The United States Constitution guarantees religious freedom in the First Amendment.
This fundamental right propelled many persecuted religious groups in Europe (including the Catholics who settled Maryland) to come to America in pursuit of religious liberty — the ability to practice their own faith as their conscience led them.
Tag: religious freedom
Life and Dignity for All: Theme of 2022 Rosary Rallies for Religious Freedom
Christ the King (CTK) Parish in McFarland invites everyone to participate in its 11th annual Rosary Rallies for Religious Freedom.
Tragedy may lead to interfaith solidarity
Maybe out of tragedy, the world might find some good, if outcries against the attacks at two mosques in New Zealand have shown.
Pope Francis expressed sorrow for the attacks, which left at least 50 people dead and dozens more injured. Speaking to people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on March 17, the Holy Father said, “I pray for the dead and injured and their families. I am close to our Muslim brothers and all that community. I renew my invitation for prayer and gestures of peace to combat hatred and violence.”
Both Pope Francis and everyone in the square observed a moment of silence for the victims.
Tragedy may lead to interfaith solidarity
Maybe out of tragedy, the world might find some good, if outcries against the attacks at two mosques in New Zealand have shown.
Pope Francis expressed sorrow for the attacks, which left at least 50 people dead and dozens more injured. Speaking to people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on March 17, the Holy Father said, “I pray for the dead and injured and their families. I am close to our Muslim brothers and all that community. I renew my invitation for prayer and gestures of peace to combat hatred and violence.”
Both Pope Francis and everyone in the square observed a moment of silence for the victims.
Sign letter on religious freedom
In recent years, I have written about the struggles of the Little Sisters of the Poor to provide the kind of health coverage that respects their faith and moral values.
I’ve also written about a car dealership in Minnesota that did not want to provide abortion-inducing drugs to its employees. “It has long been my conviction to run my business according to the teachings of my faith,” said Doug Erickson of Hastings Chevrolet.
Need for an executive order
These are just two instances where religious freedom has been imperiled.
One way to protect religious freedom is for President Donald Trump to sign an executive order promoting religious freedom.
One candidate stands up for life and religious liberty
To the editor:
Catholics will be very influential in determining who will become our next president. The choice is really only between the candidates of our two major parties. Though neither candidate this year is ideal, I would argue that one of them is far superior to the other from a Catholic point of view.
One of the candidates now substantially embraces the pro-life position and has promised, as president, to only appoint pro-life justices, like the late Antonin Scalia, to the Supreme Court. The other candidate wants no restrictions on abortion and is the darling of America’s largest abortion provider-Planned Parenthood.
Faithful Christians bear crosses today
To the editor:
Good Friday service with the reading of the “Passion” and the “Veneration of the Cross” had a deeper meaning for me this year considering the events happening in our world today.
Approximately six weeks ago, 21 Egyptian Coptic Christians were beheaded by the Islamic State in Libya and a few days ago, Al-Shabab, another Islamic extremist group, murdered 148 university students and personnel in Kenya who professed to be Christian and not Muslim.
This follows a pattern that has been happening frequently throughout many parts of North Africa and the Middle East. In addition to the killings, these groups are destroying churches and priceless artifacts dating back to Biblical times.
Wisconsin should protect religious freedom
There has been a lot of discussion lately about the federal government’s failure to protect religious liberty.
Much of this discussion is over whether the Obama Administration adequately protects religious liberty under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly called “Obamacare.”
Catholics must be vigilant to protect religious freedom
To the editor:
As Thanksgiving Day passes into history, I was reminded this morning at Mass to give thanks to the Catholic martyrs who have died because of their resistance to anti-religious freedom laws. In particular this day, we remember Blessed Miguel Pro, a Jesuit priest in Mexico during the violent anti-Catholic persecutions in the 1920’s. On this day in 1927, he was taken to a police firing range and shot to death. His crime against the Mexican government was simply to minister to the Catholic people in their worship of Jesus Christ.
Mexico’s President Calles personally ordered Father Pro’s execution. Before the execution, Father Pro prayed, and then held out his arms in the form of a cross. As the police took aim with their rifles, he spoke the words, “Viva Cristo Rey!” (“Long live Christ the King!”).
Father Pro was not alone in his opposition to religious persecution. According to some sources, more than 200,000 Mexican people from every socio-economic background were killed or martyred by 1930. In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II canonized 25 Catholic martyrs in Mexico, among them being Blessed Miguel Pro.
Standing up for freedom
A rally was held at the steps of the Capitol on October 20 to protest the intrusion of the federal government into religious freedom through a recent mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.