In the United States this week, beginning on the feast day of Saints Thomas More and John Fisher, the Catholic bishops promote a week-long focus on religious freedom. Thomas More and John Fisher were champions of religious liberty; indeed they died for its cause. Saint Thomas More is a phenomenal example of someone fully engaged in every aspect of his country’s civic life – and, more privately, he was also fully living out his Catholic faith. As we know, at one point these two aspects of his life clashed, leading to his martyrdom. It is an unhealthy sign of a country when it is actively preventing its citizens from practicing their freedom of religion. Historically, and as we see today, countries try to impose secular beliefs on people who are quietly trying to live out their freedom of religion. Saint Thomas More gave his life for the freedom of the Church and freedom of conscience. He bears witness to the truth that no government can make a claim on a person’s soul. At a time when many countries make claims on peoples’ souls, Saint Thomas More’s message is more important than ever! On each day of this religious freedom week, there are the following topics that are proposed to meditate on:

• June 22: Respect for Sacred spaces
• June 23: Blasphemy and apostasy laws
• June 24: Freedom to speak the truth
• June 25: Service to immigrants
• June 26: Freedom of religion in India
• June 27: Faith at work
• June 28: Civility
• June 29: Catholic health care

Meditating on these topics highlights that in order to maintain freedom of religion, we need the courage of Saint Thomas More.