Reflections from the Religious Liberty Chairman
Every month, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades, chairman of the Committee for Religious Liberty, reflects on a pertinent topic related to religious freedom in the United States. Sign up for the First Freedom News newsletter to receive monthly reflections from Bishop Rhoades.
Protecting Our Schools
September 2025
As the pastor of a diocese that includes several excellent Catholic educational institutions, I hold a special place in my heart for the role of schools for the well-being of our society. Father Edward Sorin famously said that the school he was founding, the University of Notre Dame, would become “one of the most powerful means for good in this country."
A free people requires institutions that form people to earnestly and freely seek the truth. The university is one of those institutions.
Educational institutions, including elementary schools, colleges, and universities, should be places where students and teachers collaborate in a quest to grasp the true, good, and beautiful—a collaboration that may involve vigorous debate. It is essential that schools be places where everyone is safe and free to learn in peace, free from the evils of gun and politically targeted violence.
It is plain to see that our nation suffers from a spiritual sickness. The polarized politics many of us have long lamented seem to be moving closer to a cycle of violence and retribution. As the Church celebrates the Feast of the Archangels, may we ask for the intercession of the Ss. Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael—a protector, a messenger, and a healer: that we would each do our part to seek the truth, to engage in dialogue with others in good faith, and to protect those institutions that are necessary for us to live in a free society.
More Reflections from Bishop Rhoades
August 2025 - Labor Day and Human Dignity
This weekend, not only do we enjoy the official beginning of college football season, but we look forward to Labor Day, which Americans celebrate on the first Monday of September. It was the issue of labor that occasioned the great encyclical of Pope Leo XIII called Rerum Novarum, which is often considered to have inaugurated the tradition of regular reflections from the Bishop of Rome on social issues—that is, Catholic social teaching.
The theme of human dignity sounds throughout this teaching. Rerum Novarum teaches, among many other topics such as dignified workplaces and just wages, that wealthy owners and employers are “not to look upon their work people as their bondsmen, but to respect in every man his dignity has a person ennobled by Christian character.” This respect for human dignity implies that the employer is “bound to see that the worker has time for his religious duties,” a point that Pope St. John Paul II would note one hundred years later is “a springboard for the principle of the right to religious freedom.” Indeed, the Church teaches that human dignity is the foundation for the right to religious freedom.
If we are to promote authentic freedom, then, it is imperative that we promote human dignity in every respect, and that we steadfastly defend this dignity against any policies or practices that would offend it. As we honor the dignity of work, let us ask the Lord to give us the wisdom and courage to do our part to build up a society that fosters the dignity of every human person. And at the same time, as we grieve the horrific attack at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, let us pray that the Lord would bring healing and comfort to our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and may the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace.
July 2025 - Speaking Truth in Challenging Times
Pope St. John Paul II was well known for saying that “There is no freedom without the truth.” In a similar way, Pope Leo XIV has referred to our search for truth on several occasions. Recently, he addressed sisters of his own Augustinian religious order, saying, “We know that a culture without truth becomes an instrument of the powerful: instead of freeing consciences, it confuses and
distracts them according to the interests of the market, fashion or worldly success.” He goes on to commend St. Augustine’s work De Magistro, which discusses how true learning requires an encounter with the inner teacher, who is Jesus himself.
Many of the religious liberty issues we face today are some of the most polarizing in our society. It is understandable that people will disagree with one another about these issues in good faith. But we Catholics can show that our debates about these difficult issues can be authentic searches for truth. We do so by approaching challenging issues with integrity and putting commitment to truth above loyalty to a party. Christ is ready to teach us. Let us be ready to listen to him.
June 2025 - Hope in the Sacred Heart of Jesus
In the coming days, Americans will celebrate Independence Day, a joyful celebration of this great country. At the same time, we cannot help but think about the violent events we have witnessed recently in the United States. Political assassinations, attacks on houses of worship, civil unrest across our nation and the uncertainty of war overseas are deeply concerning.
But we Catholics always have reason to place our hope in Christ, even amid such serious challenges. Each summer we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, which impels us to bear witness to our hope in Christ. Pope Francis shows us how to respond to the love of Jesus by calling us to build a new civilization of love and make reparations. He says, “Amid the devastation wrought by evil, the heart of Christ desires that we cooperate with him in restoring goodness and beauty to our world” (Dilexit Nos, no. 182).
Faith in our Lord, Jesus Christ, gives us the strength and hope we need to build this civilization of love. As we celebrate both the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart and Independence Day, let us be united to Christ who calls us to be salt and light here in the United States of America, no matter what challenges we might encounter.
May 2025 - Pope Leo XIV’s Vision for Peace
Like many Americans, I was thrilled when Robert Prevost was elected and introduced to us as Pope Leo XIV. What a joyful moment for Catholics in both the United States and Peru, as well as the whole Catholic Church. More recently, I was greatly encouraged by his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
There, he reflects on the Church’s diplomatic mission, highlighting three key points: peace, justice, and truth. He describes how religious freedom can contribute to a “climate of peace.” Religion is a natural part of the human experience, and so human persons and communities require a kind of breathing room if they are to work together across differences.
The Holy Father builds on this point about peace in his reflection on truth, saying, “Truly peaceful relationships cannot be built . . . apart from truth.” And he goes on, “For her part, the Church can never be exempted from speaking the truth about humanity and the world, resorting whenever necessary to blunt language that may initially create misunderstanding. Yet truth can never be separated from charity, which always has at its root a concern for the life and well-being of every man and woman.”
This must be our task in promoting religious freedom today: to foster a climate of peace, while carrying out the Church’s mission to speak the truth. May the Lord bless this work, and may the Holy Spirit continue to guide Pope Leo XIV!