Fortnight for Freedom: June 21 - July 4, 2014.
Pope Francis has asked American Catholics to preserve and defend religious freedom, both in the United States and throughout the world.
Pope Francis is quoted in an address from the South Lawn of the White House, Washington, D.C., September 23, 2015. He states “American Catholics…are…concerned that [in their] efforts to build a just and wisely ordered society respect [be given to] their deepest concerns and their right to religious liberty. That freedom remains one of America’s most precious possessions. And…the United States Bishops, have reminded us, all are called to be vigilant, precisely as good citizens, to preserve and defend that freedom from everything that would threaten or compromise it.”
“Religious freedom is not only that of private thought or worship. It is the liberty to live, both privately and publicly, according to the ethical principles resulting from found truth.” - June 20, 2014. “When, in the name of an ideology, there is an attempt to remove God from society, it ends up adoring idols, and very soon men and women lose their way, their dignity is trampled and their rights violated.” - Sept. 21, 2014
In this election year, the United States Bishops call us to reflect on the lives of the Saints who died for their freedom in Christ, during this Fortnight for Freedom.
The Church has always given us a lot of freedom in how we form our Conscience, it is part of our dignity as God’s children. This does not give us freedom to choose when it comes to the Ten Commandments, but we do have a lot of freedom how we approach the truths of the moral life, which things we will emphasize and which we will choose to live by. In forming our Consciences, we are not given the freedom to ignore the truths that stand out or conflict with our faith, but are called to take the truth of the Gospel and compare it to the situation. We are called to spend time reflecting on the truth, in regards to Tradition and the teachings of the Magisterium. It is therefore the responsibility of every member of the Body of Christ to form their Conscience by growing in faith and understanding regarding the truths of the moral life through prayer, reflection and study.
“If indeed ‘the just ordering of society and of the state is a central responsibility of politics,’ the Church ‘cannot and must not remain on the sidelines in the fight for justice.’” So writes Pope Francis, quoting Pope Benedict XVI.
WATCH THE BULLETIN
A Holy Hour will be held during the Fortnight for Freedom sometime between June 27th and 29th at St. Malachy—possibly in conjunction with a video of one of the Saints who stood up for freedom—more information to come in the Bulletin!