Religious liberty linked to aid for many

At a time when religious liberties are being politically challenged, it’s worthy to review the massive positive impact Catholic educational, health and social ministries are now making in communities across the country. These statistics are from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org.

Schooling: There are 1.5 million children in Catholic elementary schools and 580,00 in secondary schools, with an enrollment of close to 1 million in Catholic colleges and universities.

Health care: The nation’s 630 Catholic hospitals account for 16 percent of all hospitals — more than 30 percent being in rural areas — and employ more than 640,000 people.

Social services: In 2012 Catholic Charities provided social support services to 2.3 million people, including food banks, disaster relief, mental health services, immigration and refugee aid, addiction services, pregnancy services and Catholic residential homes for children or orphans.

Humanitarian aid: The U.S. Bishop’s Catholic Relief Services assists more than 100 million people in more than 100 countries every year with 2011 expenses amounting to $822 million directed to emergency assistance, HIV/AIDS, agricultural and health programs.

Catholics have built up the nation’s largest network of social service organizations, a tradition dating to 1727 in New Orleans, where 12 French Ursuline sisters arrived in the city to serve the poor. This is not done out of self-interest because the majority of the beneficiaries are not Catholic, but because of the gospel call to love and charity toward all.

If appeals to constitutional guarantees of religious liberty fail, it would seem that the government, intentionally and out of sheer self-interest, would force this vast and highly-rated religious service network to shutter its doors.

Arlene Sawicki

South Barrington