The Archbishop of Santa Fe has condemned anti-Muslim rhetoric and expressed support for plans to build a mosque and community centre in Albuquerque, citing the Catholic Church's teaching on religious freedom.
"As Archbishop of Santa Fe and a resident of Albuquerque, I feel compelled to speak clearly and pastorally: our Muslim neighbors have the same God-given and constitutionally protected right to worship freely as every other faith community, including our own. Defending that right is not only a civic duty but a core element of Catholic teaching," Archbishop John C. Wester of Santa Fe said in a July 27 statement published on the archdiocesan website.
