40th Anniversary of Dignitatis Humanae

Rome, American Studies Center - January 18, 2006

U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, Francis Rooney welcomed Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of the Archdiocese of Washington, DC; Mr. Jim Towey, Director of the White House Office for Faith-Based and Community Initiatives; and Dr. Scott Appleby, John M. Regan, Jr. Director of the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies to the Centro di Studi Americani for a conference on the 40th anniversary the Vatican document Dignitatis Humanae on the right of the individual and communities to social and civil freedom in religious matters. Each speaker gave a discourse on a different topic related to the Vatican document and its influence on religious freedom throughout the world. Cardinal McCarrick discussed the foundations of religious freedom in the United States and his experiences in China, Viet Nam and other countries throughout the world as a delegate on behalf of President Clinton, Dr. Appleby presented the historical precedents leading up to the Vatican’s change of heart and issuance of this important document and Mr. Towey gave the White House perspective on religious freedom today and its relevance for promoting human rights and democracy.

Dignitatis Humanae, Ambassador Francis Rooney, January 17, 2006

[…] When we in the United States read Dignitatis humanae, its words leap off the page to resonate clearly in our hearts as we find affirmed one of the founding tenets of our country – that men and women have an inalienable God-given right to be free in the expression of their religious beliefs and that the State has no part to play except to guarantee and protect that right.

Dignitatis Humanae, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, January 17, 2006

[…] My country has always had a strong position on recognizing the importance of the dignity of every human being. Indeed, our Declaration of Independence makes it very clear that every individual has an inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Dignitatis Humanae, R. Scott Appleby, January 17, 2006

[…] For forty-four years, from 1877 to his death in 1921, James Gibbons served as the Archbishop of Baltimore and, unofficially, but indisputably, as the ranking prelate of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States. Thirty years after Gibbons’ death, the renowned church historian, Msgr. John Tracy Ellis, devoted over 1200 pages and two massive volumes to his monumental Life of James Cardinal Gibbons, Archbishop of Baltimore.