Washington D.C., Jun 5, 2013 / 16:03 pm
Dioceses across the country are preparing for the upcoming Fortnight for Freedom – now in its second year – by organizing a variety of prayer and educational activities with a religious liberty theme.
The purpose of the Fortnight for Freedom is "to educate people about the nature of religious freedom (and) to point out intrusions against religious liberty," said Archbishop William E. Lori of Baltimore in a video posted online by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In addition, the fortnight aims to show "how people exercising their religious freedom enriches society in terms of charity, education and really building what we would call a civilization of love," he said.
Archbishop Lori, who is the chair of the U.S. bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, explained that the Fortnight for Freedom will run from June 21 to July 4. The two-week initiative will highlight threats to religious liberty in various areas, such as immigration, health care, marriage and humanitarian services.