{"id":370,"date":"2012-06-22T10:05:00","date_gmt":"2012-06-22T10:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/"},"modified":"2012-06-22T10:05:00","modified_gmt":"2012-06-22T10:05:00","slug":"catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic group launches ‘virtual vigil’ for religious freedom"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA<\/a>).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation\u2019s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the country.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cOur goal is to unite those standing for our liberties in a national way by their attendance at the virtual vigil in Washington, D.C.,\u201d said Matt Smith, president of Catholic Advocate.
\n\t\u00a0
\n\tHe explained on June 20 that the bishops \u201chave urged us all to consider the 'Christian and American heritage of liberty' during this time,\u201d and said that he believes \u201cparticipating in our virtual vigil is one great way for people of faith from across the United States to come together.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tCatholic Advocate, a non-partisan lay Catholic group that encourages the faithful to be politically active in a way that is consistent with Church teaching, has announced the launch of a Virtual Vigil for Religious Liberty to coincide with the current Fortnight for Freedom.<\/p>\n

\tThe fortnight was announced by the U.S. bishops' religious freedom committee in response to growing threats to religious liberty within America.<\/p>\n

\tChief among these threats is a recent mandate by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that will require employers to offer health insurance plans that include contraception, sterilization and abortion-inducing drugs, even if doing so violates their consciences.<\/p>\n

\tThe mandate has drawn widespread criticism for its infringement upon the religious liberty of those who object to it.<\/p>\n

\tBishops from every diocese in the U.S. have spoken out against the regulation, warning that it could force Catholic schools, hospitals and charitable agencies to close rather than act against the convictions of their faith.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition, more than 50 dioceses, schools, states, nonprofit organizations and private business owners have filed lawsuits challenging the mandate.<\/p>\n

\tThe Catholic bishops in the U.S. have called for a \u201cFortnight for Freedom\u201d from June 21 to July 4 in order to support the restoration and protection of religious liberty in America.<\/p>\n

\tThe 14-day period has been designated as \u201ca time of prayer, education, and action in support of religious liberty\u201d and a means of highlighting the rich heritage of freedom of both Christians and Americans.<\/p>\n

\tThrough its Virtual Vigil for Religious Liberty, Catholic Advocate will urge the faithful to join in this national campaign of teaching, prayer and witness.<\/p>\n

\tThe group will encourage unified prayer, sharing of facts through social media and contacting Congressional representatives. It will also provide information about ways that people can take part in the fortnight within their local communities.<\/p>\n

\tThose who wish to attend can do so via Facebook or by entering basic information online. They will then receive daily updates on activities to unite with others throughout the Fortnight for Freedom.<\/p>\n

\tAttendees choose an avatar to represent them at the virtual vigil. Options are available for laity, as well as priests and women religious. The avatars are visible on the vigil website, gathered near the Washington Monument for a virtual March on the National Mall in D.C.<\/p>\n

\tIn addition, a section entitled \u201cGot 5 Minutes \u2013 Do More to Help\u201d allows vigil participants to engage in further prayer, education and advocacy activities.<\/p>\n

\tThe Virtual Vigil for Religious Liberty is one of numerous initiatives at both the national and diocesan levels that invite the faithful to get involved in the Fortnight for Freedom.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cWe also encourage participation in the various activities being hosted in dioceses across the country,\u201d Smith said. However, those who are unable to attend such events \u201ccan be a part of the fortnight through the vigil.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tThe vigil will be hosted at http:\/\/fortnight.catholicadvocate.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count…<\/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-370","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nCatholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Catholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Catholic News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"CNA Daily News\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\"},\"description\":\"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Catholic group launches ‘virtual vigil’ for religious freedom\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/\",\"name\":\"Catholic News\",\"description\":\"\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1\",\"name\":\"CNA Daily News\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"CNA Daily News\"},\"sameAs\":[\"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Catholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom","description":"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Catholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom","og_description":"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/","og_site_name":"Catholic News","article_published_time":"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00","og_image":[{"url":"http:\/\/feeds.feedburner.com\/~ff\/catholicnewsagency\/dailynews?d=yIl2AUoC8zA"}],"author":"CNA Daily News","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"CNA Daily News","Est. reading time":"3 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/","name":"Catholic group launches 'virtual vigil' for religious freedom","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website"},"datePublished":"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00","dateModified":"2012-06-22T10:05:00+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1"},"description":"Washington D.C., Jun 22, 2012 \/ 04:05 am (CNA).- A Catholic grassroots organization in the nation’s capital is organizing a virtual march for religious freedom to accompany the Fortnight for Freedom that is currently underway throughout the count...","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2012\/06\/catholic-group-launches-virtual-vigil-for-religious-freedom\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Catholic group launches ‘virtual vigil’ for religious freedom"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/","name":"Catholic News","description":"","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/35d4bd7addc580050842c844a11575f1","name":"CNA Daily News","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8f1180c7dca7995d4a997aac72a3a88a?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"CNA Daily News"},"sameAs":["http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/"],"url":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/author\/cna-daily-news\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1031"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=370"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/370\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=370"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=370"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=370"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}