Beyond any doubt, religious freedom has emerged as the premier social and political concern of the Catholic church in the early 21st century. Pope Benedict XVI offered confirmation as recently as last Saturday, during his trip to Lebanon.
Speaking to politicians, diplomats and religious leaders (including representatives of all four major branches of Islam in Lebanon — Sunni, Shi’ite, Druze and Alawite), the pope insisted that “religious freedom is the basic right on which many others depend.”
A new report released Thursday by the Pew Forum illustrates why, at least in this case, it’s impossible to argue that the concern is misplaced.