Washington D.C., Oct 6, 2017 / 08:46 am
In a set of memos issued Friday, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions outlined principles of religious freedom that federal agencies and departments are to incorporate into their work.
"Our freedom as citizens has always been inextricably linked with our religious freedom as a people," Sessions said in an Oct. 6 statement. "Every American has a right to believe, worship, and exercise their faith. The protections for this right, enshrined in our Constitution and laws, serve to declare and protect this important part of our heritage."
The memos were issued in response to an executive order signed by President Trump in May, declaring, "It shall be the policy of the executive branch to vigorously enforce Federal law's robust protections for religious freedom" and instructing the attorney general to "issue guidance interpreting religious liberty protections in Federal law."
Friday's memos do not resolve specific cases currently in the court system. However, they were issued on the same day that the administration announced changes to the federal contraception mandate, allowing broad religious and moral exemptions to the regulation.