The USCCB has released its annual report that measures The State of Religious Liberty in the United States, with data drawn from 2024. The 84-page report highlights some of the most significant threats to religious freedom, and opportunities through which religious freedom may be advanced, which occurred in the US in the last year. It also provides a list of “areas of concern,” alongside suggested actions.
The report is organized to examine each branch of the government separately, before looking at the leanings and tendencies of the US culture.
When discussing the Legislative branch, the bishops lamented that members of Congress made little headway in advancing any bill related to religious liberty, similarly to 2023. In particular, they wished to see “immunity to coercion on religious matters,” an example of which would be exemptions from the “contraceptive mandate” for the Little Sisters of the Poor.
Congress did, however, advance legislation regarding in vitro fertilization (IVF). The report also noted favorably the nondiscrimination provisions of the Affordable Care Act, which impose requirements in regards to abortion, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
On the Court side, the report indicated that there were no Supreme Court decisions that dealt primarily with questions of religious liberty. It did note, however, that the right of conscience in regards to abortion came into play a couple of times. While it has yet to reach a decision, the Supreme Court also heard arguments in a case that would determine if states can prohibit gender transitioning procedures for minors.
In the bishops’ examination of the culture, it saw one area of concern and another of opportunity: immigration and gender identity respectively. Immigration especially was thrust into the spotlight during the 2024 presidential election campaigns. The bishops explained that immigration has become a religious liberty concern due to the targeting of religious charities and social services that cater to immigrants.
Developments to gender identity rules, on the other hand, the bishops see as an opportunity to advance religious liberty. The report noted that while gender identity rules have created religious liberty conflicts, the results of the election have swayed some in favor of the rules to become more moderate.
In the report’s summary, the bishops found that the five areas of greatest concern or opportunity were the targeting of faith-based immigration services, persistently high rates of anti-Semitism, IVF mandates, the scaling back of gender ideology in law, and parental choice in education.
