CatholicVote launched the "Zeale for America 250" campaign to encourage prayer and patriotism for the U.S. 250th anniversary. The initiative, featuring Cardinal Raymond Burke, centers on a virtual prayer pilgrimage devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The structured program includes daily prayer, an eight-part video series on patriotism, and guidance for enthroning the Sacred Heart in homes. A rally featuring Cardinal Burke and Michael J. Knowles is scheduled for June 13 in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The campaign is officially partnered with the White House America Prays initiative, aiming to enlist one million Americans to pray weekly for the nation.
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CatholicVote, a Catholic political advocacy group, has launched the "Zeale for America 250" campaign ahead of the 250th anniversary of the U.S. founding.1 2 3
The initiative promotes prayer, patriotism, and pilgrimage among Catholics and others.1 2 3
Participants join a virtual prayer pilgrimage focused on devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.1 2 3
Cardinal Raymond Burke authored a structured program including daily and group prayers, an eight-part video series on patriotism, home enthronement of the Sacred Heart, and a Fourth of July novena.1 2 3
A "Zeale for America 250 Rally" is scheduled for June 13, 2026, at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wisconsin.1 2 3
The event features Cardinal Burke, Michael J. Knowles, and other Catholic leaders.1 2 3
The campaign falls under the patronage of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas.1 2 3
It partners with the White House "America Prays" initiative, aiming to enlist 1 million Americans in weekly hour-long prayers for the nation.1 2 3
CatholicVote President and CEO Kelsey Reinhardt emphasized daily prayers to the Sacred Heart for national renewal.1 2 3
Cardinal Burke urged Catholics to pray especially during Lent for truth, justice, and peace, expressing hope for widespread participation.1 2 3
Examine the Catholic Church’s role in fostering national patriotism
The Catholic Church views patriotism as a virtuous love for one's earthly homeland, rooted in the Fourth Commandment to honor parents and extended analogously to one's nation as a "native land" connecting individuals to their people and culture. This love is ordered toward the heavenly homeland, fostering active preservation of national culture without idolatry or hatred of others. The Church actively promotes true patriotism through moral formation, education, and civic witness, while distinguishing it from nationalism or chauvinism that harms others or contradicts faith.
Patriotism derives from natural law and divine precept, mirroring filial piety. As the Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ – Our Pascha explains:
The road to our heavenly homeland passes through our earthly homeland. Christians benefit their country more than others. For they form and channel the devotion of their fellow citizen to the God of all creation.
This echoes the Fourth Commandment: “Honour your father and your mother that your days may be long in the land which the Lord your God gives you” (Ex 20:12). Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, cited in the same Catechism, clarifies:
A Christian should love all people, but this does not impede one from loving his or her family and country first... The Christian can and should be a patriot, but his patriotism cannot be hatred, nor can it demand obligations contrary to faith.
The Catholic Encyclopedia on Civil Allegiance reinforces this: patriotism requires "reasonable esteem and love for his country," interest in its history, valuation of institutions, and readiness to sacrifice, even life, for the commonwealth's safety. Pope Pius XII in Summi Pontificatus emphasizes educating youth for "noble patriotism" with "intelligent understanding and pride," giving "due measure of love, self-devotion and service" to the fatherland, but always oriented to the "heavenly country."
The Church fosters patriotism through formation in faith, family, schools, and civic life, ensuring it aligns with universal charity. Popes have praised Catholics' patriotic contributions:
The Church models patriotism via saints and blesseds. John Paul II beatified Bishop Anton Martin Slomšek as a "model of true patriotism": he promoted Slovenian language, culture, social reforms, and national dignity without "short-sighted nationalism or selfish opposition" to neighbors, aiding independence while fostering coexistence. Pius XII affirmed Catholics are "second to none in the matter of patriotism," defending liberty amid pressures to separate from Rome.
Historically, from America's discovery, the Church planted "the sacred emblem of the cross" alongside seeds of states and faith, as Leo XIII described. John Paul II urged U.S. Catholics to "light [their] nation" with truth, rejecting false dichotomies between faith and politics.
The Church vigilantly warns against distortions. True patriotism is "incompatible with a hatred or belittlement of other nations or races," rejecting chauvinism or racism; it is active yet subordinate to God. John Paul II distinguished:
[T]he essential difference between an unhealthy form of nationalism, which teaches contempt for other nations or cultures, and patriotism, which is a proper love of one's country. True patriotism never seeks to advance the well-being of one's own nation at the expense of others.
Pius XII condemned crimes "under the guise of patriotism," reiterating Church teaching. Such false forms, including "fundamentalism" basing religion on nationalism, lead to totalitarianism or ethnic violence, as seen in the Balkans.
Catholics elevate nations by channeling devotion to God, aiding ascent to the "divine and heavenly city" (Mt 25:21). This fulfills civil allegiance: obedience to just laws, honor for rulers as God's representatives, and moral witness benefiting society. In diverse contexts—like U.S. religious liberty or Eastern European struggles—the Church ensures patriotism serves the common good, countering secularism or extremism.
| Aspect of Patriotism | Church's Fostering Role | Key Warnings |
|---|---|---|
| Virtuous Love | Education in schools/families; saints' examples (e.g., Slomšek) | No idolatry of nation over God |
| Civic Duty | Moral formation for obedience/sacrifice | Reject hatred/nationalism |
| Cultural Preservation | Promotion of language/history without exclusion | Avoid chauvinism/racism |
| Universal Charity | Prioritize family/country but love all | No harm to others |
In summary, the Catholic Church fosters authentic patriotism as a bridge to heaven, through doctrinal teaching, exemplary lives, and civic engagement, while safeguarding against perversions that contradict Christ's universal love. This role remains vital for nations, ensuring faith enriches rather than divides society.