The U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference (USCCB) is calling for prayer and action on religious freedom issues ranging from the Church in China to the defeat of taxpayer funding for abortion.
In its upcoming Religious Freedom Week 2022, which begins on the feast of the English martyrs Thomas More and John Fisher (June 22), the bishops will appeal for freedom for the Church and all religious communities to live out their faith in public and to serve the good of all, with the theme of “Life and Dignity for All.”
This year’s special intentions cover a range of hot-button issues stemming from recent threats to religious freedom as well as unprecedented possibilities such as the potential overturning of the Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling, which imposes abortion on all 50 states.
Three of the eight themes deal with abortion in some way and span from “Walking with Moms in Need” to “Pregnancy Resource Centers” to “Taxpayer Funding for Abortion.”
Walking with Moms in Need is an initiative launched by the USCCB Committee on Pro-Life Activities in 2020 and seeks to help parishes become places where pregnant and parenting women can find support and accompaniment.
As part of this program, Catholic Charities of Central Florida organized a “diaper drop” that provided diapers and other hygiene products to mothers in need, which was especially useful during the coronavirus pandemic when many lost their jobs.
The bishops ask for prayers that women facing unplanned pregnancies “will continue to have access to support from people who help them choose life,” with special regard to pregnancy resource centers.
Many women facing unexpected pregnancies easily feel trapped as if abortion were their only option. “Pregnancy resource centers provide counseling and support for moms who want to choose life.”
The bishops note that in some places, “abortion activists have sought to curtail the activities of these centers, working to force them to advertise abortion, and in places like Connecticut, abortion activists have aggressively campaigned against pregnancy resource centers.”
These centers support life and dignity for all and are “vital in our construction of a culture of life and removing a false choice between promoting the life of the mother and that of the child,” the bishops contend.
The bishops’ campaign against taxpayer funding for abortions is extremely straightforward, beginning with a prayer that civic leaders “promote life and dignity for all,” including those still in the womb.
The Hyde Amendment, which prohibits federal funding of abortions in the United States, is a bipartisan provision that has been part of federal appropriations for 45 years and enjoys overwhelming public support, the bishops observe.
The Amendment is widely supported by Americans and has saved lives while respecting the consciences of citizens. “No taxpayer abortion! Tell Congress not to take innocent lives,” the bishops urge.
Bishops gathered and had an opening prayer at a hotel banquet hall during the US Conference of Catholic Bishops on November 16, 2021, in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Michael Robinson Chavez/The Washington Post via Getty Images)
Along with these pro-life aspects of religious freedom, the bishops also highlight the importance of freedom of conscience for healthcare workers so they can opt-out of activities that would compromise their moral integrity.
On a related topic, the bishops also appeal for freedom of conscience for those who work in adoption and foster care so that their belief in man-woman marriage and the rights of children to a mother and a father will be respected.
“Sadly, in many places, those who seek to advance sexual orientation/gender identity causes have gone out of their way to challenge Christian adoption and foster care services who continue to uphold the truth about marriage,” the bishops observe.
“Intolerance for religious organizations has real consequences, and in this case, it is both vulnerable children and prospective parents who want to work with faith-affirming agencies who suffer,” they add.
The bishops also expressly request prayers for the freedom of the Church in China so that the rights of all religious minorities would be respected.
Chinese “freedom of religious belief” is conditioned by what the government deems to be permissible and involves the “sinicization” of religion, forcing religions to adapt their beliefs to socialist society, the bishops note.
Highlighting the egregious case of the more than one million Uyghur Muslims detained in prison camps in the Xinjiang region of China, the bishops lament that “human rights groups have found credible evidence of Uyghurs being tortured, placed in solitary confinement, and subjected to forced labor.”
Christian institutions and clergy as well have been come under increased pressure to register with state-sanctioned religious bodies, the bishops continue. For Catholics, this would be the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association (CCPA).
Of the estimated 12 million Catholics in China, about half belong to CCPA-registered congregations led by bishops selected with the approval of the Chinese Communist Party, while the rest are members of the so-called “underground” church and adhere to the authority of Rome.
It remains to be seen, the bishops declare, if the Vatican’s hope of building trust and friendship through dialogue “will bear fruit in improvements in religious freedom,” not only for Catholics, but for all who want to exercise their right to live in the truth of their faith.
As a final specific prayer intention, the bishops hold up the issue of free speech, which is suffering increased attacks in the U.S. in recent times.
“One of the promises of America is that many voices have a right to express themselves. Is that promise being fulfilled?” the bishops ask.
“On college campuses across the country, students who bear witness to life face intimidation and harassment,” they observe. “While a university can be a place to debate controversial topics, those who speak on behalf of the unborn are not merely dealing with opposing views. They are having their perspectives cancelled altogether.”
Let us resolve “to have the courage to speak the truth with grace, asking that the Lord will give us the prudence to be creative and compassionate in our witness,” the bishops urge.
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