“Religious Freedom Fosters Peace,” Declare US Catholic Bishops
USCCB leaders call for global solidarity with persecuted believers as America commemorates International Religious Freedom Act
Commemorating a Historic Act
On October 27, the United States observes International Religious Freedom Day to commemorate the signing of the International Religious Freedom Act in 1998. This landmark legislation established religious freedom as a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy and created mechanisms to monitor and respond to violations worldwide.
In a powerful joint statement marking this occasion, two leading U.S. Catholic bishops have called for renewed commitment to protecting religious liberty globally, declaring that “religious freedom fosters peace” in a world torn by conflict and division.
Signed into law on October 27, 1998, the International Religious Freedom Act established the promotion of religious freedom as a core objective of U.S. foreign policy. The legislation created the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), an independent federal commission that monitors religious freedom violations worldwide and makes policy recommendations.
The Act also established the position of Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and requires annual reporting on the status of religious freedom in every country around the world.
Global Crisis of Religious Persecution
Bishop Zaidan and Bishop Rhoades drew urgent attention to the widespread repression and persecution of religion, emphasizing how these violations fuel violent conflict and hinder human development worldwide. Their statement paints a sobering picture of the current global landscape for religious freedom.
“In recent years, thousands of Christians and Muslims in Nigeria have been kidnapped and killed by Islamist extremists, while the government has imprisoned members of both religious groups for blasphemy,” the bishops noted in their statement.
Nigeria represents just one example of how religious persecution affects believers across faith traditions. The bishops emphasized that “in many other countries as well, people of faith are under consistent assault, while their governments engage in or tolerate severe violations of religious freedom.”
The Peace Connection
The bishops made a powerful argument connecting religious freedom directly to peace and human flourishing. “We have seen that repression and persecution of religion is ultimately detrimental to the peaceful development of all nations,” they declared. “Religious freedom fosters peace.”
Supporting their position, they quoted Pope Leo XIV’s recent teaching that “a culture of peace requires full respect for religious freedom in every country, since religious experience is an essential dimension of the human person.”
A Message of Hope Amid Global Turmoil
Acknowledging the challenging global context—”At a time when war is seemingly non-ending, the evil of political violence persists, and political discourse is shaped by intense polarization and division”—the bishops offered a message of Christian hope and solidarity.
“We, as followers of Jesus Christ, must not lose hope,” they declared. “On this International Religious Freedom Day, let us try to see Christ in each other.”
Religious Practice as Path to Peace
In their closing reflection, the bishops emphasized the transformative power of authentic religious practice. They expressed hope that religious practice—both Christian and that of believers from other traditions—would “cultivate ‘the purification of heart necessary for building peaceful relationships.'”
This vision positions religious freedom not merely as a negative right—freedom from persecution—but as a positive force that enables believers to contribute to peace, reconciliation, and human flourishing in their communities and nations.
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