I love being Catholic in America… especially when I see what Christians in Syria are going through this week in the wake of a deadly suicide bombing at a Greek Orthodox church.
It brings tears to my eyes to know that my husband and I can attend Mass freely and safely. We can walk in a Corpus Christi procession on public streets. We can peacefully pray for an end to abortion near the horrific places where abortions happen.
Of course, we do face challenges. I remember what happened during the Biden administration – which systematically targeted pro-life Americans with lawfare, vilified parents concerned about the moral welfare of their children, and used the FBI to spy on Catholics.
But through all of that, we maintained the right to speak up, defend ourselves, and even expose those who violated our rights.
That’s why I’m happy the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has declared this “Religious Freedom Week.” It’s an excellent opportunity to be thankful for the protections of our First Amendment… protections others do not enjoy.
In many ways, CatholicVote is an exercise in religious freedom. Every day, we exercise our right to allow Catholic teaching to inform public decision-making. We are free to promote the role of religious thought in politics.
That’s as it should be. In fact, this week, during an address to members of the International Inter-Parliamentary Union, Pope Leo XIV quoted Pope Pius XI, calling politics “the highest form of charity.” He went on to say:
“Indeed, if we consider the service that political life renders to society and to the common good, it can truly be seen as an act of Christian love, which is never simply a theory, but always a concrete sign and witness of God’s constant concern for the good of our human family.”
That being the case, how can we NOT bring our faith to public life?