President Trump boldly reaffirms America’s founding commitment to religious liberty by appointing prominent Catholic bishops and other faith leaders to a comprehensive Religious Liberty Commission designed to protect religious freedoms from growing secular threats.
Key Takeaways
- President Trump has appointed three U.S. Catholic bishops and a parish priest to an advisory board of the Religious Liberty Commission
- The commission includes multiple advisory boards with religious leaders, legal experts, and lay leaders to provide comprehensive guidance
- The appointed Catholic leaders have extensive experience defending religious liberty through various church positions and initiatives
- The commission aims to produce a substantive report outlining religious liberty foundations, current threats, and protection strategies
- This initiative addresses growing concerns including antisemitic incidents, restrictions on faith-based services, and parental rights in education
Trump Appoints Distinguished Catholic Leaders to Religious Liberty Commission
President Donald Trump has taken decisive action to strengthen religious freedom in America by appointing three prominent U.S. Catholic bishops and a parish priest to an advisory board of the Religious Liberty Commission. The appointed religious leaders include Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone of San Francisco, Bishop Thomas J. Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana, and Father Thomas Ferguson, a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia. These appointments reflect Trump’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that Americans can freely practice their faith without government interference or discrimination.
Each appointee brings significant expertise and experience to the commission. Bishop Rhoades currently serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Religious Liberty, positioning him as a natural choice for this important role. Bishop Paprocki chairs the USCCB’s Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance and was instrumental in initiating the “Fortnight for Freedom” campaign, which mobilized Catholics nationwide to defend religious liberty. Archbishop Cordileone has been deeply involved with the USCCB’s Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth, addressing religious freedom concerns at the intersection of faith and family values.
Commission Structure and Broad Religious Representation
The Religious Liberty Commission’s Advisory Board of Religious Leaders includes 13 members representing diverse faith traditions, demonstrating President Trump’s inclusive approach to religious freedom. In addition to the newly appointed Catholic leaders, the board includes other prominent religious figures such as Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. The commission structure ensures that a wide range of religious perspectives will inform its work, creating a truly representative approach to protecting religious liberty for all Americans regardless of their faith tradition.
Beyond the religious leadership advisory board, President Trump has appointed six legal advisers and nine lay leader advisers to provide additional expertise to the commission. This comprehensive approach brings together religious authorities, legal scholars, and community leaders in a unified effort to safeguard one of America’s most fundamental freedoms. The legal advisory board includes respected constitutional scholars like Professor Josh Blackman of South Texas College of Law Houston, ensuring that the commission’s recommendations will be grounded in sound constitutional principles.
Addressing Critical Threats to Religious Liberty
The commission comes at a crucial time when religious organizations face increasing challenges to their freedoms. According to the U.S. bishops’ 2025 report referenced in commission materials, several concerning trends threaten religious liberty in America today. These include restrictions on faith-based immigration services, rising antisemitic incidents, and limitations on parental choice in education. The commission aims to produce a comprehensive report that will outline the foundations of religious liberty, identify current threats, and recommend effective strategies for protection.
Father Ferguson brings unique scholarly credentials to the commission, having authored a book on John Courtney Murray, a key Catholic thinker on religious liberty. His expertise will help ground the commission’s work in historical and theological understanding of religious freedom principles. The commission’s structure reflects President Trump’s recognition that defending religious liberty requires both intellectual rigor and practical experience from those who have been on the frontlines of religious freedom battles across America’s diverse faith communities.
President Trump’s formation of these advisory boards demonstrates his administration’s priority on protecting religious freedom as a cornerstone of American liberty. By bringing together distinguished religious leaders with extensive experience in defending faith communities, the Religious Liberty Commission stands ready to develop comprehensive strategies that will strengthen protections for all Americans to practice their faith freely without government interference or discrimination. This initiative reinforces Trump’s longstanding commitment to preserving America’s tradition of religious liberty for future generations.
