The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has declared June 21-July 4, 2012, the Fortnight for Freedom, a time for U.S. Catholics to engage in prayer and political action to defend the rights of the Catholic Church in the United States. The main concern of the Fortnight for Freedom is, of course, the Obama administration's contraception mandate. But the bishops' call for Catholics to educate themselves on both the American tradition of religious freedom and the Church's teaching on religious liberty has a certain urgency to it, that looks beyond the current fight to a future in which Catholics and other Christians in the United States may face even more restrictions on our worship of Christ—which, as the Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty (composed by the USCCB for the Fortnight of Freedom) correctly notes, is not only the right but the duty of all mankind.
You can find numerous resources for the Fortnight for Freedom on the USCCB's website, but make sure to check with your own diocese as well to find out what events they have planned for the Fortnight for Freedom. (The Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, where I reside, has set up its own website for the occasion, with additional materials and announcement of diocesan events. For example, Bishop David J. Malloy will hold a Red Mass for Religious Liberty today at noon for local lawyers, judges, law-enforcement officers, and government officials.)
At a minimum, every Catholic in the United States should be able to pray the Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty every day during the Fortnight for Freedom. We should never forget that prayer can make a difference: Sometime next week, right in the midst of this event, the U.S. Supreme Court will announce its decision on the constitutionality of ObamaCare. If all or most of the legislation is declared unconstitutional, the HHS mandate will fall with it.
Tell you what’s really been making me wonder….since the time before the last presidential election. It was on record before that election that Obama was the most pro-abortion Senator. If I knew about that, Mr. Catholic Joe sixpack, then how come all these other big shots in the church, like all the Bishops], didn’t say much of anything about it? It’s because they wanted more illegal alien south of the border to be in the churches. Now were all paying for this. And, by the way—the information was out there too how this character obama was in tight with all his communist anti-American friends throughout his whole life–and the dumb Catholics still supported him. It’s things like this that make me understand how a guy like Hitler was actually voted in to office, too. Buy the way, I told people about all this before the last election but I don’t think the dummies even cared. Somebody should write a book called “Reality for Dummies”.
So who’s religious liberty are we trying to defend? Is it just Catholics or other christians? Should we defend the rights of muslims and buddhists too? Do pagans count? As a Satanist do I get special rights to “religious freedom” or does my infernal deity not get the same special treatment as your sky daddy? So many questions and I’m sure the Church will only give me more B.S. answers.
Thank you mr.richert ,for your article.It Is about time we start sticking up for our religious rights,we have been silent too long!If it was up to the atheists and certain other people we would not have any religion in this country.everybody else seems to have rights as soon as someone disagrees with them there is a uproar ,the muslims gays athiests and on and on.im sick and tired of people shoving thier stuff down my throat.I believe in one God And Jesus Christ His Son.the bible teaches what is right.peopl sneak thier agenas little by little in our gov. and socieity,and look were we are now.everything wrong is right and everything right is wrong.Baloney,lets stick up for the religious freedom we have and need before they are taken away BLESSED BE JESUS CHRIST FOREVER
Debbie ptak, you know what….. All we, all those you listed, are kind of getting a bit fed up as well. You and all those within religion have every right granted under our Constitution to believe anything you want and to openly practice those beliefs. However it isn’t those you listed Muslims, gay, atheist and and on and on that are doing anything other than to seeking the same equality you so preciously seek to keep. It is religion that is at the moment “shoving” its beliefs “down” the throats of every person in America regardless of their personal beliefs. You yes do have Religious Freedom but clearly I too have by the very same Constitution protection FROM religion. All we are doing is trying to live our lives with freedom and justice which includes equality and free of discrimination. Something the like of you and so many others that hide behind “Freedom of Religion” and that thought it gives you the protection to hate, discriminate and deny others their freedom.
@Yossarian- Your question which seems very insincere to me is also absurd. The obvious answer is that the Catholic Church, myself included, in eduating Americans about our tradition in religious liberty are advocating for all religious liberties to be respected. Keep in mind, the Catholic Church in America only grew in population and influence after the migrations of people from European countries like Italy, Ireland, Germany, and Poland, among others after the mid 1800′s.
Furthermore, the Catholic Church in America was highly supportive of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960′s eventhough African-Americans make up a very small percentage of the Catholic population in America.
It’s time to put assinine and pejorative rhetoric aside and gain some objectivity and civility in public discourse.
Assinine and pejorative rhetoric towards the Catholic church is always a common occurrence in the culture, especially among the cranks in the media and colleges and public schools. It’s like everybody who hates or used to hate the big bad New York Yankees.
YOSSARIAN-this is all about catholic belief and tradition and teaching and about GOD’S ten commandment which says thou shall not kill. catholics believe in the word of GOD, you cannot openly claim to be a christian if you support abortion (killing).But if as a satanist ,and your tradition ,teaching and belief is to kill ,and abort ,no one is forcing you to do what others believe in ,after all it’s afree world, hold onto what you believe in and defend it .I AM TRUE BORN CATHOLIC AND I BELIEVE IN WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES AND EQUALLY STAND FIRM TO DEFEND THE CATHOLIC CHURCH.THE WILL OF GOD SHALL PREVAIL IN THIS CASE.But remember if every one ,yourself inclusive was aborted you would’nt be here to contribute to this site.
What Evelyn is saying is quite true.GOD SAID IN ONE OF HIS TEN COMMANDMENTS THAT; ” THOU SHALL NOT KILL”. So if someone is regarding, abortion as aright to him or her, he or she is not christian at all. Jesus preached LOVE on earth, not killing, as others take it as aright. Ok, this is a free world in which everybody is going on his or her way. AS ATRUE CATHOLIC MEMBER, I NOT TORALATE THIS MALPRACTICE. I WILL ALWAYS DEFEND WHAT THE CHURCH TEACHES. I believe that life begins when awoman is pregnant, and in any other way one may try to remove it, its atotal killing, which is a sin. This is what Catholics believe!!!
I don’t care what anybody says because there’s one thing I know for sure: GOD HATES ABORTION