Fortnight For Religious Freedom Mass
As we embark on this year’s Fortnight for Freedom, the 5th of its kind, I am reminded of
Pope Francis’ “Address to a Joint Meeting of Congress,” in our nation’s capital, on 24
September 2015. Practically all eyes and ears of our country were on this particular event during
the Holy Father’s papal visit to the United States to mark the 8th World Meeting of Families, held
in Philadelphia. During his address, Pope Francis reflected on the Golden Rule, as noted in
today’s passage from the Gospel of Matthew; “Do unto others as you would have them do unto
you.” (Mt 7:12)
In his remarks to congress, the Holy Father commented: “This Rule points us in a clear
direction. Let us treat others with the same passion and compassion with which we want to be
treated. Let us seek for others the same possibilities which we seek for ourselves. Let us help
others to grow, as we would like to be helped to grow. In a word, if we want security, let us give
security; if we want life, let us give life; if we want opportunities, let us provide opportunities.
The yardstick we use for others will be used for us. The Golden Rule always reminds us of our
responsibility to protect and defend human life at every stage of its development.” Additionally,
referring to President Abraham Lincoln as “the guardian of liberty,” Pope Francis stressed the
need for “safeguarding religious freedom” along with other freedoms. He stated: “It is
important that today, as in the past, the voice of faith continue to be heard, for it is a voice of
fraternity and love, which tries to bring out the best in each person and in each society.” In his
concluding remarks, he noted: “A nation can be considered great when it defends liberty as
Lincoln did, when it fosters a culture which enables people to ‘dream’ of full rights for all their
brothers and sisters, as Martin Luther King sought to do; when it strives for justice and the cause
of the oppressed, as Dorothy Day did by her tireless work, the fruit of a faith which becomes
dialogue and sows peace in the contemplative style of Thomas Merton.”
This year’s Fortnight theme, Witnesses to Freedom, highlights the witness of martyrs and
others who remained faithful in the face of persecution by political power. During these days of
our Fortnight for Freedom, June 21 to July 4, the Church celebrates such great martyrs as St.
John Fisher, St. Thomas More, St. John the Baptist, Sts. Peter & Paul, and the First Martyrs of
the Church of Rome. In our own present times, a number of peoples, both Christians and non-
Christians, are being persecuted and even killed as some type of religious cleansing or acts of
genocide. While there is seemingly an increased push to diminish or exclude the influence of
institutional religion from various aspects of society, there are also horrendous acts being carried
out in the name of religion. Both extremes are detrimental to religion and humanity. The great
martyrs that we recall during these days of our Fortnight point to a Christian response that lies
between these extremes; namely, a response that is grounded in faith, hope and charity, and
marked by courage, humility and generosity. Both men and women of faith around the world
have borne witness to authentic freedom in Christ, despite tremendous persecution and injustice,
enduring great hardship and even death.
The United States, since its humble beginnings as a nation, has stood as a beacon of
religious liberty for all the world to admire and benefit. The weakening of religious liberty in the
U.S. necessarily has consequences for all humankind. As Pope Francis reminds us in his most
recent Apostolic Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (“The Joy of Love”), authentic faith seeks “to
understand, forgive, accompany, hope and above all integrate.” [AL #312] The great martyrs of
our Church willingly laid down their lives in witness to this type of faith. Even in our own day,
men and women of faith are providing extraordinary witness of heroic virtue amid great
obstacles to religious liberty.
One of the founding principles of our nation is that of religious freedom as a fundamental
human right. It is our duty to ensure that this basic right, which includes both worship and
service is not reduced to being a mere privilege limited by all sorts of suffocating conditions and
unreasonable limitations. Authentic religious liberty tends to the very conscience and soul of
humanity, culture, society or nation. As such, the dignity of life and sacredness of every person
must always be preserved. Acts of service are an integral part of witnessing to the gospel.
Once again, our Fortnight for Freedom, as coordinated and encouraged by the United
States Conference of Catholic Bishops, is a call to fourteen days of prayer, education and action
for religious freedom in the United States and abroad. Amid the various paradoxes that exist in
our nation and world, people of faith must remain united in a sense of both mission and
community. While our very lives may not be demanded of us, like so many martyrs throughout
the course of history who died for the cause of religious freedom, sacrifice is a necessary element
of authentic witness to faith. This is particularly so for Christian discipleship, as we seek to live
and serve in the way of Jesus Christ. It is through His passion, death and resurrection that we are
saved. It is by means of the cross that we are set free from the lasting effects of sin and death. It
is in His name, united as the Body of Christ, that we overcome oppression, persecution and all
forms of injustice. Through the grace of baptism, strengthened by the Sacraments of
Confirmation and Eucharist, we have what it takes to make the difference in defense of the very
principles of religious liberty to preserve all that we hold as sacred in our nation and world.
Each of us has a voice. Each vote counts. Each has a right to be heard. And each of us has a
responsibility to advocate for freedom of conscience, standing as Witnesses to Freedom.
