This week's column is by Joseph Meaney, Director of International Coordination at Human Life International.
The questions are heard it seems more and more these days. How bad can the attack on religious liberty in the United States really get? They're not really going to start arresting Catholic bishops, university presidents and business owners are they?
Clear thinking on these important questions is essential, as we should neither exaggerate nor underestimate what is a real threat to our religious liberty. There is no sign that the Obama administration is about to start rounding up faithful Catholics, shutting down universities and hospitals and charities. But this fact should be not dissuade anyone from realizing the urgency of the threats that we can already see, and the attacks that are indeed already underway.
The HHS mandate forcing almost all religious institutions to pay for insurance that must fully cover abortion-inducing drugs, sterilization and contraception is a clear and present danger to the Church, to all people of faith, and ultimately to all Americans who cherish the freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution. The Obama administration's claims of "accommodation" are entirely bogus, since we know that this move does nothing to prevent institutions from being forced to pay for services that kill unborn human beings and, even beyond this, are morally problematic. We cannot comply, as many of our bishops and other leaders have made clear. This is a real threat, not an imaginary one, as many are being told. Every faithful Christian should be on alert as our participation in voting, in public witness and in prayer is essential at this time.
Another important consideration is the history of religious freedom, including the times when Christian nations have seen their liberty taken away, even violently, as atheistic regimes directly challenge, and then attack, the Church.
While attending the World Congress of Families in Madrid, I saw a preview of For Greater Glory, which will be released in U.S. theaters today, Friday, June 1. This film tells the moving story of Mexico's Cristero Rebellion in the 1920s. Even if it is an action-packed Hollywood movie with scenes of strong violence, its soul is a stirring message of sacrifice and martyrdom for religious liberty. If you're like many in the audience, you'll be tempted to jump up and shout "Viva Cristo Rey!" following the Cristero warriors.
The savage persecution of Catholics during and after the Mexican Revolution is a chapter of recent history that few people have studied. Unfortunately, with President Obama's HHS mandate, we are now also facing a direct challenge, which, while not yet as bad as the persecution of the Catholics of Mexico last century, demands our attention and action. If the courts do not uphold the rights of conscience of U.S. citizens and churches, the conflict could escalate. What happened in Mexico is a cautionary tale.
It is also important to honor the modern saints who refused, at the cost of their lives, to deny Christ the King. Supporting For Greater Glory by "voting at the box office" on its opening weekend is a way to encourage the production of films whose message is sorely needed during times of growing religious persecution. It also can lead to more cinemas screening it across America. (Click here to find the closest movie theater showing For Greater Glory http://www.forgreaterglory.com.)
Even in Madrid, and in Rome where my family and I are currently living, there are many conversations about the threat to religious liberty in the United States. It is clear that the world is watching the situation, watching the response of Church leadership and the laity. Even if many people around the world resent the role that the U.S. has played in world affairs, for reasons both valid and invalid, it is still true that the U.S. is a beacon of freedom to many who have never really know the kind of freedom we have known in the world's most powerful nation.
Catholics in America are not yet facing the murderous persecution that the Cristiada faced in the early 20th century, but with For Greater Glory we have a valuable reminder of the importance of not letting things get so far. The filmmakers have been clear that they do not intend the movie as a political commentary on the situation in the US. But Christians can see Providence at work in a strong and timely reminder that, "coincidentally" calls us to remember the importance of defending our ability to live our faith without restriction.
May the past heroism of our Mexican brothers and sisters inspire us not to yield to the unjust and immoral demands of governments anywhere.
Viva Cristo Rey!
