Do the Church Fathers, the Founding Fathers, and Catholic Saints Really Go Together?

America's Roman Catholic bishops just completed the "Fortnight for Freedom," a two-week period intended to "support a great national campaign of teaching and witness for religious liberty." As evangelical and Catholic leaders have spent the past year opposing the Obama administration's so-called contraceptive mandate, the timing, motives, and agenda driving the "Fortnight for Freedom" have prompted widespread commentary. Rather than scrutinizing the Fortnight's agenda, Protestants could examine deeper questions than what took place on the surface.

It's important to consider the Fortnight's placement on the calendar—the significance of the Fortnight's dates, June 21 to July 4—to understand the nature of religious freedom and the relationship between what to some mixes like oil and water: the Christian tradition and American liberty.

It's worth considering whether the church fathers and the founding fathers enjoy a deeper conceptual affinity—precisely around the meaning and foundations of religious freedom—than many people (including perhaps the bishops) have noticed.

The Fortnight for Freedom began on June 21, marking the vigil of the feasts of Saint John Fisher and Saint Thomas More. Fisher and More were both executed because they refused to endorse Henry VIII's claimed supremacy over the English church. The vast majority of English nobles and bishops endorsed the supremacy, while Fisher and More stood virtually alone. Though urged to use mental reservation to endorse the succession while denying its legitimacy in their hearts, the men were convinced that they could not do so without violating their consciences and endangering their salvation. As More declared,

"I could not meet with the Works of any one Doctor, approved by the Church, that avouch a Layman was, or ever could be the Head of the Church."

Thankfully the founders of this country were students of the history of Europe with its religious wars and crusades that resulted from the the wedding of state and religion.

Oddly the countries that were most ardent in their pursuit and condemnation of so called “heretics” are now most often indifferent to when not out-rightly hostile to the practice of religious faith.

But perhaps not so odd as the fruit of a poison tree is poisonous also.

I assume you must have Catholic ancestors who fought in the Revolution.

Being something of a rarity, I’m sure you must be quite proud if so.

I have seven 4th or 5th grandfathers who can be proved to have done so that I am aware thus far.

They were Presbyterian, Lutheran, Baptist or Moravian.

None Catholic. Well, there is one who was a Carroll whose ancestors came to NC from Maryland, but there is no indication that he or his known forebears were ever Catholic. Records are sketchy, though, burned counties and all that.

If that could ever be proved it would be exciting to add another Signer to the three already known in the family.

George Washington attended Catholic Mass at least once while in Philadelphia. GW was very pro-Catholic, in the last sentence you can see JA wasn’t as kind.

John Adams wrote to his wife, Abigail after he attended a Mass at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Philadelphia with George Washington on October 9, 1774:

This afternoon, led by Curiosity and good Company I strolled away to Mother Church, or rather Grandmother Church, I mean the Romish Chapel. Heard a good, short, moral Essay upon the Duty of Parents to their Children, founded in justice and Charity, to take care of their Interests temporal and spiritual. This afternoon’s entertainment was to me most awful and affecting.

The poor wretches fingering their beads, chanting Latin, not a word of which they understood, their Pater Nosters and Ave Marias. Their holy water—their crossing themselves perpetually—their bowing to the name of Jesus wherever they hear it—their bowings, and kneelings, and genuflections before the altar.

The dress of the priest was rich with lace—his pulpit was velvet and gold. The altar piece was very rich—little images and crucifixes about—wax candles lighted up. But how shall I describe the picture of our Saviour in a frame of marble over the altar, at full length, upon the cross in the agonies, and the blood dropping and streaming from his wounds.

The music consisting of an organ, and a Choir of singers, went all the afternoon, excepting sermon Time, and the Assembly chanted—most sweetly and exquisitely. Here is everything which can lay hold of the eye, ear, and imagination. Everything which can charm and bewitch the simple and the ignorant. I wonder how Luther ever broke the spell.

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