The following essay was selected as the second-place winner of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ 2025 religious liberty essay contest on the theme “Religious Liberty and Polarization” The essay contest was co-sponsored by the OSV Institute for Catholic Innovation. For his essay, Niall Dorry was awarded a $1,000 scholarship.

Religious freedom is one of the most important human rights that everyone deserves, no matter what they believe in. According to Catholic teaching, every person has the responsibility to search for religious truth and live by it. But as the Second Vatican Council said in Dignitatis humanae, people can’t really do that unless they are free from outside pressure and are able to think for themselves. As it says, “Men cannot discharge these obligations in a manner in keeping with their own nature unless they enjoy immunity from external coercion as well as psychological freedom” (DH, 2). Unfortunately, in today’s world, especially in American politics, some Christians only seem to defend religious freedom for people who agree with them. That goes against what Christianity is really about. Instead, Christians should defend the religious freedom of all people and remember the role of the Church in promoting peace, respect, and unity.

The message of Jesus is all about love, not just for friends, but even for enemies. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus says, “Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” This shows that religious freedom isn’t just about laws or politics  it’s about treating people with dignity and respect. Christians believe that every person is made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27), so defending religious freedom for everyone should be a basic part of living out their faith. As Bishop Robert Barron explains, “Religious liberty is rooted in the dignity of the human person, not in the popularity of particular beliefs” (Barron). In other words, Christians can’t just fight for their own freedom while ignoring or even opposing the freedoms of others. For example, it doesn’t make sense for Catholics to want prayer in schools or Christian displays in public, but then be against the building of mosques or temples. Real religious freedom is about being fair and being respectful for all people, not just people who believe the same things.

The Catholic Church has always stood up for religious freedom, but in today’s divided world, its role is more important than ever. The Church should be a voice for unity and compassion. Pope Francis often talked about the importance of dialogue and respect when it comes to promoting peace and religious liberty. In a speech to the United Nations in 2015, he said, “A delicate balance is required to combat violence perpetrated in the name of a religion without eliminating religious freedom” (Francis). In America especially, the Church has to set an example by standing up for the rights of all religious groups, not just Christians. That means supporting the rights of Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and everyone else to practice their beliefs freely. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops says that religious freedom is not just about being allowed to go to church but about being able to live out your faith in everyday life (The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops). The Church should also encourage Catholics to have respectful conversations with people from other religions or worldviews. This doesn’t mean giving up Catholic beliefs, but it does mean listening and trying to understand others.

Even in a divided world, there have always been people who defended religious freedom for all, not just for their own group. One of the most famous examples is Reverend. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He fought for civil rights because of his Christian faith. In his Letter from Birmingham Jail, he wrote, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” (King, 1). He believed that standing up for the rights of others was part of living out his faith. Another example is Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, a Jewish leader. He worked for religious tolerance and respect between different groups. In his book The Dignity of Difference, he wrote, “The test of faith is whether I can make space for difference” (Sacks 60). This idea connects really well with Catholic teaching on religious liberty. Even within the Catholic Church, leaders like Archbishop Charles Chaput have spoken about how important it is to defend religious freedom for all people. In his book Render Unto Caesar, he writes that the best way to protect Catholic religious freedom is to defend the rights of others to follow their own consciences (Chaput, 101).

Today’s world is more divided than ever, but Christians are called to be different. Being a Christian means standing up for what’s right  even when it’s difficult or unpopular. Defending religious freedom for all people isn’t just about politics, it’s about living out the love and justice of Christ. The Church should keep teaching Catholics that religious freedom is based on the dignity of every human being, not on having special privileges. Christians should be leaders in defending the rights of others, fighting against discrimination, and encouraging conversations between different religions. As Pope Francis says, “True peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice, respect, and harmony among all people” (Francis).At the end of the day, religious freedom is a gift that needs to be protected not just for ourselves, but for everyone. Christians should reject the idea of using religious freedom as just a political tool. Instead, they should embrace religious freedom as a basic human right that reflects the love and justice of God.

References

Barron, Robert. Vibrant Paradoxes: The Both/And of Catholicism. Word on Fire, 2016.

Chaput, Charles J. Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living Our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life. Image, 2008.

Pope Francis. “Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the General Assembly of the United Nations.” 25 Sept. 2015: www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/speeches/2015/september/documents/papa-francesco_20150925_onu-visita.html.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. Letter from a Birmingham Jail. 1963.

Pope Paul VI. Dignitatis humanae. Vatican Council II, 1965.

Sacks, Jonathan. The Dignity of Difference: How to Avoid the Clash of Civilizations. Continuum, 2002.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). “Our First, Most Cherished Liberty: A Statement on Religious Liberty.” 2012: www.usccb.org/committees/religious-liberty/our-first-most-cherished-liberty.