Chapter 11 Court Required Notification

Restorative Justice

Seeks Healing and Accountability

Restorative Justice practices are centuries old, deeply rooted in indigenous philosophies and ancient people of faith that value healing over punishment. Native American and First Nation practices have included healing circles and peacemaking as responses to crime and conflict.

Restorative Justice is a response to crime and violence that shifts the focus from punishment to “responsibility, rehabilitation and restoration.” It holds offenders accountable even as it opens paths to healing, especially with victims. And it addresses the needs of everyone affected by crime: victims, offenders, families, communities, and those working in the criminal
justice system.

Our Catholic understanding of justice is balanced between compassion and understanding for the people harmed by others (victims) with accountability and mercy for people that have caused harm (offenders). Restorative justice focuses on “what needs to happen to make things right” after the harm has occurred, in contrast to our current system of retributive justice that focuses solely on the punishment of an offender.

Four people stand closely together, embracing in a group hug. The individuals are wearing casual clothing, and one has a backpack on. The setting appears to be indoors.

We are not going to incarcerate our way out of crime. That has already been proven. Restorative Justice is a way of understanding crime and wrongdoing in terms of people and relationships impacted, rather than the law broken. Contrary to popular belief, accountability does not mean punishment. Through willing participation in a restorative justice process, perpetrators discover their remorse and make a conscious choice to refrain from committing further crimes because of a change of heart and mind rather than fear of incarceration or punishment, which has proven unsustainable.

Restorative Justice is all about restoring our community after a crime especially an act of violence. Through restoration, we’re able to move forward and build up our community, neighborhood, and city. The end result is a place, in physical space and in our hearts, that is better than it was before. In this better world, would-be offenders would see that crime is not a solution to any problem; instead, they would turn to the community for help when they need it.

When Jesus encounters the woman caught in the act of adultuery as she is about to be put to death by a group of men, He asks one question: “Who among you is without sin?” Jesus was teaching us to find ways to be merciful, and still find ways to hold an offender accountable. “Go, and sin no more.”

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Catholic Diocese of San Diego

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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