Dignitatis Humanae changing history November 19, 2025By George Weigel Syndicated Columnist Filed Under: Commentary, Religious Freedom, Social Justice On Dec. 7, 1965, Pope Paul solemnly promulgated the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Religious Freedom, known by its Latin incipit (opening words) as Dignitatis Humanae. The Council thereby turbocharged the Catholic Church’s transformation into the world’s premier institutional defender of basic human rights.
New report notes ‘significant rise’ in ‘personal attacks’ on Christians in Europe November 18, 2025By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News In its 2025 report, the Vienna-based Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians, or OIDAC, noted “a significant rise in personal attacks” against Christians in 2024.
Weigel: Jimmy Lai’s ‘witness to human dignity’ an ‘expression of his faith’ November 12, 2025By Paulina Guzik OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News As reports spread that U.S. President Donald Trump appealed directly to China’s Xi Jinping to free jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai when they met in South Korea Oct. 30, American theologian George Weigel told OSV News that Lai “is a non-violent, deeply committed defender of not simply his rights to free speech, but to those of the people of Hong Kong” and that his “witness to human dignity and to basic human rights is an expression of his Catholic faith.”
Catholics in Mexico oppose proposed online media gag law November 11, 2025By David Agren OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, social media, World News Mexican Catholics have expressed alarm at a proposal to oversee the online expressions of priests and bishops through a reform of the country’s Religious Associations and Public Worship Law.
Texans vote overwhelmingly to enshrine parental rights in state constitution November 11, 2025By Tony Gutierrez OSV News Filed Under: Marriage & Family Life, News, Religious Freedom, World News Texas voters overwhelmingly approved an amendment enshrining parental rights in the state’s constitution Nov. 4.
Bishop: Survival of Christian communities in Nigeria depends on security, justice November 11, 2025By Katarzyna Szalajko OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Faith is a matter of life and death in northern Nigeria, said Bishop John Bogna Bakeni of Maiduguri.
Security for Syria’s religious minorities’ is disastrous, say religious freedom advocates November 8, 2025By Dale Gavlak OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, Religious Freedom, World News Continued attacks on Christians and other minorities in Syria at the hands of Islamists, some affiliated with the new Syrian interim government, call into question whether the war-torn country can rebuild without first securing its people.
Federal appeals court to hear cases over Ten Commandments in public schools November 7, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News A federal appeals court will hear arguments in January about state laws in Texas and Louisiana requiring the Ten Commandments to be displayed in public school classrooms.
Bishop says Trump administration ‘assured’ him detainees’ access to sacraments ‘under careful review’ November 4, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Immigration and Migration, News, Religious Freedom, World News Amid concern about the ability of those detained by immigration enforcement authorities to receive Catholic sacraments, a key U.S. bishop said Trump administration officials have “assured” him the matter is “under careful review.”
Nigerian church leaders have mixed reaction to Trump threat of action to protect Christians November 4, 2025By Frederick Nzwili OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News Nigeria’s return to the U.S. list of countries of “particular concern” over Christian persecution has drawn mixed reactions from church leaders and triggered a heated debate in Africa’s most populous nation.
Trump places Nigeria on religious freedom watch list, threatens military action November 4, 2025By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News President Donald Trump said Oct. 31 he would place Nigeria on a religious freedom watch list in response to violence in that country perpetuated against predominantly Christian communities — and subsequently threatened military action if that country’s government didn’t “move fast” to respond.
‘Religious freedom fosters peace,’ USCCB committee chairs say in joint statement October 27, 2025By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Bishops, News, Religious Freedom, World News The chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ committees on international policy and religious liberty are calling attention to the repression and persecution of religion as being detrimental to peace.
