Religious Freedom, June 22-29

Freedom to serve in health care and social services: Monday, June 22

PRAY: that governments would respect the consciences of the Little Sisters of the Poor and all Christians who care for the sick and vulnerable.

REFLECT: For centuries, the Church has carried on the healing ministry of Christ by building institutions dedicated to medicine and accompaniment of the dying.  Indeed, the Church invented the hospital as we know it.  Today, orders like the Little Sisters of the Poor serve elderly low-income Americans of all backgrounds.  But the Little Sisters’ work is at risk because of lawsuits brought by the states of California and Pennsylvania against the expanded religious and moral exemption to the HHS mandate, and Catholic hospitals are constantly defending themselves against lawsuits and government orders that try to force them to participate in harmful procedures, such as sterilization, gender reassignment surgery, and even abortion.  It is unthinkable that we would undermine our mission to heal by destroying innocent life and harming the persons for whom we are called to care.

ACT: Take action to support religious liberty!  Text “FREEDOM” to 84576 to receive news updates and action alerts.

Respect for houses of worship: Tuesday, June 23

PRAY: that people of all faiths would be free to worship without fear of attacks and harassment.

REFLECT: Houses of worship provide spaces for people to step back, often with fellow believers, and pray.  The disturbing rise in attacks on these places is an attack on religious freedom.  Gunmen in churches, synagogues, and mosques terrorize faith communities.  In Europe and North America, churches have been desecrated.  Priests all over the world have been killed, even while celebrating liturgies.  The problem is not limited to attacks on Christians.  Over 50 people were murdered in two mosques in New Zealand, while there have been several attacks on synagogues here in the U.S. in recent years.  Mosques and synagogues have been vandalized, while there has been a rise in attacks on Jews and Muslims who are simply going about their daily life.  These kinds of attacks are assaults on the image of God and cannot be tolerated.

ACT: First, take time during this week, if possible, to pray a decade of the rosary, fast from a meal, or spend time before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament, offering up your act as a sacrifice in reparation for sins against human dignity.

Then, support increased funding for the FEMA Nonprofit Security Grant Program.  This program provides grants to nonprofits, including houses of worship, to improve security.  While we should hope, pray, and work for a country where people can worship without fear, we can also take practical steps to protect churches, mosques, and synagogues.  Contact your Representative and Senators today.

Religious Minorities in China: Wednesday, June 24

PRAY:  for the freedom of the Church in China, and that the rights of all religious minorities would be respected.

REFLECT: Under the Chinese Communist Party, Chinese citizens have limited religious freedom.  Since 2013, religious persecution has intensified under a government campaign for the “sinicization” of religion—an effort to have religions conform to government-sanctioned interpretations of Chinese culture.  Muslims have suffered grievous human rights abuses.  Since 2017, 800,000 to possibly two million ethnic Uighur, Kazakh, Kyrgyz, and Hui Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in mass internment camps.  Other religions are impacted by the government’s “sinicization” campaign including the estimated 12 million Catholics in China.  While the Vatican has reached a provisional agreement with China on the issue of episcopal appointments, reports of persecution by the Chinese government persist as underground churches are closed and their priests detained, crosses destroyed, bibles confiscated, and children under 18 forbidden from attending Mass and receiving religious instruction. Ultimately time will tell if the faithful will be allowed to practice their religion independent of State control.

ACT: Solidarity with people of faith in other countries begins with learning about their struggles.  Stay informed by signing up for the USCCB’s religious liberty newsletter, First Freedom News.

Adoption and Foster Care: Thursday, June 25

PRAY: that children waiting to be placed in a loving home and the caregivers who selflessly serve those children will find strength and support from the Church.

REFLECT: Caring for ‘the orphan’ is a demand of the gospel.  Over the centuries, the Church has put this work of charity into practice by building adoption and foster care institutions.  Today, the opioid crisis has put a strain on the foster care system.  Yet while more children are waiting to be placed in families, faith-based child welfare providers are being targeted for closures because of their religious convictions.  In places like Illinois, Massachusetts, California, and D.C., the service providers who have a track record of excellence in recruiting and assisting foster families have already been shut down.  In Michigan, sexual orientation/gender identity (SOGI) activists have gone out of their way to challenge Catholic Charities, and Philadelphia Catholic Social Services is taking the struggle to continue to foster children to the Supreme Court.  Worse still, in recent years, states that have worked to protect faith-based adoption and foster care have found themselves targeted by powerful corporations looking to appeal to SOGI activists.  Intolerance for religious views has real consequences, and in this case, it is vulnerable children who have suffered.  Let’s pray and act to keep kids first.

