BISHOP ROBERT BARRON: My year with DOJ's Religious Liberty Commission: Why I said yes

As my clip with the Presidential Commission connected Religious Liberty comes to a close, I would similar to bespeak connected the experience, but besides connected the frankly bizarre absorption that immoderate radical had to my participation.

Just astir a twelvemonth ago, I received a telephone from the White House inviting maine to service connected a recently formed committee dedicated to fostering spiritual liberty successful our country. I had, and inactive have, nary thought who recommended maine oregon however my sanction was surfaced. But upon receiving the invitation, I thought, "Well, the president of the United States is inviting a Catholic bishop to beryllium a dependable astir the array arsenic the crucially important contented of spiritual state is being discussed."

Why would I accidental no, particularly since the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops had made spiritual liberty a cardinal concern?

And the committee did so bash exceptionally important work. In the people of the year, we brought to airy violations of spiritual liberty successful the arenas of wellness care, acquisition and the military. We explored the sources of spiritual state successful the enactment of the Founding Fathers, and we drew peculiar attraction to the antisemitism that is presently bedeviling our country. One of the astir important contributions we made was to bring into sharper alleviation the contented of church-state relations.

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Far excessively overmuch of the jurisprudence of the past astir 75 years has been dominated by Thomas Jefferson's ambiguous metaphor of a "wall" that purportedly separates civilian authorities and religion.

As galore person indicated, determination is nary notation of specified a partition successful either the Declaration of Independence, the Federalist Papers oregon the Constitution itself. What we bash so find successful the First Amendment is the prohibition against immoderate ceremonial constitution of religion done an enactment of Congress, but this has thing to bash with eliminating religion from nationalist beingness oregon adjacent reducing spiritual look to backstage acts of worship.

Far excessively overmuch of the jurisprudence of the past astir 75 years has been dominated by Thomas Jefferson's ambiguous metaphor of a 'wall' that purportedly separates civilian authorities and religion. (spxChrome)

In constituent of fact, that aforesaid First Amendment insists that thing should forestall the escaped workout of religion successful our country. Many of the witnesses we heard from during the twelvemonth testified to the cynical mode that Jefferson's "wall" was utilized to warrant terrible restrictions connected their escaped workout of religion. To beryllium sure, nary pupil successful an American schoolroom should beryllium compelled to commune according to immoderate peculiar spiritual tradition, but we heard of students who were forbidden from singing Christian songs astatine a endowment show, or, successful the astir absurd case, forbidden from wearing COVID masks inscribed with "Jesus loves me."

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A constituent that I made often successful the people of our deliberations is that the top menace to spiritual liberty contiguous comes from what amounts to an alternate religion, which I qualify arsenic "the civilization of self-invention." This ideology dictates that determination are nary nonsubjective motivation values and nary unchangeable quality nature, and hence the determination of worth is wholly a merchandise of idiosyncratic choice.

I afloat recognize that, for some, the elemental information that the president whose medication invited maine to articulation the committee was Donald Trump was capable to animate a antagonistic response, but I thought that objection was silly.

The much this philosophical position comes to clasp sway, the much the leaders of the civilization privation religion retired of education, wellness attraction and different institutions, for they rightly admit that the advocates of accepted religion are their astir almighty ideological opponents. In galore ways, the testimonies we heard and the discussions we had echoed this cardinal theme.

I indispensable say, furthermore, that my colleagues connected the commission, including and particularly the chairman, Texas Republican Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, person been marvelous. They showed large involvement successful my position arsenic I brought Catholic teaching to carnivore connected the substance of spiritual liberty. There was ne'er an effort to censor maine oregon question the legitimacy of my participation. I was allowed escaped rein to explicit my constituent of view, to interrogation witnesses arsenic I saw fit, and to prosecute my chap commissioners successful lively conversation.

No 1 ever demanded that I show unquestioned fealty to the Trump medication oregon immoderate peculiar governmental constituent of view. I'm arrogant to person contributed to the last connection that we are astir to pass to the president.

I afloat recognize that, for some, the elemental information that the president whose medication invited maine to articulation the committee was Donald Trump was capable to animate a antagonistic response, but I thought that objection was silly.

In each honesty, if President Joe Biden had invited maine to service connected specified a commission, I would person said yes, though I alternatively vehemently disagree with galore of his policies.

Then-President Joe Biden speaks astatine the National Museum of African American History and Culture successful Washington, DC, US, connected Friday, May 17, 2024. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

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To service astatine the beckoning of a president connected a committee dedicated to a precise circumstantial contented is not thereby to endorse each policy, connection oregon enactment of that president.

Relatedly, different critics opined that nary churchman should beryllium truthful intimately associated with a authorities agency; but I took arsenic my inspiration Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the legendary president of the University of Notre Dame, who served on, judge it oregon not, 16 abstracted statesmanlike commissions nether 5 presidents, some Democratic and Republican. There is simply nary mode that Hesburgh could perchance person agreed with each the policies of those assorted main executives, but helium served nonetheless. The constituent is this: If religion leaders absent themselves from advising authorities officials, past the church's dependable does not resonate successful the halls of power.

A constituent that I made often successful the people of our deliberations is that the top menace to spiritual liberty contiguous comes from what amounts to an alternate religion, which I qualify arsenic ‘the civilization of self-invention.’

A ailment that I recovered peculiarly puzzling was that my work connected this committee made maine portion of the Trump administration, and that Pope John Paul II had strictly forbidden churchmen from serving successful authorities positions. But I was not portion of the Trump administration!

Those successful the medication of a president are dedicated to the implementation of that president's policies. Thus, for example, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Vice President JD Vance, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth are so charged with making Donald Trump's proposals a reality. But the benignant of committee connected which I served is, truthful to speak, connected the different broadside of the ledger. That is to say, we were not endeavoring to instrumentality policy, but alternatively to signifier it.

Our occupation was to urge to the president actions helium could take, either done authorities oregon enforcement order, that would heighten spiritual liberty. But giving proposal and implementing argumentation are wholly antithetic things.

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In sum, participating successful the Religious Liberty Commission was a fantastic experience, and I'm precise gladsome that I accepted the president's invitation.

The criticisms and objections were, successful the last analysis, spurious and born, I would maintain, mostly retired of pique and envy.

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