"The Church in the United States is called, in season and out of season, to proclaim a Gospel which not only proposes unchanging moral truths but proposes them precisely as the key to human happiness and social prospering (cf. Gaudium et Spes, 10)." Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI to the U.S. Bishops, 2012. Ad Limina visit.
In the context of the current cultural climate in the United States, the Church faces growing challenges from an increasingly hostile secular society that has exhibited a concerning tendency to narrowly define religious liberty as "mere freedom of worship without guarantees of respect for freedom of conscience." (cf. Pope Benedict XVI, Address to U.S. Bishops on their ad Limina Visit)
In the following keynote address given at the 2013 conference of the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers (NACFLM), Archbishop William Lori discusses the challenges facing the Church on the issue of religious liberty. Using examples in the attempted redefinition of marriage, Archbishop Lori discusses the implications for religious liberty. Also treated is the role that Church leaders (whether clergy or laity) may play with regard to providing education and formation in the Church's teachings on marriage and family within the context of the New Evangelization.
"Religious Liberty - A Fundamental Right and What This Means for Marriage and the Family"
Part One, Part Two, Part Three, Part Four
Note: these audio files are here for your use with the permission of Catholic Seminars. If you would like to purchase this talk and view other files available from the 2013 NACFLM conference, contact: www.catholicseminars.com.
For more information on religious liberty, please visit the main USCCB Religious Liberty page here.