Religious Freedom Is a Right, Not a Privilege: Bishop Keenan Urges Support for ACN Petition
On 22nd August, the world marked the United Nations’ International Day Commemorating the Victims of Acts of Violence Based on Religion or Belief. Ahead of the annual day, Bishop John Keenan, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, called on people to stand with those persecuted because of their faith.
The UN’s annual day is an opportunity to remember people who have been killed, imprisoned, forced from their homes or subjected to violence and discrimination because of their religion or beliefs. It also reminds governments and communities that freedom of religion or belief is a fundamental human right.
Bishop Keenan is supporting Aid to the Church in Need’s (ACN) Article 18 petition, which calls on the United Nations and governments around the world to take stronger action to protect religious freedom, hold persecutors accountable and support victims of persecution.
Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights protects everyone’s freedom of thought, conscience and religion, including the right to practise and express one’s faith openly and without fear.
Yet this right remains out of reach for millions. According to ACN research, more than 5.4 billion people live in countries where religious freedom is restricted by persecution, oppression or discrimination, including more than 200 million Christians.
In his statement, Bishop Keenan highlighted the human cost of religious persecution. He pointed to women being kidnapped and forced to marry, children being prevented from learning about their faith, and people being imprisoned, displaced or killed because of their peacefully held beliefs.
“Violations of a person’s right to worship and live out his or her faith are contrary to the values of a just society,” he said. “Religious freedom is a right, not a privilege.”
Bishop Keenan also recalled Pope Leo XIV’s words during a private audience with ACN last year. The Pope said that religious freedom is not simply “a legal right or a privilege granted to us by governments (but) is a foundational condition that makes authentic reconciliation possible.”
Bishop Keenan urged people to turn concern into action by signing ACN’s Article 18 petition.
He is joined in supporting the petition by other UK Christian leaders, including Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster, Anglican Bishop Philip Mounsteven of Winchester, and Coptic Archbishop Angaelos of London.
You can sign ACN’s Article 18 petition here: Sign our Article 18 Petition | Aid to the Church in Need
