Religious Freedom Week 2025: Witnesses to Hope
● Religious Freedom Week takes place June 22–29 each year. It begins with the feast day of Ss. Thomas More and John Fisher, includes the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, and ends with the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul. The theme for this year is Witnesses to Hope.
● The USCCB provides “Pray—Reflect—Act” resources at www.usccb.org/ReligiousFreedomWeek—one for each day on different religious liberty topics. These materials help people learn about religious liberty from a Catholic perspective, pray about particular issues, and act on what they learn by advocating for policies that promote religious freedom.
● The Pray—Reflect—Act resources this year show the range of religious liberty issues of concern to the bishops. The Committee for Religious Liberty has collaborated with the Office of International Justice and Peace to raise awareness about the persecution of Catholics in Nicaragua and religious violence in Nigeria.
● Building on this year’s Annual Report, the Week highlights concerns about political polarization among the faithful. The Church cannot offer an effective witness to religious liberty if we are beholden more to a political party than to God and the teaching of the Church, and if our beliefs are more political than religious. ● The Week also calls attention to religious liberty threats towards migrants and the Catholic ministries that serve them. In recent years, Christian services to migrants have faced attacks by both media personalities and political leaders seeking to make a point about current immigration trends. There are also renewed threats of immigration enforcement raids in “sensitive locations,” such as churches. A nation that respects its religious institutions will recognize the Church’s right to carry out her mission to vulnerable people, including migrants and refugees.
● During Religious Freedom Week, we can be witnesses to hope on some of the most pressing issues of our time. One example is the issue of school choice. Catholic teaching is clear: parents have the right to direct the education of their children. We can be a witness to the rights of parents to make authentically free choices regarding the education of their children.
● This year, the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Catholic Education and Our Sunday Visitor Institute, hosted a religious liberty essay contest. The competition was open to high school juniors and seniors. This year’s theme is “Religious Freedom and Polarization.” Contestants were asked to reflect on the role of the Church in promoting religious freedom in polarized times. The top essays from the competition will be published during Religious Freedom Week. ● Connect with the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty. Sign up for First Freedom News, the USCCB Committee for Religious Liberty’s monthly newsletter.
● Through prayer, education, and action during Religious Freedom Week, we can promote the hope found in the fundamental right of religious freedom for Catholics and for people of all faiths.