July 4, and will consist of national and local efforts to educate
Americans on challenges to religious liberty both at home and abroad. As
with last year’s Fortnight, the event will begin and end with a special
Mass.
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Committee for Religious Liberty, will open the 2013 Fortnight for
Freedom by celebrating Mass at Baltimore’s historic Basilica of the
National Shrine of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, scheduled
for June 21 at 7 p.m. EDT. Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington will
celebrate the closing Mass at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the
Immaculate Conception in Washington on July 4 at 12 p.m. EDT.
liberty has never been greater,” explained Archbishop Lori. “The
Fortnight for Freedom exists to meet that need. This year’s Fortnight
occurs just weeks before August 1, when the administration’s mandate
coercing us to violate our deeply-held beliefs will be enforced against
most religious non-profits.”
“During the Fortnight the Supreme
Court’s decisions on the definition of marriage will likely be handed
down as well. Those decisions could have a profound impact on religious
freedom for generations to come.”
Further details about the Fortnight can be found here.
The
site hosts resources such as one-page fact sheets outlining current
threats to religious freedom both in the United States and abroad;
frequently asked questions about religious liberty, including quotes
from the Founding Fathers, the Second Vatican Council and Popes John
Paul II and Benedict XVI; and a study guide on Dignitatis Humanae,
Vatican II’s document on religious liberty.
The website also
lists sample activities already planned in several dioceses, an image
gallery of photos from last year’s Fortnight celebrations, as well as
resources and recommendations for other local efforts, such as prayers
for use in special liturgies.
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