Washington D.C., Jun 21, 2021 / 15:32 pm
Catholics in the United States are being encouraged to pray each day this week about an issue related to religious freedom.
The theme of the U.S. bishops’ Religious Freedom Week – which runs from June 22-29 – is “Solidarity in Freedom,” where one bishop each day singles out a threat to religious freedom and asks for prayers from Catholics.
“Religious freedom is for all people,” said Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, chair of the U.S. bishops’ religious freedom committee, in a video posted on the conference Twitter account on Monday.
June 22 is the feast day of Sts. Thomas More and John Fisher, two English martyrs. The week concludes on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul. Prayer themes for each day include conscience rights for health care workers, Iraqi Christians, Catholics in Nicaragua, adoption and foster care, church vandalism, Catholic ministries during the pandemic, and the Equality Act.
“As Pope Francis has recently taught in Fratelli Tutti, solidarity means much more than engaging in sporadic acts of generosity. It means thinking and acting in terms of community,” Cardinal Dolan explained. Religious freedom, he said, “allows the Church, and all religious communities, to live out their faith in public and serve the good of all.”
Dolan said that religious freedom is one of the cornerstones on which the United States was founded, adding, “It’s not a coincidence that we observe this celebration as we approach Independence Day, the fourth of July.”
He also urged Catholics in the United States to pray for persecuted Christians worldwide.
“We also want to pray for our fellow Christians in places like Nicaragua, Nigeria, and Iraq, who face aggressive persecution,” said Dolan.
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