Archbishop Chaput to be honored for his stance on religious liberty in New York City on Thursday, May 7

May 1, 2009

Press Advisory

The Canterbury Medal Dinner is the annual dinner of the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty.

Every year, the Becket Fund awards the Canterbury Medal to the person who has "most resolutely refused to render to Caesar that which is God's." Past Canterbury Medalists include Nobel Peace Prize recipient Elie Wiesel, Prison Fellowship founder Chuck Colson, Gov. and Mrs. Mitt Romney, financiers Foster Friess and Ted Forstmann, and former U.S. Ambassadors to the Vatican James R. Nicholson and Mary Ann Glendon.

"We are especially proud to add Archbishop Chaput to this distinguished list," says Becket Fund president Kevin "Seamus" Hasson. "He is neither shy nor soft-spoken when he believes religious liberty in general or his Roman Catholic faith are in jeopardy. It is we who are honored by his acceptance of our medal."

The Archbishop's book, Render Unto Caesar, as well as his prominent interventions in the public square have made important contributions to religious liberty and the national political discourse. His bold words have been cited and debated by leading commentators across political and religious lines.

As CNN reporter and legendary Vatican journalist John Allen notes, Archbishop Chaput writes not just for Catholics "but for anyone who cares about the state of America's soul." The Archbishop insists that American democracy depends on an engaged citizenry – people of character, including religious believers, fighting for their beliefs in the public square – respectfully but vigorously, and without apology.

Archbishop Chaput is a former two-term member of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom, a tenure which included missions to China and Turkey. A member of the Prairie Band Potawatomi tribe, he is the first Native American archbishop.

The Becket Fund is a nonprofit, nonparti­san, public interest law firm dedicated to pro­tecting the free expression of all religious traditions. It has successfully represented clients from a wide variety of religious traditions—including Buddhists, Christians, Hindus, Jews, Muslims, Native Americans, Sikhs, and Zoroastrians—in religious liberty litigation around the world.

See coverage of last year's award in the U.S. News and World Report.

Order Archbishop Chaput's best-seller book, Render Unto Caesar: Serving the Nation by Living our Catholic Beliefs in Political Life.

Click here to see Archbishop Chaput's biography on the Denver Archdiocese's website.

To purchase a table or tickets, contact Ashley Samelson at asamelson@becketfund.org.

For more information: Please contact Kristina Arriaga at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty at karriaga@becketfund.org or cell 703.582.8962.