Appeal for Prayer in Solidarity with Persecuted Christians

During Christian Unity Week, Bishop Jaime Soto asked Catholics in his diocese to say this prayer throughout the week. Recent attacks on Christians around the world have raised awareness of religious persecution and intolerance. Pope Benedict XVI addressed the issue in his New Year's Message.

We gather in prayer for the unity of all Christians on this first day of Christian Unity Week. Together we profess our faith in Jesus Christ Son of God who died, rose and lives now in His Body, the Church. We rejoice in our common fellowship and in solidarity with the followers of Jesus everywhere.

Freedom and Sacrifice in a Good Society

Bishop Jaime Soto of the Diocese of Sacramento explores the role of sacrifice and freedom in society. In the United States we often perceive freedom and sacrifice as opposites. He offers the Catholic view where instead of being opposed to each other freedom and sacrifice form a vital relationship in the formation of a good society. The speech was originally presented to the Orange County Prayer Breakfast in October 2010.

In August of this year I made a pilgrimage to Tequila, Jalisco. Now, don’t go jumping to conclusions. Yes, I did try some good tequila reposado and very smooth tequila añejo. That was later in the day and was not the primary objective of this journey. Little known to many of us, outside of the town of Tequila there is a significant religious site that is growing in prominence. A small group of pilgrims and I walked down into a deep ravine where the once pastor of Tequila, Fr. Toribio Romo, was killed by the government forces of then President Plutarco Elías Calles. He was hiding in a factory nestled deep in this ravine. There, he continued to minister to the people of his parish during the period of harsh religious persecution and the violent popular uprising we know today as the War of the Cristero.

Background: Religious Liberty

The First Amendment is a guarantee that government will mind its own limited, secular, non-religious business, so that the people can enjoy their natural right to religious liberty."

Removing the Cross: American and French Perspectives
by Auxiliary Bishop Thomas J. Curry, the Santa Barbara Pastoral Region Bishop
in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

We understand religious liberty is a fundamental principle of our society. We call for constant vigilance to protect the freedom of persons and institutions to respond to God in accordance with their faith. We acknowledge the need to balance the rights of religion and the compelling interests of the state.

The CCC monitors legislation and lobbies against infringements of the religious freedom of persons and religious institutions.

Legislative Priorities