WASHINGTON — In front of a small crowd of cabinet members and
religious leaders at the White House Rose Garden May 3, President Donald Trump
announced, and then signed, an executive order giving faith-based groups a
stronger voice in the federal government.
"It's a great day," he said after signing the order and
passing out pens to religious leaders who surrounded him outside on the spring
morning for the National Day of Prayer event.
No details about the order were given at the ceremony, but
religious leaders were reminded of the work they do in caring for those in need
and were assured by the president that their religious freedom would continue
to be protected by the federal government.
A White House document posted online after the order was signed
said its purpose was to ensure that faith-based and community organizations
"have strong advocates" in the White House and the federal
government.
It said the "White House Faith and Opportunity
Initiative" would provide recommendations on programs and policies where
faith-based and community organizations could partner with the government to
"deliver more effective solutions to poverty."
It also pointed out that the new office would enable the Trump
administration to know of failures, within the executive branch, of complying
with religious liberty protections and would ensure that faith-based
organizations have "equal access to government funding and equal right to
exercise their deeply held beliefs."
The initiative will be led by the newly created position of
adviser to the White House Faith and Opportunity Initiative and will be
supported by community and faith leaders outside of the federal government. It
will have designated liaisons from executive departments and federal agencies.
A faith-based office is not new to the White House. Previous
administrations, including those of Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush,
had similar offices.
The May 3 ceremony to announce this office began with a series of
prayers, led first by Vice President Mike Pence, who also told the crowd that
he and the president frequently have people telling them: "We're praying
for you."
He said the Bible "tells us to persevere in prayer" and
noted that the American people do this every day and would do this in a
particular way during the National Day of Prayer when many would "bow a head
or bend a knee" to pray for the nation.
Pence told the crowd that "believers of every background
have a champion in President Trump," and he reminded them of Trump's
executive order signed a year ago, also in a Rose Garden ceremony, which he
said assured people of faith that "no one would be penalized for their
religious beliefs."
The new executive order takes that a step further, he added.
Washington Cardinal Donald W. Wuerl, one of several faith leaders
to deliver a prayer from a podium on the White House lawn, prayed that people
would have the grace to stay close to God and one another. He also prayed for
government leaders and for believers to have the strength and courage to stand
up for their faith.
Trump said prayer has "forged the identity of this
nation" and has also sustained it.
He told the group that the new office was a necessary step
because in solving many of today's problems and challenges, "faith is more
powerful than government and nothing is more powerful than God."
“We look forward to working with the White House on its Faith and
Opportunity Initiative,” said Jonathan Reyes, USCCB Assistant General Secretary
for Integral Human Development.
"Overcoming poverty and challenging other social problems like
the opioid crisis takes all hands-on deck,” he said. “The faith community has
collaborated with government partners in this country at the federal, state,
and local levels for a very long time. We pray that we will continue to have
the freedom and the space to serve the least of these, as the Gospel mandates.”