The University of Notre Dame observed the conclusion of Religious Freedom Week in the U.S. with a Religious Liberty Summit June 28-29 that invited ecumenical leaders and scholars from around the nation to discuss the various challenges to religious liberty.
religious freedom
Charter on Religious Freedom Rights Released Ahead of International Summit
Religious freedom advocates released a charter declaring the right of every person around the world to freely believe — or not believe — religious tenets and join with others in a religious community and for believers and religious communities to live peacefully in society.
Asia Bibi Appeals for the Repeal of Pakistan’s Blasphemy Laws
During the presentation of a report on religious freedom produced by a papal charitable foundation, Asia Bibi, the Pakistani Christian who spent eight years on death row on blasphemy charges, appealed to her country’s government to put an end to this discriminatory law.
Speakers Describe Equality Act Problems for Catholics
The Equality Act would dramatically expand the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. But proponents held a recent webinar to explain how this act severely damage to religious freedom in the U.S.
Protestors At U.N. Accuse China’s Government of Brutality
Protestors representing ethnic minority groups under the control of China gathered Dec. 10 near the United Nations headquarters to assail China’s government for alleged crackdowns on friends and family in their homelands. Religious freedom was among their top concerns.
As Administration Change Nears, Experts Urge Bipartisan Approach to Religious Freedom
At a time when the ideological makeup of Capitol Hill is more divided than ever, the nation’s international religious freedom czar is calling on the next administration to maintain religious liberty as a bipartisan issue.
Analysis: Should Hong Kong Crackdowns Count as ‘Anti-Christian Persecution’?
Prison sentences handed down this week for three young pro-democracy activists, in tandem with the arrest of media tycoon Jimmy Lai, has been largely read as the latest chapter in China tightening its grip on Hong Kong and eviscerating the principle of “one nation, two systems” under which the territory was transferred to Chinese control in 1997.
Firestorm on Twitter in Spain After Trending Topic Calls for Burning Priests
Despite restrictions on hate speech on social media in Spain, a trending hashtag calling for Catholic priests to be burned alive was not removed for violating rules against posting calls for violence.
Diocese of Brooklyn Takes ‘Religious Freedom’ Case to the U.S. Supreme Court
The Diocese of Brooklyn has filed an emergency application with the Supreme Court, asking that the highest court in the land agree to hear its case against Gov. Andrew Cuomo on First Amendment grounds. The diocese charged that imposing strict attendance — in some cases, as little as 10 people at the Mass — violates religious freedom.
DOJ: Mayor de Blasio Favored Protests Over Religious Freedoms During COVID-19 Shutdown
In a letter highly critical of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s handling of enforcement during the COVID-19 shutdown, a U.S. Justice Department official urged the mayor to be fair to religious institutions.