CNA\/EWTN News<\/a>).- Speakers at the U.S. bishops\u2019 meeting in Atlanta, Ga. emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to defend religious freedom through various cultural, legal and educational approaches.\u00a0<\/p>\n\tArchbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore, chairman of the U.S. bishops\u2019 religious liberty committee, explained that the U.S. Church is faced with \u201cnot just one but a serious of extraordinary challenges\u201d that will require \u201cfull and undivided efforts\u201d to address.<\/p>\n
\tThe archbishop spoke June 13 as part of a two-hour discussion on domestic and international religious freedom at the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.<\/p>\n
\tJohn Garvey, president of The Catholic University of America, also spoke during the discussion, outlining numerous recent threats to religious liberty in the U.S.<\/p>\n
\tAmong the most prominent of these threats is a federal insurance mandate that will require employers to offer health insurance plans that cover contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if it violates their consciences.<\/p>\n
\tGarvey also noted that the bishops\u2019 Migration and Refugee Services was denied a grant to work with human trafficking victims last fall because it would not refer for abortion and contraception, despite being among the top-ranked groups in the field for the past five years.<\/p>\n
\tFurthermore, he observed, in January, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected the narrow definition of religion and religious minster held by the Obama administration in Hosanna Tabor v. EEOC. Many saw the administration\u2019s narrow view of religion as troubling.<\/p>\n
\tIn addition, Garvey said, Catholic Charities has been forced to leave the adoption business in several areas, due to their objections to placing children with same-sex couples.<\/p>\n
\tHe also voiced concern over the erosion of conscience protections for doctors and other health care professionals who object to performing, referring or suggesting abortion and similar procedures.<\/p>\n
\tGarvey suggested that there is a cultural problem underlying these recent threats to religious liberty in America.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cThere has been a decline in respect for religious liberty,\u201d he observed, explaining that protections for religion are both narrower and weaker than they once were.<\/p>\n
\tHe noted that America was originally founded as a haven for those whose religious beliefs differed from the mainstream. Now, he lamented, it is treated \u201ccasually.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tHe suggested that this transformation may be connected to the phenomenon \u2013 shown in recent studies on declining attendance of worship services \u2013 that Americans today are less religious than those in the past.<\/p>\n
\t\u201cOur society won\u2019t care about religious freedom if it doesn\u2019t care about God,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\tGarvey counseled that in response efforts must be made to restore a proper appreciation for religion, in order to bring about a natural respect for religious freedom as well.<\/p>\n
\tArchbishop Lori highlighted three steps that have been taken by the bishops to defend religious liberty in recent months.<\/p>\n
\tHe pointed to a March 14 statement from the conference\u2019s administrative committee, which was backed by the entire conference in a unanimous voice vote on June 13.<\/p>\n
\tThe statement, entitled \u201cUnited for Religious Freedom,\u201d reflects \u201cthe unity of the bishops\u201d in response to the contraception mandate, he said.<\/p>\n
\tA later document from the bishops\u2019 Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, entitled \u201cOur First, Most Cherished Liberty,\u201d discusses not only the mandate, but other threats from both ends of the political spectrum, as well as religious persecution abroad, the archbishop added.<\/p>\n
\tHe explained that this document \u201coffers an overview\u201d of the Church\u2019s teaching on religious freedom \u201cin light of the American experience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIt also \u201caffirms that it is not merely the right of Catholics that are at risk and warrant our concern, but of others as well,\u201d he said, emphasizing that \u201cthe right of religious freedom belongs to all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tIn addition, Archbishop Lori said, the bishops have called for a \u201cFortnight for Freedom\u201d to be held during the two-week period leading up to Independence Day. Catholics are encouraged to engage in activities aimed at prayer, education and advocacy of public officials during this time.<\/p>\n
\tThe fortnight includes national elements, he said, such as the nationwide ringing of church bells at specific times and Masses in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. However, most of the events will be held locally, at the diocesan level, and will invite the participation of the faithful.<\/p>\n
\tThe archbishop clarified that the fortnight is \u201cnot about parties, candidates or elections,\u201d as some have suggested, nor is \u201cintended as an occasion for civil disobedience.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tRather, the event is strictly about the issue of religious freedom, and this is reflected in the materials that the bishops are producing for it, he said.<\/p>\n
\tArchbishop Lori encouraged his fellow bishops to prepare for \u201ca difficult road ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n
\tDefending religious freedom \u201cwon\u2019t be easy\u201d and may require some suffering, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\tBut the trials should not lead to discouragement, he insisted, because equipped with truth and love of Christ, \u201cwe will not fail.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
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Atlanta, Ga., Jun 13, 2012 \/ 05:55 pm (CNA\/EWTN News).- Speakers at the U.S. bishops’ meeting in Atlanta, Ga. emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to defend religious freedom through various cultural, legal and educational approaches.&…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\n
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