Get the Ricochet app
Ricochet will work fine in a browser on your mobile devices, but for the best experience please download our app.
A Catholic service organization has sued the Biden administration for religious discrimination after it was stopped from holding its longstanding Memorial Day mass at a national park. Attorneys for the Knights of Columbus filed a motion for a temporary restraining order against the National Park Service in Petersburg, Virginia, on Tuesday, after officials refused to grant a permit for the religious service at the Poplar Grove National Cemetery. This is the second year in a row the religious group has been denied a permit at the Virginia national park where they had been holding the Memorial Day mass for the past 60 years. "The policy and the decision blocking the Knights of Columbus from continuing their long-standing religious tradition is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act," McGuireWoods attorney John Moran, who is suing the NPS on behalf of the Knights, said in a press release. "We urge the court to grant our restraining order and allow the Knights to hold their service this Memorial Day."
I'm not surprised by this news. We are living in an age where you will only be allowed to worship once a week. You will not be allowed anything more than that. The 1st Amendment is becoming freedom from religion in the public square.
I do take comfort in the fact that after the Civil War, the five chaplains that earned the Medal of Honor were Catholic priests. One of the priests who taught at my Catholic university was on a Normandy beach on D-Day. Another priest who taught students after I left school was in Afghanistan. His tour ended, and after a few months passed he asked to go back to Afghanistan.
I'm sure that the Knights of Columbus and Catholic families have their share of veterans and family members who have served in the past and are serving now. Memorial Day can be both a time for remembrance as well as the simple celebration of family picnics. A celebration that was bought with sacrifice.
The video tells the story of one of five Catholic chaplains.
Discussion (15)
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
Santo Subito, Fr. Kapaun!
We are really in dark times. As a side note, calling the Knights of Columbus a "Catholic service organization" misses the mark as well.
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
this is not really unexpected. Understand our country has never been a Catholic nation, just a Christian one that has never liked Catholics.
CHARTER MEMBER
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
Thank you Doug.
MODERATOR
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
Thank you - that was very moving.
To read this bio, please join Ricochet.
Thanks, Doug. A wonderful tribute, too.
You're seeing five of 15 comments. Sign in, or join for just $5 per month, to read them all and add your own.