Dignitatis Humanae, Second Vatican Council, Declaration on Religious Freedom, 1965
Religious Freedom, the Path to Peace, Pope Benedict XVI, Message for 2011 World Day of Peace
Testimony of Most Reverend William C. Lori
Bishop of Bridgeport, on behalf of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops before the Judiciary Committee of the United States House of Representatives, Subcommittee on the Constitution Oct. 26, 2011
Let Freedom Ring
A Pastoral Letter on Religious Freedom by Bishop Lori
Address at Red Mass 2009, John Garvey, President, Catholic University of America
Catholics and Latter-day Saints: Partners in the Defense of Religious Freedom, Archbishop Francis E. George, Feb 23, 2010
Bishops urge Marylanders to safeguard, defend religious freedom, Catholic News Service, Nov 10, 2011
Bishop Lori outlines religious liberty issues at fall general assembly, Catholic News Service, Nov 14, 2011
In Congressional Testimony, Bishop Ramirez Urges Greater Measures to Ensure International Religious Freedom, USCCB, Nov 18, 2011
Religious Liberty: The Pre-Eminent Social Justice Issue' of Our Time, Bishop Lori, National Catholic Register, Nov 30, 2011
A Critical Issue to be Watchful Of, Msgr. Charles Pope, Archdiocese of Washington blog, Jan 2
Supreme Court: Discrimination laws do not protect certain employees of religious groups, Washington Post, Jan 11
Religious Freedom
The work of the Maryland Catholic Conference to advance the public policy interests of the Catholic Church in Maryland is made possible by the foundation laid by our Catholic forebears as early as the 16th century. We are indebted to them for their efforts, so often frustrated, to secure religious and political freedom for Catholics in Maryland.
From Rome earlier today, Cardinal-designate Edwin F. O’Brien, Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, condemned the Obama administration’s decision to leave unchanged a Health and Human Services mandate that virtually all health plans provide for sterilization, abortifacients and contraception.
“Within 24 hours of one of the most significant statements on religious freedom of Pope Benedict XVI’s pontificate, President Obama’s administration issued this shocking and disturbing decision, effectively forcing individuals and religious organizations to surrender their beliefs—rooted in long-held Judeo-Christian tradition and practice—for the sake of political and financial expediency,” the Cardinal-designate said.
“I echo the statement of Cardinal-designate Timothy Dolan on behalf of our Nation’s Catholic bishops and urge all Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore to pray for our elected officials and to work to reform this unjust regulation. Catholics and many others must take a stand on this fundamental issue.”
Click here for an interactive PDF of Religious Freedom and the People of Maryland: A Statement from the Catholic Bishops of Maryland
Click here for a static PDF of Religious Freedom and the People of Maryland: A Statement from the Catholic Bishops of Maryland in English, or here in Spanish.
History teaches us that the right to religious liberty is fragile and must be vigilantly guarded if it is not to be lost. The Catholic bishops of Maryland -- Washington Archbishop Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Baltimore Apostolic Administrator Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien, and Wilmington Bishop W. Francis Malooly -- have released a statement outlining increasing threats to this cherished right and highlighting the urgent need for all people to take steps to defend religious liberty.
Watch this accompanying video to the statement on religious freedom by Cardinal Wuerl.
Read the press release for the new Religious Freedom Statement.
Mrs. Mary Ellen Russell, the executive director of the Maryland Catholic Conference has been named one of ten consultants to join the national, recently established Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty.
Bishop William E. Lori of Bridgeport, Conn., also named 10 bishop-members to sit on the committee. To read more about the appointments and the committee, click here.