. Rev. Megan Traquair
Episcopal Bishop of Northern California