Marking Religious Freedom Week from June 22 to 29, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is encouraging Catholics across the nation to defend and promote religious liberty through prayerful reflection, education, and meaningful public engagement.
The observance begins on June 22, the feast day of Saints John Fisher and Thomas More two martyrs known for their unwavering fidelity to conscience and concludes on June 29, the solemn feast of Saints Peter and Paul. Spearheaded by the USCCB, this annual initiative underscores the universal right to religious freedom, not only for Catholics but for people of all faith traditions.
This year’s theme, "Witnesses to Hope", ties into the Jubilee Year declared by Pope Francis and builds on findings from the USCCB’s 2025 religious freedom report. The report outlines how deepening political divides are impacting religious expression, spotlighting issues such as forced IVF mandates, challenges to Catholic migrant outreach, and threats to parental rights in education.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois who originally introduced the “Fortnight for Freedom” that eventually evolved into this weeklong event emphasized the importance of maintaining a hopeful outlook rooted in faith. Reflecting on St. Paul’s words, “hope does not disappoint,” the bishop shared with Vatican News that hope anchors believers in God's promises of eternal life and sustains efforts to preserve religious liberty.
Religious Freedom Week, Bishop Paprocki noted, is an opportunity for all faithful to “pray for protection of religious freedom, contemplate its deeper meaning, and take concrete steps to support it in society.” This triple call to pray, reflect, and act is the foundation of the week’s observance.
In further conversation, Bishop Paprocki stressed that true freedom is intimately tied to truth a view echoed in the teachings of Pope St. John Paul II. Freedom, he said, is not a license for boundless autonomy, but the capacity to seek and live out the truth, especially through faith.
He also pointed out that with rights come responsibilities both spiritually and civically. “Religious freedom isn’t just about what we’re entitled to,” he explained, “but about our duty to be upright citizens, to uphold the common good, and to safeguard our country’s foundational liberties.”
Through Religious Freedom Week, the USCCB invites all people of goodwill to be beacons of hope by defending this essential human right in both prayer and action.