Speeches and Statements

What do we mean by religious liberty?

In Catholic teaching, the Second Vatican Council explained in Dignitatis Humanae that the foundation of the principle of religious freedom is rooted in the dignity of the human person, who is endowed with reason and free will, and therefore able to take responsibility of his or her actions. Religious liberty is protected in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and in federal and state laws. Religious liberty includes more than our ability to go to Mass on Sundays or pray the Rosary at home; it also encompasses our ability to contribute freely to the common good of all Americans.

Read more on the Religious Liberty FAQ page!

Speeches & Homilies

Archbishop Lori Applauds 20th Anniversary of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
November 19, 2013, Statement by Archbishop William E. Lori, Chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty

U.S. Bishops Seek to Live by Faith, Serve Needy, Insure Employees; Continue Moral, Legal Analysis of HHS Mandate, September 17, 2013

2013 Fortnight Closing Homily. Donald Cardinal Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, July 4, 2013

Fortnight Closing Mass Remarks Archbishop William E. Lori, Archdiocese of Baltimore, July 4, 2013

Fortnight for Freedom Homily Bishop Kevin Rhoades, Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, July 4, 2013

Fortnight for Freedom Homily Archbishop Robert Carlson, Archdiocese of St. Louis, July 3, 2013

Fortnight for Freedom Homily Seán Cardinal O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, June 26, 2013

Fortnight for Freedom Homily Archbishop Joseph Naumann, Archdiocese of Kansas City, KS, June 23, 2013

2013 Fortnight Opening Mass Homily. Archbishop William E. Lori, Archdiocese of Baltimore, Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption, June 21, 2013

Fortnight for Freedom Homily Timothy Cardinal Dolan, USCCB President, Archbishop of New York, June 21, 2013

Homily, Courts and Moral Relativism. Archbishop Thomas Wenski, Archdiocese of Miami, FL, April, 23, 2013.

Religious Freedom and the Love of God, John H. Garvey, Esq., President,The Catholic University of America, June 13, 2012, USCCB General Assembly.

Statements

Religious Liberty Chair Backs Litigants Opposing HHS Mandate
April 8, 2013, USCCB News Release, read the full Chairman's Statement

Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty by the Ad Hoc Committee on Religious Liberty, April 12, 2012 en Español

United for Religious Freedom, USCCB Administrative Committee.  March 14, 2012.

Pope Benedict XVI warns of threat to freedom of religion, conscience in U.S., January 19, 2012.