WHAT IS FORTNIGHT FOR FREEDOM?
TalkingPointsontheFortnightforFreedom(June21toJuly4,2016)
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Inthestatement,OurFirst,MostCherishedLiberty(April2012),theUSCCB’sAdHocCommitteefor
ReligiousLibertyannouncedthefirstFortnightforFreedom–acalltofourteendaysofprayer,
education,andactionforreligiousfreedomintheUnitedStatesandabroad.
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Thethemeofthisyear’sFortnightisWitnessestoFreedomandwillfocusonthelivesofwomenand
menoffaith,fromallovertheworld,whohavebornewitnesstoauthenticfreedominChrist.
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TheFortnightforFreedomwillagaintakeplacefromJune21toJuly4.Thistwo‐weekperiodisa
timewhenourliturgicalcalendarcelebratesaseriesofgreatmartyrswhoremainedfaithfulinthe
faceofpersecutionbypoliticalpower,includingSt.ThomasMoreandSt.JohnFisher,St.Johnthe
Baptist,SS.PeterandPaul,andtheFirstMartyrsoftheChurchofRome.
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Wehaveseenagreatdiversityofeventspromotingreligiousfreedomacrossthecountry,including
interfaithprayerservices,specialMassesandholyhours,rallies,televisedtownhallmeetings,
conferences,andotherpubliceventswherespeakershavehighlightedthevariousthreatstoreligious
liberty,especiallytheHHSmandateandtheplightofpersecutedChristiansaroundtheworld.
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Thisyear,theFortnightforFreedomisnoteworthyforanumberofreasons:
o First,therewillbeanationaltourofrelicsofSt.ThomasMoreandSt.JohnFisher,bothmartyrs
oftheEnglishReformation.ChecktheFortnightforFreedomwebsite
(www.Fortnight4Freedom.org)fordetailsondatesandlocationsoftherelicstour.
o Second,therearetwonewmajorresourcesthisyear,inadditiontotheupdatingofmaterials
usedinpastyears:
 14storiesof“WitnessestoFreedom,”whichhighlightindividualmenandwomen
fromthepastandpresentwhohavewitnessedtothefaithinextraordinaryways,
includingSt.EdithStein,Bl.OscarRomero,theCopticChristianmartyrs,andtheLittle
SistersofthePoor.
 Newvideoon“TheRighttoReligiousFreedom”,explainingChurchteachingon
religiousfreedomandhighlightingcurrentchallengestoreligiousfreedom,including
theHHSmandateandglobalreligiouspersecution.Thevideowasproducedto
commemoratethe50thanniversaryofDignitatisHumanae,theSecondVaticanCouncil’s
declarationonreligiousliberty,whichwaspromulgatedinDecember1965.Thevideo
alsohasaDiscussionGuideforparishesthatmaywishtoshowthevideo.
o Third,theU.S.SupremeCourtisexpectedtoruleinlateJuneonthecasesbroughtbytheLittle
SistersofthePoorandmanyotherreligiousnon‐profitentitieschallengingtheHHSmandate.
Themandatewouldrequirethemtofacilitateinsurancecoverageoflife‐terminatingdrugsand
devices,contraception,andsterilizationfortheiremployeesandtheirdependents.
o Fourth,wearecontinuingtoseeincreasingviolentpersecutionofreligiousbelieversaround
theworld.TheU.S.SecretaryofStatehasrecentlysaidthatatrocitiescarriedoutbythe
IslamicStateagainstChristians,Yezidis,andotherreligiousminoritiesintheMiddleEastare
genocide.WepraythattheFortnightwillliftupthesacrificeofsomanybelievers.Wecan
honorthembyrobustlylivingourfaithandbywelcomingthosewhohavesurvivedreligious
persecutionandwhonowseekasylumhereintheU.S.
o Fifth,recentpoliticaldisputesoverstate‐levelreligiousfreedomprotections,suchas
legislationthatwouldprotectpeopleoffaithfromgovernmentdiscrimination,haveledto
attacksonthebasicrightofreligiousfreedom.Clearandeffectiveteachingonreligious
freedom,supportedbyprayer,areespeciallyneeded.
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ArchbishopWilliamLoriwillopentheFortnightwithaspecialMassonTuesday,June21at7:00pm
EDTattheBasilicaoftheNationalShrineoftheAssumptionoftheBlessedVirginMaryinBaltimore,
MD.CardinalDonaldWuerlwillclosetheFortnightwithaspecialMassonMonday,July4atnoon
EDTattheBasilicaoftheNationalShrineoftheImmaculateConceptioninWashington,D.C.Bishop
DavidZubikoftheDioceseofPittsburghwillbethehomilistattheJuly4Mass.BothMasseswillbe
televisednationwideonEWTNandCatholicTV.
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Throughprayer,education,andpublicactionduringtheFortnightforFreedom:Witnessesto
Freedom,wewillpromotetheimportanceofpreservingtheessentialrightofreligiousfreedom,for
nowandthefuture,forCatholicsandforthoseofallfaiths.