Archbishop William E Lori of Baltimore sharply criticised comments made by Martin Castro, chairman of the US Commission on Civil Rights, that the phrases "religious liberty" and "religious freedom" were "code words" used to discriminate.
"Statements painting those who support religious freedom with the broad brush of bigotry are reckless and reveal a profound disregard for the religious foundations of his own work," said Archbishop Lori of Castro in a statement.
Archbishop Lori, chairman of the US bishops' Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty, said the notion that people of faith are "comparable to fringe segregationists from the civil rights era" is a "shocking suggestion."
