When the United States Bill of Rights was ratified more than 220 years ago, our Founding Fathers established the free exercise of religion as part of the very first amendment to the Constitution. In 1791, religious liberty was a radical idea, but it served as the foundation of our great country. Throughout our history, Americans have been blessed to freely practice the religion of their choice, free from government interference.  

Unfortunately, this freedom is not the norm in many countries around the world. Religious minorities, of many different faiths, suffer from discrimination, persecution, and violence by their own governments and from their own citizens.

The world looks to the United States as a beacon of hope and freedom, and we should be a leader in fighting religious persecution wherever it occurs. I agree with President Ronald Reagan when he addressed the United Nations General Assembly in 1986 saying, “Respect for human rights is not social work; it is not merely an act of compassion. It is the first obligation of government and the source of its legitimacy.”

This week, the U.S. State Department held its Second Annual Ministerial to Advance Religious Freedom. This ministerial, hosted by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback, was attended by thousands of religious leaders and foreign delegations from around the world.

On Monday, in the U.S. Capitol, I addressed an Ecumenical Prayer Service where I discussed my work to support the Coptic Christian population of Egypt--and the February 2019 document on Human Fraternity signed by Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of al-Azhar. This public coming together of Catholicism and Islam is a powerful message to all governments around the world, but particularly those in the Middle East, to support religious freedom and religious tolerance.

Congressman Hill addressing an Ecumenical Prayer Service at the U.S. Capitol Building.

On Thursday, I had the honor of introducing the 141^st Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, at a discussion on protecting Christian Holy Sites in the Middle East. ISIS decimated what was once a flourishing community of more than 1.2 million Christians living in Syria and Iraq, and today, estimates suggest that 80 percent of these souls may have either been killed or displaced.

Congressman Hill introducing the 141st Patriarch of the Greek Orthodox Church in Jerusalem, His Beatitude Patriarch Theophilos III, at a discussion on protecting Christian Holy Sites.

As a Catholic, my faith is the foundation of my life, and I believe the United States should proudly carry the banner of religious liberty and tolerance so that everyone, from all nations, can worship freely without discrimination. It is through our obligation of service to our fellow man that we can make our societies better for our children and future generations yet to be born.

Sincerely,

Representative French Hill