Religious liberty is sometimes called "The First Freedom" in the United States.  This is because the 1st Amendment to the U.S. Constitution begins with the words, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof..."  This first article of the Bill of Rights is not surprising.  Many early Americans had suffered prejudice and persecution due to their religious beliefs and the founding fathers of America were determined to make the American experiment a shining beacon of tolerance, respect, and civil liberty for the rest of the world.

This is what makes the current HHS mandate requiring most religious employers to provide contraceptive, including abortifacient, coverage such a bewildering outrage, especially among Catholics whose religious faith includes the belief that the conjugal act must always include openness to the transmission of human life as well as respect for the life and dignity of each person.  The HHS mandate would try to force Catholic hospitals, colleges and universities, and other charitable institutions to violate their conscience.  The mandate directly prohibits the free exercise of religion.

All people of good will are encouraged to resist this government encroachment on religious liberty.  If religious liberty falls, will the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances be next?

Join the U.S. Catholic Bishops in their heroic struggle to uphold the beautiful constitutional declaration of religious liberty.  It has worked since 1791.  May it work for many, many years to come.

Hundreds of thousands of young people are currently in Madrid, Spain celebrating World Youth Day 2011.  The excitement and enthusiasm of this event brings to mind my own participation in World Youth Day 1993 in Denver, Colorado.  What a wondrous and joyous occasion for me as a young priest to celebrate Masses, pilgrimages, prayer and song with Blessed John Paul II and a multitude of young Catholic pilgrims.  His successor, Pope Benedict XVI, has continued this beautiful tradition and youth continue to respond.

What draws so many young people to these religious events when the world seems to hold religion and faith in ridicule and contempt so much of the time?  The answer is Jesus Christ.  He himself predicted that when he was lifted up on the cross, he would draw all people to himself (John 12: 32).  There is something about the sacrifice of Christ that is utterly compelling to the human heart.  It reminds us more than anything else that "God so loved the world he gave his only begotten Son so that whoever believes in him might have eternal life." (John 3:16)

At the same time, those who trust in Christ must be prepared for persecution (Matthew 10:22).  It is the paradox of the Christian life:  joy in Christ and hatred from 'the world'.  It is not an easy path, but it is an eminently worthwhile one.  Jesus reminded us that those who persevere to the end will be saved from Satan, sin and death and inherit everlasting life in heavenly glory (Matthew 24:13).

Yesterday, the Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association in league with the Communist government in China proceeded with an illicit episcopal ordination without a pontifical mandate.  This is one of the rare occasions in the Code of Canon Law which imposes a latae sententiae ("automatic") excommunication on the parties involved.  The excommunication affects not only the unlawfully ordained bishop, but also the other bishops in attendance who participated in the canonically illegal ceremony.  Faithful Catholics have been asked not to receive the sacraments from these excommunicated individuals.

The Holy See regrets these actions.  The Pope and the Roman Curia have been struggling heroically to regularize the position of the Catholic Church in China for the sake of the faithful, but sadly the Chinese government and the CCPA refuse to value religious liberty and freedom of conscience.

I, too, am saddened by this event as well as others that restrict the rights of the Church in China.  China has such a rich history and culture, she would be a valuable daughter in the Church's mission to evangelize the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Please pray for the Church in China, especially those faithful Catholics who carry out their religious duties in the "underground" Church faithful to the Pope.  May Christ the Lord soften the hearts of Chinese authorities so that the Catholic Church in China might operate free from government repression and hardship.  Our Lady of China, Mother of God and our mother, pray for us.

Today, the Ecclesia Dei commission issued the instruction Universae Ecclesiae clarifying some points in Pope Benedict's 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum permitting greater latitude in the use of the Extraordinary Form of the Mass (The Traditional Latin Mass).

One of the most welcome statements in the instruction was the reiteration of Pope Benedict's statement in 2007 "There is no contradiction between the two editions of the Roman Missal.  In the history of the Liturgy growth and progress are found, but not a rupture.  What was sacred for prior generations, remains sacred and great for us as well, and cannot be suddenly prohibited altogether or even judged harmful."

The instruction is a reminder that the older rite of the Mass is to be preserved with appropriate honor, seminarians should be given training in the "extraordinary form" in the seminary, a priest only needs a basic knowledge of Latin in order to be qualified, and any-sized group that requests it is to be accommodated with the understanding that they also accept the legitimacy and validity of the ordinary form of the Mass and other rites.

Pope Benedict XVI is a wise man who is able to see the big picture of what is necessary for the salvation of souls.  As St. John Vianney, the patron saint of parish priests, once said, "The eyes of the world see no further than this life, but the eyes of the Christian peer deep into eternity."

Both canon law and sharia are systems of religious law.  Canon law governs the Catholic Church while sharia is the religious law of Islam.  The primary difference between the two systems of law is that canon law admits the validity of civil law within its system in many, if not most, instances (c. 22) while sharia is usually viewed as a comprehensive system of law that governs all aspects of society, both religious and secular.

Muslims believe that sharia is God's law, while Catholics believe that canon law is a composition of both divine law and ecclesiastical law.

Sharia is applied by Islamic judges, or qadis, while canon law is applied by Catholic bishops or their vicars aided by experts called canonists, or canon lawyers.

Today, canon law governs Vatican City and is primarily used for the internal ordering of the Catholic Church throughout the world to accomplish its mission of the evangelization of peoples, while sharia governs many Islamic states and is used to regulate both public and private behavior.  In some instances, attempts to impose sharia among Muslim minorities in non-Islamic countries or non-Muslim minorities in Islamic countries have led to controversy, violence, and even war.

