“Your Majesty, are you still Protestant?” Our seminary history professor informed us that this is the first question that must be asked of the heir apparent to the British throne as soon as the reigning monarch dies. Succession to sovereignty requires that the next ruler is not only in charge of the secular realm but also the head of the Church of England. As such this person cannot, by law, be a Catholic.

Contemporary prejudice against Catholicism can be traced back to the Protestant Reformation. Those living in England and Ireland suffered discrimination and abuse simply because they were Catholic. Restrictions were severe. Legislations inflicted penalties upon both their civil and religious livelihood. For example, Roman Catholics were not only required to renounce any temporal and spiritual allegiance to the Pope but also had to stop believing in transubstantiation – that at Mass the bread and wine are really changed into the body and blood of Christ. Likewise, they could not purchase land, hold municipal or military offices or seats in Parliament, inherit property, or practice their faith freely without incurring fines and punishments. Irish Catholics could not vote in Parliamentary elections and could easily have their land taken away by their nearest Protestant relative!

Each year on the Fourth of July, we Americans celebrate our separation from European domination. This year will mark 247 years since we declared that we were no longer colonies subject to British royalty but we are now citizens of The United States of America, a nation free from any foreign governance or coercion. Taxation without representation was just one of the public outcries by all the colonists, regardless of their theological affiliation. However, our founding parents sailed to the New World and shed their blood for autonomy in order to shatter the chains of persecution and forge an impenetrable bond that captures liberty and justice for all.

On January 6, 1941, in his State of the Union message to Congress, President Franklin D. Roosevelt proclaimed that people “everywhere in the world” should enjoy these four social and political objectives: freedom from fear, freedom from want, freedom of speech, and freedom of worship. Beneath these, of course, is the underlying reality that freedom is never free but only comes at a great price. Our Fourth of July declaration of independence, our ability to follow the Holy Father and to know that the body and blood of Christ are present on our altars, and above all our freedom to speak about our Catholic worship without being afraid or wanting protection to do so, is certainly cause for American Catholics to celebrate.

Holy Homework: Throughout the 31 days of July let’s set aside some quality time to view the Norman Rockwell portrayals of the Four Freedoms and offer a prayer of thanksgiving for the free speech, worship, abundance, and security we enjoy every day of the year.

God bless America.

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