July 26, 2026

The Interfaith Peace Project
A Legacy of Peace-Making for Twenty-Five Years
Septembr 8, 2001 – September 8, 2026
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM/RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
by Thomas P. Bonacci, C.P.

There will be no world peace without religious peace
and there will be no religious peace until people of
diverse faith, culture and philosophy meet,
 engage and respect each other.

Blessings to Everyone,

I am reminded of a quote I attribute to my beloved Rumi: “I am a better me because I met you!” Being in your presence today is a deep blessing for me. I dedicate my few words today to you in honor of you, your work, and your efforts to make this world a better place for all people. 

May I share a personal story of deep conversion of heart I experienced as a young boy? One day, I became angry with my mother. I shouted at her the dreadful words, “I hate you!” She stopped what she was doing, looked at me with a smile, and said, “Well, Tommy, that’s fascinating because I love you!” I hugged her as she embraced me with great tenderness and care.

My mother was “free” to love even in the midst of heartbreak, rejection, and anger. 

We are here today to ponder one of the greatest of human rights – Religious Freedom. Every human person has the right by their nature as human persons to follow their conscience in matters of religion, belief, and religious practice. 

We cherish freedom in the United States and are horrified whenever the civil, religious, or human rights of anyone are compromised, restricted, or denied. In light of what is unfolding in our time, we, as interfaith practitioners, have much work to do. 

Our hearts must be free to love, liberated, if you will, from every obstacle born of fear, prejudice, bias, false teachings, or false beliefs. The great peacemaker, John Dear, famously said, “We must disarm our hearts.” 

Religious Freedom is a matter of conscience. As long as we are alive, we have an obligation to make sure our motives are pure and our thoughts, words, and deeds cause no harm. Conscience is not mere opinion. It demands openness to what is true, good, just, and beautiful at all times. True freedom requires that we confront anything that prevents us from honoring the dignity of anyone we meet or serve in our quest for interfaith love, understanding, and cooperation. Consequently, religious liberty might be more than religious freedom. 

Religious Freedom focuses on the rights and dignity of the individual, who is free to believe in or disbelieve any religion, philosophy, or creed. If freedom emphasizes the right to believe, liberty emphasizes the responsibility to believe lovingly, honorably, honestly, and generously.

Liberty emphasizes the communal nature of the human person and our great responsibility to the human family. We live on this planet, our common home, as members of one human family with all its diversity and richness.  We have a deep responsibility to care for one another.

Such a responsibility requires our hearts to be open, liberated, if you will, from anything that would prevent us from cherishing one another. An important question emerges at this point: “Am I not free to love?” This is the essence of Religious Liberty.

Resentment, past hurts, present struggles, different beliefs, and false information can and often do prevent us from meeting one another. We must not be enslaved by our fears or hurts. 

We need liberation of the heart. We must engage with one another in ways that open our minds and change our hearts as we seek to know, respect, and love one another.

Religious Liberty invites us to change our hearts and, if needed, our beliefs about others and ourselves, so that we may truly be free. Religious Liberty challenges us to open our hearts to receive and welcome a new way of thinking, a new way of living, a truth we cannot now live without. Religious Liberty is the freedom to receive from others what we cannot give to ourselves.

I think of Pope Leo’s apology on behalf of the Church for its participation in slavery. Five hundred years ago, many believed they had an absolute right to enslave people, if not kill them in the name of God, if they did not submit to the beliefs of their overlord. Sometimes yesterday’s belief is today’s apology.

As interfaith lovers, we must liberate our hearts to care for and cherish one another, with all our differences and uniqueness. Our differences can be rich, varied, and a great source of delight. Liberty of heart brings us together so we can learn from our diversity and differences as we rejoice in the gift of one another.  

My mother was quick and free to love even when hurt.  Today, we realize anew our hearts are free to hope. Free to respect one another. Free to care for everyone. Free to forgive those who failed. Free to learn from everyone. Free to love one another.

Let us take all the hope that is in our hearts and release it for the sake of the world.

Let us take all the peace that is in our hearts and release it for the sake of those suffering violence.

Let us take all the courage that is in our hearts and release it for the sake of those living in fear.

Let us take all the love that is in our hearts and release it for the sake of all people everywhere.

Indeed, I am a better me because I have met you. My love to you always.