Attorney General’s Religious Liberty Guidance Protects Freedom of Faith-Based Organizations

WASHINGTON–On Friday, Attorney General Jeff Sessionsissued a memorandum for all executive departments and agencies on the subjectof "Federal Law Protections for Religious Liberty". Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore,Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty of the United StatesConference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), has offered the following statement inresponse:

"The Attorney General's guidance helpfully reaffirmsthat the law protects the freedom of faith-based organizations to conduct theiroperations in accordance with their religious mission. The guidance also reaffirms that the federalgovernment should never exclude religious organizations from competing on anequal footing for government grants or contracts, and religious entities shouldnever be forced to change their religious character in order to participate insuch programs. We appreciate theAttorney General's clarification of these matters, which will protectfaith-based organizations' freedom to serve all those in need, including thehomeless, immigrants, refugees, and students attending religious schools."

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Keywords: Archbishop William Lori, U.S. Conference ofCatholic Bishops, USCCB, Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, U.S. Department ofJustice, religious liberty, religious freedom

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