The Biden administration’s diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics in Beijing sends “a strong and unequivocal message” to the Chinese government that its persecution of religious minorities will not be tolerated, said the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom.
Religious Freedom
Court rejects Catholic hospital’s appeal of transgender patient’s lawsuit
The Supreme Court Nov. 1 turned down an appeal from a Catholic hospital in California that was sued for refusing to perform a hysterectomy on a transgender patient.
Seal of confession a topic of debate after French abuse report
Church and government leaders in France are at odds over whether priests should be required to report the abuse of minors if they learn about it in the sacrament of confession.
Catholic Medical Association joins lawsuit over HHS ‘transgender mandate’
The Philadelphia-based Catholic Medical Association Aug. 26 joined in a lawsuit challenging the Biden administration’s mandate that doctors and hospitals perform gender-transition procedures on any patient despite any moral or medical objections of the doctor or health care facility.
Faith leaders raise concerns over online censorship of religious speech
YouTube’s blocking of a theologian’s talk on the Christian view of sex as a “content violation” raises serious concerns that “religious speech is being censored online,” San Francisco’s archbishop and Focus on the Family’s president said in a Wall Street Journal op-ed they co-wrote.
Federal judge sides with Catholic school over guidance counselor’s firing
A federal judge sided with an Indianapolis archdiocesan high school and the Indianapolis Archdiocese in a lawsuit filed against them by a former guidance counselor whose contract was not renewed because of her same-sex marriage.
Ruling blocking HHS ‘transgender mandate’ called ‘victory for conscience’
A U.S. District Court judge’s Aug. 9 ruling to block the Biden administration’s mandate that doctors and hospitals perform gender-transition procedures despite their own moral or medical objections is “a victory for common sense, conscience and sound medicine.”
Anderson: Like worship, Christian witness is essential to religious liberty
A top concern for Carl Anderson, the now-retired CEO of the Knights of Columbus, is preserving religious freedom in this country.
Bishops say Spain trying to ‘dismantle the Christian worldview’
Spain’s Catholic bishops warned of growing division and tension in their country over government attempts to “deconstruct and dismantle the Christian worldview.”
First-person accounts of religious repression punctuate summit
Testimony from survivors of religious repression punctuated the International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington.
Charter on religious freedom rights released ahead of international summit
Religious freedom advocates released a charter declaring the right of every person around the world to freely believe — or not believe — religious tenets and join with others in a religious community and for believers and religious communities to live peacefully in society.
Vatican expresses concern about proposed Italian law on homophobia
The Vatican has informed Italy that a draft law to fight homophobia and discrimination and violence based on sexual orientation and gender identity could violate the freedom of Catholics to teach and practice their faith.