A July 4 Message on Freedom, Faith, and Gratitude from Steven Wagner, President of Solidarity with the Persecuted Church
Happy Independence Day, marking 250 years of the United States of America! What a historic milestone.
This is an occasion for celebration, and for gratitude: gratitude for those who have gone before us and built this great nation that we have now inherited, and for which we are now responsible.
The Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, wrote America a letter congratulating us on this anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. He took note of the historically unprecedented principles embedded in that document, especially freedom of religion (which England, at the time of our founding, did not have) and the Founding Fathers’ embrace of “the God-given dignity of every human life” (which we honor imperfectly today, but which nonetheless remains central to our political culture).
Because these principles are part of our daily experience, it is difficult for Americans to imagine a world without freedom of religion and without respect for every person’s dignity—which gives rise to the rule of law. But our brothers and sisters in the faith live in such a world, in places such as Nigeria, where Solidarity with the Persecuted Church (SPC) is hard at work.
For many Christians in Nigeria, there is no rule of law. Daily, Christians are attacked and killed by Islamic terrorists, with no arrests, no trials, and no punishment. And where there is no rule of law, there is no true freedom of religion. As the Holy Father wrote, freedom of religion means the freedom to exercise one’s religious faith. While millions of Christians in Nigeria do practice their faith, countless others—perhaps millions more—are afraid to be recognized as Christians.
This is why we feel called to share our blessings with the Christians of Nigeria.
The Holy Father closed his letter by reminding Americans that we are under the protection of our Patroness of America, Mary Most Holy. “I entrust you to the intercession of the Immaculate Conception, patroness of this country, that she will continue to watch over America and protect all who dwell therein.”
May God’s blessings continue to shower upon you and your family. From all of us at SPC, Happy Fourth of July!