Reauthorize US religious-freedom commission, USCCB committee chair urges
October 01, 2015
Bishop Oscar Cantú of Las Cruces, who chairs the US bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace, has called upon members of Congress to reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF), which documents religious persecution around the world.
“The Catholic Church has long viewed protection of religious freedom as a ‘cornerstone of the structure of human rights’ since it is rooted in the dignity of the human person,” Bishop Cantú said in a September 29 letter.
“Protecting religious freedom is critical to the health of societies,” he added. “Over the years, USCCB has advocated strongly for the mission of USCIRF because of its critical role in promoting human rights around the world by monitoring and promoting religious freedom. At a time when international religious freedom is increasingly imperiled, it is vital that USCIRF be reauthorized so that it can continue to highlight the need to protect those who are discriminated against, harassed and even killed for their faith.”
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