BALTIMORE, MD — The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has launched the third annual Fortnight for Freedom as the nation awaits two decisions about religious freedom from the Supreme Court.
On Saturday, the bishops started the two-week prayer effort, which will go through Independence Day. The original Fortnight focused in large part on the federal government's abortifacient, contraception, and sterilization mandate, which the Supreme Court is expected to issue a decision on at any time. The 2014 Fortnight's theme also addresses the mandate, but from the perspective of Freedom to Service, and highlights how religious freedom assists the poor and disenfranchised.
The Fortnight began with a Mass in Baltimore, and will close with a Mass in Washington, D.C.
Last year, dozens of religious and lay leaders, both Catholic and non-Catholic, wrote an open letter decrying the mandate's alleged violations of the First Amendment.
Fact sheets, news resources, and other information about the Fortnight for Freedom can be found here.