U.S. bishops are urging Catholics to stand in solidarity and act on behalf of the persecuted on Oct. 27 — International Religious Freedom Day — to commemorate the 1998 passage of the U.S. International Religious Freedom Act.
In a joint statement, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan and Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explained the importance of observing this day.
“Across the world, millions of people are denied the basic right to religious freedom, a denial that fuels violent conflict and hinders human development,” they wrote. “In recent years, for example, 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. 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.
“We have seen that repression and persecution of religion is ultimately detrimental to the peaceful development of all nations. Religious freedom fosters peace. Our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV said recently 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.”
The bishops emphasized Pope Leo’s words on religious freedom as fundamental to peace and urged Catholics not to despair amid global conflict and polarization.
“Let us try to see Christ in each other,” they said, calling for prayer, witness, and advocacy.
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