Religious Freedom Week Celebrated June 22-29, 2020

Beginning June 22, the Feast of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, the U.S. Catholic Church celebrates Religious Freedom Week. The annual celebration concludes on June 29, the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul. Join us in promoting religious freedom "For the Good of All," which has been selected as this year's theme.
 
Religious freedom means that all people have the space to flourish. Religious freedom is both an American value and an important part of Catholic teaching on human dignity. When we promote religious freedom, we promote the common good and thus strengthen the life of our nation and the community of nations. 
 
On June 22, FCCB President Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski of Miami was appointed to serve as acting chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee for Religious Liberty. He will serve until the November 2020 General Assembly. The appointment was made following the death of Bishop George V. Murry, S.J., of Youngstown, previous chairman of the committee.
 
In a  statement launching Religious Freedom Week, Archbishop Wenski encouraged Catholics to pray and uphold religious liberty at home and abroad, stating, "Religious freedom is under stress throughout the world. Even in our Western liberal democracies, discrimination against religion in general and Catholic Christianity, in particular, is growing - albeit in perhaps more sophisticated and less violent ways."

He concluded by saying, "The right to religious freedom has its foundation in the very dignity of the human person. Religious freedom is the human right that guarantees all other rights - peace and creative living together will only be possible if freedom of religion is fully respected." 

Resources for Religious Freedom Week and other religious liberty resources may be found at  www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek and  www.usccb.org/freedom.