Following President Trump’s participation in the National Day of Prayer, the president signed a new executive order (EO) establishing the Religious Liberty Commission, designating Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick as chair and Dr. Ben Carson as vice chair.
The Religious Liberty Commission will be comprised of up to 14 presidentially appointed members from diverse sectors, alongside ex officio members like the Attorney General, tasked with producing a comprehensive report by July 4, 2026, examining the foundations, societal impact, and current threats to religious liberty, as well as strategies to enhance protections.
The commission will also advise the White House Faith Office and Domestic Policy Council, recommend executive or legislative actions, and collaborate internationally on religious freedom.
The commission’s creation is a stark departure from the posture of the Biden-Harris administration, which turned trampling religious liberties into a sport.
President Trump invited San Francisco’s Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to serve on the Commission, and the Archbishop has accepted the offer.
Archbishop Cordileone serves on the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) Committee on Laity, Marriage, Family Life, and Youth as well as on its Committee for Canonical Affairs and Church Governance, and has been an outspoken advocate for a commitment to Church teachings.
Archbishop Cordileone announced that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) could no longer receive communion via a public notification letter to her that was published in 2022.
“As you have not publicly repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come,” Cordileone said in his letter.
“Therefore, in light of my responsibility as the Archbishop of San Francisco to be ‘concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to [my] care’ (Code of Canon Law, can. 383, §1), by means of this communication I am hereby notifying you that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion and, should you do so, you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, until such time as you publicly repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance,” the letter continued.
Pelosi, of course, defied the letter and continues to receive communion.
Cordileone said of his appointment, “I am grateful to President Trump for appointing me to serve on the Commission on Religious Liberty.”
“Freedom of religion in our country has been a central concern of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for decades, and I see my task as bringing the perspective of Catholic social teaching to bear as the Commission endeavors to shape public policy in this matter.”
“In assuming this responsibility, I take as my model Fr. Theodore Hesburgh, the legendary president of the University of Notre Dame from 1952 to 1987. In the course of his career, Hesburgh served on sixteen separate presidential commissions over several decades in both Republican and Democrat administrations. I ask you to pray for me as I commence this important work.”
I am grateful to President Trump for appointing me to serve on the Commission on Religious Liberty. Freedom of religion in our country has been a central concern of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for decades, and I see my task as bringing the perspective of…
— Bishop Robert Barron (@BishopBarron) May 1, 2025
With the establishment of the Commission, President Trump signaled his commitment to ending an anti-Christian bias in government after the Biden Regime’s targeting of Christians.
As The Gateway Pundit reported, Trump also created a task force to investigate and reverse systemic discrimination against Christians within federal agencies.
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