ACT: The Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act (CWPIA) prevents faith-based child welfare service providers from being targeted by government discrimination.  The Act would prohibit the federal government and any state that receives certain federal funding from discriminating against child welfare service providers on the basis that they decline to provide a child welfare service that conflicts with their sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions. Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative today and ask them to co-sponsor and support the federal Child Welfare Provider Inclusion Act.

Border Wall Dispute in the Diocese of Brownsville, Friday, June 26

PRAY that the freedom of the local churches on the U.S. southern border will be respected.

REFLECT: Efforts to construct a barrier on the southern border have met resistance from the Catholic Church in Brownsville.  The proposed barrier would run through land owned by the Diocese, and so the federal government would have to take the land in order to build the wall or fence.  Freedom of the Church means that the Church cannot be impeded by the civil authorities from engaging in her mission.  That mission includes ministry to those fleeing violence and poverty.  As Bishop Daniel Flores of Brownsville told the Wall Street Journal, “I don’t want to use church property to say that no matter how dire your life is, you cannot be received here.  …The government is going to have to take the land.  The church is not going to give it them.”

ACT: Support the freedom of the Church.  The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) has provided persons of all faiths with protection against government intrusion.  The Diocese of Brownsville is defending itself using RFRA.  However, RFRA is under attack.  The “Do No Harm Act” and the “Equality Act” weaken RFRA, and RFRA is frequently disparaged in the media.  You can promote the freedom of religion today by encouraging your Representative to protect all people of faith and do no harm to RFRA.

Catholic Schools: Saturday June 27

PRAY: that Catholic schools in our country would be free to teach the truth about God and his creation.

REFLECT: Education is central to the Church’s mission.  In fact, one of the Spiritual Works of Mercy is to teach.  In the U.S., the Catholic school system grew out of necessity, due to the wave of 19th Century Catholic immigrants who felt unwelcome in the “public” school system.  Since then, Catholic schools have been significant anchor institutions in many neighborhoods, benefitting even those who are not their students.  Catholic leaders have played a leading role in ensuring that all children have access to quality education.  Education is what Catholics do, and an America without Catholic schools is unimaginable.  Catholic schools need the space to operate in accordance with Catholic convictions if they are to continue to be a source of vitality for our society.

ACT: Take action to support religious liberty!  Text “FREEDOM” to 84576 to receive news updates and action alerts.

Central African Republic: Sunday June 28

PRAY that God would show the people of the Central African Republic the way to peace and reconciliation.

REFLECT: The Central African Republic (CAR) is one of the poorest countries in the world.  A total of 2.9 million people, out of a population of 4.9 million, depend on humanitarian assistance.  In 2012 a coalition of rebel groups, called the Seleka, from the predominantly Muslim North launched a rebellion that deposed then-president Francois Bozize in 2013.  To counter the Seleka armed groups, non-Muslim rural communities strengthened traditional self-defense militias, called anti-balaka. Even though the conflict started primarily over political power and access to natural resources, the Seleka and anti-balaka forces resorted to banditry and attacks on unarmed Muslim and Christian civilians, making religious identity a driving force.  During this civil war, Evangelical Pastor Nicolas Guerekoyame, Catholic Archbishop Dieudonné Nzapalainga, and Imam Omar Kobine Layama led an interreligious movement to counter rising hatred with reconciliation, and violence with peace. They championed the preservation of their country’s diverse social fabric.  Religious leaders continue the hard work of healing the trauma of war and rebuilding a new society.

ACT: The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Catholic Relief Services labored alongside the religious leaders in the CAR and together helped launch the Central African Interfaith Peacebuilding Partnership.  The Partnership supports trauma healing programs, peacebuilding practices, and other programs to help young people to learn skills, access small scale loans, and start farms and businesses.  The Church also provides humanitarian aid to the thousands of wounded and displaced victims.  Consider participating in this work by donating to CRS.

Civilize It: Monday June 29

PRAY: that God would give us the grace to remember the dignity of all and invite others to do the same.

REFLECT: As Catholics, our strong tradition of social teaching compels us to be actively engaged in the building up of our communities. This is achieved by being involved in the political process—and yet today, many shy away from such involvement because our national and local conversations are filled with vitriol and harsh language, often directed at people themselves. When personal attacks replace honest debate, no one wins. This kind of attack, no matter the reason, only serves to further divide our communities. What is needed is good, honest, civil dialogue. This means that we must treat everyone as worthy of being at the table, worthy of our respect, and worthy of being heard. In short, it means treating everyone as our neighbor.

ACT: Interested in learning more about civil dialogue or about how your community can engage in civil dialogue more often? Join USCCB’s Civilize It Campaign to help promote dignity beyond the debate.  Visit civilizeit.org. . . for more information, to take the pledge, or plan an opportunity for civil dialogue in your community.