{"id":101298,"date":"2026-07-29T13:08:18","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:08:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/?p=101298"},"modified":"2026-07-29T13:08:18","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T13:08:18","slug":"archbishop-wester-defends-proposed-mosque-in-new-mexico-criticizes-anti-muslim-sentiment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/ar\/learn\/archbishop-wester-defends-proposed-mosque-in-new-mexico-criticizes-anti-muslim-sentiment\/","title":{"rendered":"Archbishop Wester defends proposed mosque in New Mexico, criticizes \u2018anti-Muslim sentiment\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

Archbishop John Charles Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, voiced support for a Muslim group\u2019s effort to construct a mosque in the suburbs of Albuquerque after the plan faced some community pushback.<\/p>\n

The Albuquerque Islamic Center received approval for the new mosque in North Valley in a 5-1 vote by the Bernalillo County Planning Commission on July 1. The hearing was about five hours long with comments from the community, and the commission ultimately approved the mosque but not the proposed school, to keep the project smaller and the expected traffic lighter.<\/p>\n

Wester issued a six-paragraph statement<\/a> on July 27 in support of the project, saying Muslims have a right to access worship services and religious freedom extends beyond Christians.<\/p>\n

In his statement, the archbishop said he has heard \u201cconcerns from residents\u201d about the planned mosque and felt \u201ccompelled to speak clearly and pastorally\u201d about the tension.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Muslim neighbors have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own,\u201d he said and cited the Second Vatican Council\u2019s declaration on religious freedom, Dignitatis Humanae<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n

Our Muslim neighbors have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n
Archbishop John Charles Wester<\/div>\n
\n

Archdiocese of Santa Fe, New Mexico<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201c[The document] taught that every person \u2018must be free from coercion\u2019 in matters of faith,\u201d he said. \u201cThis principle applies universally. It is not limited to Catholics or Christians; it extends fully to Muslims, Jews, and all people who seek to worship according to their conscience. Supporting the construction of a mosque is therefore entirely consistent with our own tradition and moral commitments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wester encouraged \u201crespect, dialogue, and peaceful coexistence\u201d among people of different religious beliefs. He added: \u201cWe do not need to share the same beliefs to share the same neighborhood. What we do need is a willingness to listen, to learn, and to recognize the face of a neighbor rather than a stranger.\u201d<\/p>\n

The archbishop said interfaith relationships \u201cenrich our civic life and strengthen the social fabric we all depend on\u201d and criticized \u201canti-Muslim sentiment.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAny hostility toward Muslims \u2014 whether expressed through rhetoric, suspicion, or opposition to their places of worship \u2014 is incompatible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, who commands us to love our neighbor without exception,\u201d Wester said.<\/p>\n

\u201cFear of the other is not a Christian virtue,\u201d he added. \u201cHospitality is. Our Muslim brothers and sisters have faced discrimination and hostility in many parts of the country. When such prejudice arises, Catholics are called to stand beside them, not apart from them. Supporting their right to build a mosque is one concrete way to affirm their dignity and to reject the forces that seek to marginalize them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ibrahim Hooper, national communications director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, welcomed the archbishop\u2019s support in a statement<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe welcome Archbishop Wester\u2019s principled statement defending religious freedom and thank him for speaking out,\u201d Hooper said. \u201cThe freedom to worship is a fundamental and inalienable right of every American and every human being. As anti-Muslim bigotry rises throughout our nation, people of conscience and faith must stand together to encourage mutual respect.\u201d<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.ewtnnews.com\/world\/us\/archbishop-wester-defends-proposed-new-mexico-mosque<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Archbishop John Charles Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, voiced support for a Muslim group\u2019s effort to construct a mosque in the suburbs of Albuquerque after the plan faced some community pushback. The Albuquerque Islamic Center received approval for the new mosque in North Valley in a 5-1 vote by the Bernalillo County Planning Commission […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_wpcom_ai_launchpad_first_post":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"{title}\n\n{excerpt}\n\n{url}","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"_wpas_customize_per_network":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[100],"tags":[],"series":[],"class_list":["post-101298","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-christian-news"],"mb":[],"acf":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":101233,"url":"https:\/\/christianpure.com\/ar\/learn\/white-house-marks-45th-anniversary-of-martyrdom-of-blessed-stanley-rother\/","url_meta":{"origin":101298,"position":0},"title":"White 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