Pete for months, Americans have PETE for months. Americans have been forced to find new ways to pray, as churches across the country remain under strict Covid D 19 restrictions. Our next guest says this is a violation of our most basic religious freedom and its condemning San Francisco leaders in a new op Ed Entitled, Americans right to worship is being denied by government. I wont be silent anymore. The archbishop of San Francisco Salvadore Joseph Cardeleone, joins me now, archbishop. Thank you. So much for being here explain your peace and why youre speaking out now? First of all, I want to say that we want to make sure that when we return to worship, we do so in a safe way and weve shown that we can do that. Recent study that examined one million masses celebrated over a period of fourteen weeks. There was not one infection traceable to the attendance at the church service when certain safety protocols were observed, so we can do it safely. Other types of activities that

are similar are maybe even more dangerous, are allowed to go on while were not allowed to worship, and the government really has no authority to tell us whether or not we can worship think Ehave no authority to tell us whether or not were essential. They have no authority to tell us what forms of worship are essential and which are not. They have the authority to tell us what we need to do to keep people safe when we worship, but those are restrictions, cant be so severe as to effectively ban worship and thats whats been going on here in San Francisco. It is a fundamental right. Religious freedom is a fundamental right, its protected by the first amendment of the constitution, its not given by the first amendment, its protected by the first amendment. Other activities that are not constitutionally protected are allowed to go on so were asking that the city to allow us to exercise our right to worship without any sort of impediment. There is a movement going on right now, a petition drive to

ask the city to do this for us that people can go online to sign at freedomask dot com to give the signal. This is a right that needs to be respected in a way that is responsible with reasonable safety precautions that we have developed, PETE yeah, its the double standard thats existed, which points out that it feels like it is a targeting of people of faith and effectively deeming it not essential. As you pointed out, you dont need that right now, thats at least, if its not said its unsaid it absolutely targeting and people need connection to their faith and their faith communities, and we know the problems going on with mental health and can increase depression, spike and suicide overdose and domestic violence and spiritual health is a concern because people are more and more isolated and people of faith need to be connected with their faith community and with the exercise of their faith here in San Francisco. The latest health order allows only one person inside a church at a time to pray and all kinds of other

activities are allowed to go on. But what does one person inside of a church to pray, PETE ive been inside of plenty of catholic churches and cathedrals theyre large theres lots of room people dont have to sit right next to each other, usually whats the rationale, one person. Nobody has given me a rationale: they are discriminat ing against us. This is clearly targeted against us. They arent issuing this kind of they claim that it applies to political buildings. But what does political buildings mean a campaign office? Perhaps political activity doesnt have their own places of assembly like faith communities do with the house of worships. I sense our people are really getting fed up and I sense more and more of an in patience in this kind of growing, throw the buns out kind of mentality, PETE Archbishop. Thank you. So much for stepping up writing.