Archbishop Charles Chaput and three other U.S. Catholic bishops urged support for an executive order on religious freedom from President Donald Trump in a statement they issued Feb. 16.
This month several media outlets, including CatholicPhilly.com through Catholic News Service, reported that the president is considering issuing an executive order establishing a government-wide initiative to respect religious freedom. Trump has not yet signed the order.
The bishops said they would be “most grateful” if by signing the order Trump would “take this positive step toward allowing all Americans to be able to practice their faith without severe penalties from the federal government.”
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Joining Archbishop Chaput, who is chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life and Youth, was USCCB Pro-Life Activities chairman Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York; Baltimore Archbishop William E. Lori, chairman of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty; and Bishop Frank J. Dewane of Venice, Florida, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.
Their joint statement follows:
“The right of all human beings to religious freedom, based on the inherent dignity of every person, has long been supported by the Catholic Bishops of the United States. Over the last several years, to our great dismay, the federal government has eroded this fundamental right, our first and most cherished freedom. The HHS mandate, for example, poses an incredibly heavy burden for the Little Sisters of the Poor and others due to conscientious objections to facilitating coverage of sterilization and contraception, including drugs and devices that may cause abortions. The Little Sisters — and so many others — still do not have adequate relief and still face possible fines in the tens of millions of dollars if they do not comply with the HHS mandate.
“President Trump has pledged that his ‘administration will do everything in its power to defend and protect religious liberty in our land.’ We urge the fulfillment of this promise, including an end to regulations and other mandates by the federal government that force people of faith to make impossible choices. We express our fervent hope that with new leadership in the Executive Branch, basic protections for religious practice may be restored and even strengthened.
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“As President Trump himself has affirmed, religious freedom is under severe threat, including in our own country, even though it is the first of our Constitutional freedoms. An immediate remedy to these threats is needed, for without it, our freedom to serve — as exemplified by the Little Sisters and others who serve the poor — will remain in jeopardy, and needless conflict between the faith community and the federal government will continue.
“It is indeed encouraging to hear that the President may be considering an Executive Order to implement strong protections for religious freedom across the federal government, in many of the areas where it has been eroded by the preceding Administration, such as health coverage, adoption, accreditation, tax exemption, and government grants and contracts. We ourselves, as well as those we shepherd and serve, would be most grateful if the President would take this positive step toward allowing all Americans to be able to practice their faith without severe penalties from the federal government.
“As Christians, our goal is to live and serve others as the Gospel asks. President Trump can ensure that we are not forced from the public square. Restoring the federal government’s proper relationship with the First Amendment and other laws protecting conscience and religious freedom will enable us to continue our service to the most vulnerable of Americans.”
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It is hard to take seriously a document on religious freedom in the US that does not even mention Muslims or migrants. The authors ignored the two greatest issues where religious freedom is being undermined today.
The good Little Sisters need to sign a form stating they will not provide any form of birth control to get out of the HHS mandate. Unfortunately, the Sisters still consider any requirement of a one page form burdensome, as they hold themselves above any law with the clergy’s encouragement. Don’t worry Archbishop, Trump will tear down the wall between religion and government. But this will call for an amendment to the constitution and may take a while.