Arlington Bishop Paul S. Loverde celebrated Mass at St.
Ambrose Church in Annandale June 27 as part of an event
called “Religious liberty … for how long? How to prepare
spiritually for the coming persecution.” The event marked the
annual Fortnight for Freedom, a USCCB initiative for
religious liberty.
Following the Supreme Court’s ruling the day before that
legalized same-sex marriage in all states, Bishop Loverde and
Father David Pignato, a Harvard Law School graduate and
Massachusetts-based priest, lamented what Father Pignato
called the “erosion” of religious liberty in the United
States.
During his homily, Bishop Loverde said, “Yesterday, we
witnessed a very real attack on the sacred institution of
marriage. … Religion is threatened in a nation known
until now for liberty.”
He added that Christians need “readiness,” “memory” and
“faith” to combat future persecution in the United States.
During his talk, Father Pignato pointed to the religion
clause in the First Amendment as the most important, saying,
“Moral obligations to God are prior and superior to the
state.”
“Religious liberty existed prior to the state and the
Constitution,” he said. “Every man has the moral obligation
to worship God.”
He quoted Pope Francis, who stated that religious liberty is
the basis of all freedoms and an indicator of a state’s
commitment to liberty.
Father Pignato described the Constitution’s concept of
religious liberty as “two-pronged”:
“The exercise clause means that the state cannot force people
to practice or prevent them from practicing their freely
chosen religion. The establishment clause prevents the state
from establishing a religion and forcing people to practice
it,” Father Pignato said.
“In the Obama administration, religious liberty means the
liberty to worship on Sunday,” he said. “But during the week,
it’s something that an enlightened secular administration
cannot accommodate.”
That definition is, in Father Pignato’s words, “narrow and
restricted and impoverished” because it prevents Catholics
and other people of faith from fully exercising their
beliefs. He cited the example of two Evangelical Christian
photographers in New Mexico who were found guilty of
discrimination for refusing to photograph a same-sex wedding.
He quoted Justice Richard Bossen, the ruling judge in the
case, who said the couple is “free to think, believe and pray
to the God they wish” but that doing business with
homosexuals is “the price of citizenship.”
Father Pignato blamed intellectual elites and many
politicians for lacking respect for religion.
“To them, religion is to be tolerated. There’s an impatience
and mockery for it. It’s seen as an outdated superstition
unsuited for modern, secular societies,” he said.
“We are blessed with religious liberty compared to other
countless souls in other parts of the world, but what should
we as Christians do if another wave of persecution is
coming?” Father Pignato asked.
In answer to his question, he stressed the importance of
conviction in “preparing for a storm.”
At the end of the talk, three audience members had the chance
to ask questions about religious liberty and same-sex
marriage.
The first question asked if Catholic priests would be
mandated federally to wed same-sex couples. Father Pignato
said he believes that will happen eventually, and when it
does, Catholic priests will no longer serve as official
witnesses of weddings for the state.
The second question considered how to engage with people who
say religion cannot be used to justify public policy.
“Voice your beliefs even if others don’t share the same
conviction,” he said. “It will help us find common ground
with other religions.”
He paraphrased the advice of Pope Benedict, adding that “most
of our convictions can be translated to the common currency
of reason.”
The last question was a request for a timeline on the
progression of same-sex marriage. Father Pignato said while
it is “difficult to predict with precision,” he estimates
that in five years, a court ruling will remove the religious
exemption on performing same-sex wedding ceremonies. In 10
years, he believes churches will have to begin paying fines
and penalties for not accommodating same-sex couples.
Fortnight for Freedom runs in dioceses across the country
from June 21 to July 4.
Find out more
For more information about Fortnight for Freedom, go to fortnight4freedom.org.
Stoddard can be reached at [email protected].
