Don't miss our special announcement at the end of this article!
Witnesses to Freedom - the theme of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' 2016 Fortnight for Religious Liberty, which began June 21 and ends July 4. The fifth such Fortnight, we continue to see numerous examples of how our most treasured right from the U.S. Bill of Rights First Amendment are being threatened. For example:
- Health and Human Services mandate for contraception, sterilization, and abortion-inducing drugs. In an unprecedented way, the Federal government will both force religious institutions to facilitate and fund a product contrary to their own moral teaching by attempting to define which religious institutions are "religious enough" to merit protection. As Archbishop Lori of Baltimore recently said to Congress: "This is not a matter of whether contraception may be prohibited by the government. This is not even a matter of whether contraception may be supported by the government. Instead, it is a matter of whether religious people and institutions may be forced by the government to provide coverage for contraception or sterilization, even if that violates their religious beliefs."
- Immigration Laws. Several states have recently passed laws that forbid what the government deems "harboring" of undocumented immigrants—and what the Church deems Christian charity and pastoral care to those immigrants. Of course, the Church encourages and promotes proper immigration policies, recognizing the need for a nation's governance to have the support of its members; that is the due of justice. However, she must draw the line at several recent attempts, some of the most egregious trying to deny the administration of the sacraments and other means of care to those in our midst.
- Catholic foster care and adoption services. Several US states and cities have driven local Catholic Charities out of business because those Charities refused to place children with same-sex couples or unmarried opposite-sex couples who cohabit.
Prayer for the Protection of Religious Liberty
O God our Creator,
from your provident hand we have received
our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
You have called us as your people and given us
the right and the duty to worship you, the only true God,
and your Son, Jesus Christ.
Through the power and working of your Holy Spirit,
you call us to live out our faith in the midst of the world, bringing the light and the saving truth of the Gospel to every corner of society.
We ask you to bless us
in our vigilance for the gift of religious liberty.
Give us the strength of mind and heart
to readily defend our freedoms when they are threatened;
give us courage in making our voices heard
on behalf of the rights of your Church
and the freedom of conscience of all people of faith.
Grant, we pray, O heavenly Father,
a clear and united voice to all your sons and daughters
gathered in your Church
in this decisive hour in the history of our nation,
so that, with every trial withstood
and every danger overcome—
for the sake of our children, our grandchildren,
and all who come after us—
this great land will always be "one nation, under God,
indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Announcement: Visitation Parish will be hosting a Virtual Pilgrimage of Lourdes, France - The North American Lourdes Volunteers will present a 90-minute presentation to Lourdes, France, at Visitation Parish on Saturday, July 23, 2016 from 1 to 3PM. As part of this spiritual opportunity to draw nearer to God with Our Lady and St. Bernadette, you will receive a Eucharistic blessing and pray a candlelit Rosary. A Plenary Indulgence is granted to all the faithful.
Refreshments will follow the Prayer Service. For more information, call Dale Zanetti in Adult Faith Formation at (732) 732-7059 Ext. 214 or dzanetti@visitationrcchurch.org.