Statements and Letters

Updated Feb. 12, 2025

En Español

The following is a collection of the recent statements and letters from Bishop Anthony B. Taylor. For more information, visit or contact the Office of the Bishop.

• Bishop suspends Father Charles Thessing — Feb. 12, 2025
• Bishop appeals to the heart on immigration — Jan. 23, 2025
• Bishop appoints jubilee sites in Arkansas — Dec. 2, 2024
• Bishop: Dec. 9 is a holy day of obligation — Nov. 25, 2024
• Bishop releases liturgical updates June 26 — June 28, 2024
• Bishop addresses 'white flag' comments — April 1, 2024
• Bishop addresses state abortion petition — Feb. 12, 2024
• Bishop: Hot Springs priest requests leave — Feb. 5, 2024
• Bishop joins 17 other bishops in letter calling for U.S. to cut military spending (Letter) — Jan. 22, 2024
• Bishop addresses new blessings document — Dec. 19, 2023
• Bishop lifts Good Friday fasting for laborers — April 5, 2023
• Support tornado relief efforts in Arkansas — April 1, 2023
• Diocese releases annual audit report — Feb. 27, 2023
• Bishop responds to Arkansas synod report — Dec. 1, 2022
• Bishop opposes legalization of marijuana — Sept. 30, 2022
• Bishop addresses St. Augustine diocese — May 24, 2022
• Bishop addresses nuclear disarmament — March 2, 2022
• Bishop issues statement about Ukraine — Feb. 25, 2022
• Bishop explains need for eucharistic revival — Feb. 15, 2022
• Bishop issues a Thanksgiving message — Nov. 25, 2021
• Bishop issues letter on synod in Arkansas — Oct. 17, 2021
• Priests can’t facilitate ‘religious exemption’ — Aug. 23, 2021
• Special collection to be taken up for Haiti — Aug. 20, 2021
• Parishes are free to set Mass restrictions — July 26, 2021
• Bishop addresses limits to Latin Mass — July 16, 2021
• Bishop comments on the delta variant — July 9, 2021
• Bishop comments on Eucharist document — June 29, 2021
• Mask-wearing optional, but recommended — May 9, 2021
• Bishop: Mass protocols to change April 1 — March 25, 2021
• Bishop Taylor's brother dies March 15 — March 15, 2021
• Bishop Taylor addresses vaccine options — March 3, 2021
• Bishop asks for prayer for Iraq papal visit — Feb. 26, 2021
• Bishop Taylor issues email scam alert — Jan. 21, 2021
• Bishop: Vaccines are "morally permissible" — Dec. 21, 2020
• Bishop gives update after testing positive — Dec. 15, 2020
• Bishop awaiting results of COVID-19 test — Dec. 9, 2020
• Bishop thanks our health care workers — Nov. 24, 2020
• Bishop comments on McCarrick report — Nov. 11, 2020
• Bishop clarifies pope's civil union comment — Oct. 22, 2020
• Clarification as Mass obligation resumes — Sept. 29, 2020
• Protocols the same as obligation resumes — Sept. 26, 2020
• Sunday Mass obligation to resume Oct. 1 — Sept. 25, 2020
• Bishop issues Black Lives Matter statement — July 2, 2020
• Bishop Taylor issues statement on racism — June 2, 2020
• Restricted public Masses to resume in May — May 4, 2020
• Bishop to decide May 6 about public Mass — April 30, 2020
• Bishop: No public Masses through May 18 — April 15, 2020
• Bishop suspends Masses after March 21 — March 12, 2020
• Bishop implements precautions at Masses — March 1, 2020
• Catholics should learn, discern and vote — Feb. 24, 2020
• Bishop comments on federal changes to immigration rules — Oct. 7, 2019
• Bishop supports Catholic Day of Action for Immigrant Children — July 13, 2019
• Bishop comments on reports of a new translation of the Lord’s Prayer in Italian — July 9, 2019
• Bishop Taylor reflects on USCCB meeting — Nov. 17, 2018
• Bishop releases update on ongoing sex abuse crisis — Oct. 23, 2018
• Bishop discloses names of clergy credibly accused of child sexual abuse — Sept. 10, 2018
• Bishop comments on Pennsylvania grand jury report — Aug. 16, 2018
• Bishop addresses resignation of cardinal — July 31, 2018
• Bishop: Don't separate immigrant families — June 19, 2018
• Bishop appeals for conscience protection — March 9, 2018
• Bishop appeals for regulations on firearms — Feb. 28, 2018
• Bishop sends letter urging DACA protection — Feb. 5, 2018
• Bishop releases letter about March for Life — Jan. 17, 2018
• Bishop: Avoid services of Matthias Heppel — Oct. 31, 2017
• Bishop makes statement about Father Bass — Sept. 25, 2017
• Bishop appeals to governor about DACA — Sept. 1, 2017
• Bishop responds to proposed budget cuts — May 26, 2017
• Bishop appeals to governor to halt executions — March 2, 2017
• Bishop addresses recent executive actions by President Donald Trump — Jan. 29, 2017
• Bishop addresses presidential election results — Nov. 11, 2016
• Diocese reports sexual abuse by ex-priest — Sept. 4, 2016
• Bishop releases letter about the death of his mother — April 26, 2016
• Bishop addresses seminarian dismissal — Dec. 3, 2015
• Bishop Taylor addresses changes to annulment process — Sept. 10, 2015
• Bishop Taylor addresses abolishing the death penalty in Arkansas — Sept. 4, 2015
• Bishop clarifies absolution for sin of abortion — Sept. 3, 2015
• Bishop Taylor addresses Ashley Madison data breach — Aug. 30, 2015
• Bishop addresses Planned Parenthood videos — Aug. 6, 2015
• Bishop addresses Supreme Court decision requiring licensing of same-sex marriages — July 1, 2015
• Bishop addresses Arkansas Religious Freedom Restoration Act — April 3, 2015
• Statement about executive order on immigration — Nov. 21, 2014
• Response to amicus brief filing — Oct. 3, 2014
• Amicus Brief to Arkansas Supreme Court — Sept. 15, 2014
• Motion for Leave to File the Amicus Brief — Sept. 15, 2014
• Statement on humanitarian crisis at U.S. southern border — July 25, 2014
• Statement on same-sex marriage in Arkansas — May 12, 2014
• Bishop seeks clarification from Vatican on QualChoice — April 30, 2014
• Private option insurance for state’s poor necessary — Feb. 4, 2014
• Letter to Support Comprehensive Immigration Reform — Sept. 3, 2013