Father Brendan Busse of Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights was accused of encouraging parishioners to pledge "YES" in removing Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva from office.
Encouraging to Vote "Yes" to Remove Villanueva from Office
Father Brendan Busse of Dolores Mission in Boyle Heights is urging the congregation's parishioners to vote "Yes" on a ballot measure that would remove Alex Villanueva from his position as Sheriff of Los Angeles County.
If the measure is successful, Villanueva would be forced out of office.
According to Fox LA, Measure A would provide the Board of Supervisors of Los Angeles County with the authority to remove the Sheriff from office if the people of Los Angeles County support it.
In a video, Busse can be heard saying that a measure allowing supervision over the county sheriff would be beneficial. In addition, he stated that there had been a number of concerns about how the Sheriff was exercising his power.
Busse added that simply monitoring him to ensure that he is not abusing his authority is the sole purpose of this individual's presence. After the video was made public, it gave the impression that Busse had changed his position regarding the controversial lecture.
During an interview published on a well-known social media group called Vintage Los Angeles Crime, the priest at the Dolores Mission stated that he did not take a political stance.
Although Busse stated that he did not receive specific permission from the archdiocese, there was not a partisan position taken. He also noted that no one in any way is calling for the Sheriff's removal.
According to the church, Busse volunteers with the Ignatian Spirituality Project in Chicago, which assists formerly homeless men and women in their recovery from addiction.
He has also attended MAGIS and World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, spent the summer living and working in an orphanage in the far northeast region of India, and regularly contributes articles to America magazine and TheJesuitPost.org.
About Dolores Mission
Dolores Mission is a Jesuit Catholic parish in the Boyle Heights neighborhood of East Los Angeles. Its members believe that Christ suffers, dies, and is resurrected alongside the residents of that neighborhood.
The poor Spanish-speaking immigrants of the area were the primary focus of the 1925 founding of the Dolores Mission Jesuit Parish, as stated on its website.
The parish covers two square miles, and the Jesuits arrived in 1980 to minister to a community blighted by poverty and the consequences of seven to nine violent gangs.
Dolores Mission offers a wide variety of activities and services, in addition to sacramental preparation and liturgies, with the goal of alleviating the adverse effects that the neighborhood's conditions have on the local population.
Also, Christian Base Communities are the gateway through which members of Dolores Mission Parish engage in community outreach and engagement activities. These CBCs are comprised of smaller religious congregations that provide services to the broader Dolores community.