The Catholic Church believes that secular authorities should honor and respect divine and natural law reflected in the true light of reason and ecclesiastical law when it is applied to the internal ordering of religious bodies.

In August 2008, Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, foreign minister for the Holy See, warned of growing Christianophobia in the world.  His warning has proven to be prophetic.  One only needs to read the newspapers, listen to the radio or TV, or surf the internet to realize that hostility toward Christianity is an increasing worldwide phenomenon.

Christianophobia is defined as the irrational fear or hatred of Christians.  Just yesterday, another Iraqi Christian was killed, execution style, bringing the total number of murdered Christians to 8 since the October 31, 2010 massacre of over 50 Chaldean Catholics at Our Lady of Salvation Church in Baghdad.

In its 2010 Report on Religious Liberty, the U.S. State Department listed challenges to religious freedom in 27 countries and 8 countries of particular concern, often citing violence or repressive measures against Christians.

The Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights based in New York annually publishes a report on Anti-Catholicism in the United States.  Its 2009 report contained over seventy pages of material documenting hatred toward Catholics and threats to their rights, even from government offices.

In a sense, Christians should not be surprised.  Jesus said to his followers, "You will be hated by all because of my name" (Lk 21:17).  But he also gave his followers a trustworthy promise, saying, "By your perseverance you will secure your lives"  (Luke 21: 19).

A tabernacle is a receptacle in Catholic churches, oratories, and chapels that exclusively houses the Most Blessed Sacrament which Catholics revere as the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ.  According to canon law, "The tabernacle in which the Most Holy Eucharist is reserved is to be situated in some part of the church or oratory which is distinguished, conspicuous, beautifully decorated, and suitable for prayer."

The USCCB's Committee on Divine Worship released a statement in 2000 entitled Built of Living Stones, Art, Architecture, and Worship suggesting the placement of the tabernacle must allow for a focus on it "for those periods of quiet prayer outside the celebration of the Eucharist" and that "When a tabernacle is located directly behind the altar, consideration should be given to using . . . some architectural device that separates the . . . reservation area during Mass, but "allows the tabernacle to be fully visible to the entire worship area when the eucharistic liturgy is not being celebrated."

The 2002 General Instruction of the Roman Missal indicates that it is preferable to locate the tabernacle either in the sanctuary, apart from the altar of celebration, or in some chapel suitable for the faithful's private adoration.  In such cases it should be organically connected to the church and be visible to the faithful.

In ancient Rome, imprisoned citizens sometimes obtained early release by decree of legitimate authority for good behavior, the intercession of a benefactor, or an appeal for leniency.  Early release was referred to as an indulgence, an act of mercy that tempered the strict demands of justice.  The Catholic Church borrowed this term to refer to the remission of the temporal punishment of sins committed by believers.

According to canon 992, "an indulgence is the remission before God of temporal punishment for sins whose guilt is already forgiven, which a properly disposed member of the Christian faithful gains under certain and defined conditions by the assistance of the Church which as minister of redemption dispenses and applies authoritatively the treasury of the satisfactions of Christ and the saints."

The Catholic Diocese of Salina is currently undergoing a number of diocesan-wide initiatives inspired by Bishop Coakley's vision for a vibrant and spiritually healthy diocese.  They include the following:

Stewards of Hope: A Pastoral Plan for the Diocese of Salina is the name for the over-arching plan guiding all other diocesan efforts.  The written text of the plan was finalized in February 2010.  It will be promulgated and distributed on June 6, 2010 at a special diocesan-wide assembly at Fort Hays State University and Immaculate Heart of Mary Church in Hays, KS.  Public implementation in parishes will begin in January 2011 and conclude in December 2014.  The plan focuses on 1) The Spirituality of Parish Life; 2) Formation for Ministry; 3) Life and Family; and 4) To the Whole World.  Dr. David Byers from Silver Spring, MD is the primary consultant and executive secretary for the Diocesan Plan Implementation Committee (D.P.I.C.).

The Stewardship Initiative is the name for the stewardship effort introduced to the diocese at the urging of Bishop Coakley soon after his consecration and installation as our diocesan bishop.  This initiative intends to help the people of the diocese become better Christian stewards through the offering of their time, talent, and treasure for God's work.  It is an on-going process with no end in sight in order to help people develop a new a way of life.  Shawn Crawford, the diocesan director of stewardship, is spear-heading this effort.

Yesterday, Today and Forever is the name of the capital campaign currently underway in the diocese.  The capital campaign is a fund-raising effort to help finance the needs of seminarians, retired priests, Catholic Charities, and the implementation of the pastoral plan.  While the campaign is running, the Catholic Community Annual Appeal will be folded into it and will not be a separate diocesan effort.  The Steier Group out of Omaha, NE is directing the campaign which will conclude by Fall 2011.

In the 1917 Code of Canon Law, parish priests were required to add a saint's name to infants they baptized if the parents had not already given one.  I learned from my parents that this is the reason my younger brother's middle name is Stephen.  This law was intended to provide the new Christian with a heavenly patron.

The same requirement does not exist in the 1983 Code of Canon Law.  Instead, today's requirement is that parents, sponsors, and the parish priest are to take care that a name foreign to a Christian sensibility is not given.  Much wider latitude exists, but it is still a laudable practice for parents to choose a saint's name for their children in order to provide a namesake that can be studied and imitated.

Although there is no requirement that they do so, those preparing for confirmation may also choose an additional saint's name for themselves.  This has become a custom in English and German speaking countries, Poland, and Lithuania and a few other countries.  Confirmandi are encouraged to do this in the Diocese of Salina so that the benefit of a chosen heavenly patron to model themselves after becomes a source of personal inspiration as they witness to Christ by word and deed and spread and defend the faith (cf. c. 879).