A Civilization of Love

Part of an interview with Archbishop William E. Lori

The 3^rd Annual Fortnight for Freedom began this weekend and runs through July 4. The Archbishop of Baltimore discusses it and some of the HHS cases. In a wide-ranging interview, Archbishop Lori touched on the likely outcome of Hobby Lobby’s legal challenge to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate and legislative efforts at the state level to secure religious freedom.

“A major issue is challenges to religious freedom at the state level. During recent legislative seasons, attempts to secure legislation modeled on the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) have run into difficulties. We saw that in Kansas, Arizona and other states. Even attempts to make modest improvements to laws already on the books have been vigorously opposed by people who want to limit religious freedom… new challenges to religious freedom raised by the advent of same-sex "marriage" at the state level. As of yet, no one is insisting that same-sex "marriages" be solemnized in church. Nonetheless, [changes in state marriage laws] affect a range of issues, like hiring and faculty contracts in Catholic schools.”

Are we entering a new phase in the campaign to challenge misconceptions about religious freedom?

“There [has been] a shift in thinking: Religious freedom is still constitutionally guaranteed, but it should be counterbalanced by other rights, such as those pertaining to ‘reproductive freedom’ and the freedom to marry.

Now, in the most recent stage in thinking about religious freedom, it is considered to be a bad thing. It represents an attempt to forbid people from doing things they have a right to do and to impose irrational opinions on the culture at large, through public advocacy, the delivery of services by religious institutions and their hiring practices.

The majority of people may not see it that way, but we have reached the point that a very hostile view of religious freedom has moved into broad daylight.

All intermediate institutions are, to some extent, under attack, especially the family. The family is the prime institution that mediates between the power of the state and the individual conscience. Certainly, religious faith can play that role, but the current trend is to privatize religion: As long as churches are just a club where people come to pray, there is complete freedom. But when the Church speaks or acts to serve the common good or when [religious institutions and individuals] enter the workplace — when they hire or fire — that’s another story.

At the moment, there is no movement from the administration or from Congress [regarding legislative or legal challenges to the HHS mandate].”

Do you see any change in public opinion among Catholics and others of goodwill on the emerging threats to religious freedom?

“If we were practicing our faith at historic levels, I don’t think these challenges to religious freedom would have gained the traction they have gained. But fewer people go to

church and practice their religion, and so these challenges are more politically feasible. There is a clear link between evangelization and the defense of religious liberty. The more Catholics know, understand, practice and love their faith, the more ready they will be as citizens to defend their own faith and defend the right of their fellow citizens to live out their faith.

That said, I believe there is more support among Catholics, evangelicals, the Orthodox Jewish community and other groups of faith believers and minority religions to defend religious liberty than the popular media would lead us to believe.

It is hard to say how the court will decide the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga cases, but we hope for a robust defense of the right of people of faith who have founded companies to live their faith in the very enterprise they run.

I would be surprised if the court ruled more broadly, in a way that could affect legal challenges brought by religious nonprofits.

We selected the theme ‘Freedom to Serve’ [as the theme for Fortnight for Freedom] because what is under attack is not our right to worship, but our right to go beyond our places of worship and serve the poor and the young.

Once again, the opening Mass will be on June 21 at the Baltimore basilica, and the closing Mass on July 4 will be at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.

During the fortnight, we invite people to engage in acts of Christian service or become directly involved in the Church’s outreach to the poor and the needy. Let’s understand that challenges to religious freedom are parallel to challenges to life and family. What is called for is not just a short-term effort, but a movement that brings together life, marriage, service to the needy and religious freedom.

We have to take the long view, as the pro-life movement did in 1973, and ask for God’s grace to keep going. We are talking about the creation of a true civilization of love that is pre-eminently a work of faith.”

Read the entire interview at: http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/archbishop-lori-encourages-service-to-church-and-country/