By Dan Russo
Editorial
One: The first American pope made headlines on the 250th anniversary of his country recently by receiving the National Constitution Center’s Liberty Medal on July 3. In a letter addressed to Americans to mark the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States, he wrote, in part:
“Among the most cherished of these principles is religious freedom — the right of every person to worship according to conscience and to practice their faith openly, without coercion or fear. In marking this anniversary, it is important to recognize that freedom of religion has long been central to the American promise, protecting both individual dignity and the peaceful coexistence of a diverse people.”
“This same freedom has permitted the Catholic Church to take root and flourish within the United States, to the advantage not only of her own members, but of the entire nation. As faithful sons and daughters of the Church, Catholics are called to imbue every dimension of their existence with the charity of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:14), living out the Gospel in the circumstances of daily life. Such a way of living has given rise to the many benefits that the Church has provided over the years to the development of this nation. In particular, I bring to mind her service in areas of education, the preferential care of the poor, healthcare and basic social services, to name a few.”
Two: During their July 3-4 games at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, the Savannah Bananas took time to honor the young patients at the University of Iowa’s Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The players, supporting cast and capacity crowds of about 70,000 people (each night) participated in the “Hawkeye Wave.” During this special moment, which usually happens at football games and other events in Kinnick Stadium, people turn to wave directly at children watching from the hospital windows, which overlook the venue.
With a wacky take on traditional baseball that involves fast-paced new rules, trick plays, Broadway style song and dance numbers and comedy skits, the Bananas have gone from being a small entertainment oddity to a national craze in just a few years. Later in the July 4 game patients who received treatment at the children’s hospital were brought out onto the field and received applause.
Player Robert Anthony Cruz, aka “Coach RAC,” offered a prayer for the 250th Birthday of America on the field before the game. It gained heavy traction online after he posted a video:
“…Lord, behind me is a children’s hospital and inside is one of the many things in this life that I don’t understand,” said Cruz. “Lord, I pray that you would be the God of comfort to all those who are suffering. Lord, help me to serve others more than I serve myself … Thank you for graciously giving us life and offering us freedom. Lord, we trust that freedom in this life is not necessarily freedom from a difficult life, not even necessarily freedom from oppression or suffering. Lord, you offer us freedom from our own selfishness, from our own sin nature. We have freedom because we have an eternal hope. (May) your love for all of humanity lead us to love each other better. Not just here in America, but all around the world …”
Three: Ezra Jin Mingri, founder and pastor of an underground church in China and a prisoner of conscience in that country, was released from imprisonment and reunited with his family in the U.S. shortly before Independence Day, according to OSV News. The action comes after a May summit in China, where the presidents of both countries met. Other prisoners, including Jimmy Lai, a Catholic pro-democracy activist, remain in jail.
When The Iowa Messenger began in 1883, the motto for the newspaper, published on Page 1 every issue, was “Who are faithful to the Church will guard the state.” Its meaning — that Christians who are free to live out their faith make good citizens — was illustrated through these three American moments. Pope Leo’s election has shown how American Catholics, who at one time faced wide-spread discrimination and whose loyalty to the country was often questioned because of their respect for the authority of popes, are now an accepted part of society. As the pope says, American Catholicism has enriched the country and the world. Coach RAC’s prayer in Iowa City shows how fearless use of religious freedom can bring Christ’s joy and peace into normally secular bits of the public square. Finally, Mingri’s release and Lai’s continued imprisonment remind us how important of a role we, as American Catholics, have in preserving religious freedom at home and in helping to spread it abroad.
Dan Russo, editor
