Religious Liberty

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Video statement from Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., on the Threat to Religious Freedom.

Homily by Bishop David M. O'Connell, C.M., June 8, 2012, Cathedral of St. Mary of the Assumption, Trenton, during the Mass in advance of the Religious Freedom Rally.

As Catholics, our faith plays an important role in our daily lives. We comfort the sick, feed the hungry, care for the poor and protect life. We strive everywhere to practice what we preach.

Across America, our right to live out our faith is being threatened – from Washington forcing Catholic employers to provide services that contradict our beliefs, to state governments prohibiting our charities from serving the most vulnerable. In a country founded on religious freedom, government should not force us to contradict our faith.

During this critical time, we need your help to protect our religious freedom. By texting the wordFREEDOM to 377377, we can keep you informed and provide ways you can help. Signup takes less than a minute, but your participation will have a lasting impact. English  |  Spanish
 

TrentonMonitor.com

Religious Freedom news coverage

• 'Fortnight' about religious freedom, not politics, archbishop says
• Faithful pack cathedral, join voices to preserve and protect religious freedom (photo gallery)
• Bishop O'Connell's homily: Remain faithful to what you have learned

What is the Fortnight For Freedom?

The fourteen days from June 21—the vigil of the Feasts of St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More—to July 4, Independence Day, are dedicated to this “fortnight for freedom”—a great hymn of prayer for our country. Our liturgical calendar celebrates a series of great martyrs who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power—St. John Fisher and St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, SS. Peter and Paul, and the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome.  Culminating on Independence Day, this special period of prayer, study, catechesis, and public action will emphasize both our Christian and American heritage of liberty. Dioceses and parishes around the country have scheduled special events that support a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty. 

What do we mean by religious liberty?

Religious liberty is the first liberty granted to us by God and protected in the First Amendment to our Constitution. It includes more than our ability to go to Mass on Sunday or pray the Rosary at home. It also encompasses our ability to contribute freely to the common good of all Americans.

What is the First Amendment?

The First Amendment of the U.S. Bill of Rights states the following: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

Have more questions?

Visit the USCCB Religious Liberty at Home webpage

Current Action Alert!

Ask Congress to support H.R. 940, Health Care Conscience Rights Act

Click HERE to email your congressional representatives! To learn more read our one-page fact sheet.

Prayer Resources

The following prayers may be used in solidarity with the bishops' call to penance and prayer to restore religious freedom & conscience protections. Please note: No special permissions are required to use these prayers, so long as no modification is made and proper attribution is given as noted on the resources.