Bishop Nelson Perez addressed the issue of religious freedom during a Mass offered on June 26 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist. The liturgy was part of the observance of Religious Freedom Week – June 22-29 -- throughout the United States.
Pope Francis said, during his 2015 visit to the U.S., that freedom is one of America’s most precious possessions. He also reminded the U.S. bishops that they are “called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.”
“It used to be that our values were reflected in the culture around us,” Bishop Perez said in his homily. However, when the U.S. Supreme Court legalized abortion with the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, he said things began to change.
“In some ways, a seismic shift began when we decided when life began,” the bishop said. After that, other things began to change including decisions on marriage and gender identity.
“People of faith believed they’d be protected so government wouldn’t interfere with their beliefs and their right to those beliefs. But in the past few years, we’ve seen those rights challenged,” he said. The bishop mentioned the Little Sisters of the Poor lawsuit, which challenged whether the sisters, who operate a network of homes for low-income elderly people would be required to follow a federal contraception mandate.
“We are called together this week in prayer for religious freedom. Some things are non-negotiable for Christian men and women,” he said.
The bishop recalled when his parents left Cuba more than 50 years ago because their rights were stripped away. He said initially they believed it would be for just a short time, but they are still here.
“There is no country in the world like our country,” he said, but we need to ensure that the rights and beliefs of people of all religions are safeguarded and protected, as guaranteed by the Constitution.
“Never underestimate the power of prayer and God’s influence in our lives. We should ask God to deliver our voices to preserve our religious freedom – our right to work and serve him and others,” Bishop Perez said.
A few judges, including Ohio Supreme Court Justice Melody Stewart, were among those attending the Mass on June 26.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has a number of resources available for Religious Freedom Week. Click HERE for more information.