The Communion of Saint Rose of Viterbo, by Juan Antonio de Frías y Escalante
Which comes first, freedom of speech or freedom of religion? In the United States Constitution, both are enjoined in the First Amendment, with freedom of religion taking first place and freedom of speech taking second. But Pope St. John Paul II wrote in his World Peace Day Message of 1988: “Religious freedom, an essential requirement of the dignity of every person, is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights, and for this reason an irreplaceable factor in the good of individuals and of the whole of society, as well as of the personal fulfillment of each individual. It follows that the freedom of individuals and communities to profess and practice their religion is an essential element for peaceful human coexistence. […] The civil and social right to religious freedom, inasmuch as it touches the most intimate sphere of the spirit, is a point of reference for the other fundamental rights and in some way becomes a measure of them.”
Why is this important for today’s saint? Because St. Rose of Viterbo spoke up to support the rights of religion in her day. She was born in Viterbo, Italy about 1234 and when she was seven preached against the local government when the excommunicated German emperor Frederick II, who was at war with the pope, was accepted by the people in opposition to the pope! St. Rose preached against this so heartily she and her parents were banished. She told her parents that God rewards those who are persecuted for justice’s sake. Later she prophesied the emperor was dying and all would be well. He died shortly after that. She advised: “Live so as not to fear death. For those who live well in the world, death is not frightening but sweet and precious.” She died in 1252, at 17.
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