A Nativity scene stands in the rotunda of the Illinois State Capitol in Springfield to celebrate and bear witness to the reason for this holiday season — the birth of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is the fourth year a privately funded Nativity scene has been set up in the rotunda, next to the governor's "holiday tree." It will remain on display through Dec. 28.
The Springfield Nativity Scene Committee (SNSC), which made the Nativity display a reality in the Illinois Capitol, organized the opening day celebration.
Bishop Thomas John Paprocki, guest of honor at the Nov. 29 Nativity unveiling ceremony, called the display "an important exercise of our religious freedom protected by our laws and the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States."
The bishop related the story of a visit to the Soviet Union he made during his graduate studies in 1988. He was in a group of some 50 Americans when a tour guide boasted about the "religious freedom (they had) in the Soviet constitution. Those of you who remember that time might shake your heads at that reference to freedom of religion in the Soviet Union," Bishop Paprocki said.
"Godless communism" would be the more accurate terminology, the bishop said.
"The guide's idea of freedom of religion was simply freedom of worship. People could pray privately in their homes, or places of worship, but they could not express their religion outside of those private places," he said "Religious gatherings, such as we are doing here on state property: absolutely unheard of. Faith-based initiatives, social projects carried out for the poor or the sick, education, all done in the name of religion: forbidden. Only the totalitarian state could do that.
"I'm telling you all of this because there are forces here in our country that have a similar interpretation of freedom of religion," said Bishop Paprocki.
The Religious Freedom and Civil Unions Act, passed in last year's veto session, provides for people with religious beliefs not to be coerced to officiate at a civil union ceremony. "I believe that's already protected by the First Amendment," the bishop said.
Subsequent results of the passage of the Civil Unions Act — forcing faith-based agencies out of foster care and adoption services — "was a setback. But it is only a setback," the bishop said.
"We have not lost the war for the freedom of our religious expression in this country," the bishop said. "The very fact we are here, gathered around a Nativity set in the rotunda of our state capitol should be a reminder of that, that we still have those freedoms. Our experience of this last year — of the state pushing faith based foster care services out of the picture — should be a wake up call to all of us that we should not slumber. We should not sleep, be complacent or naïve."
Joining the bishop to address the crowd was Tom Brejcha, president and chief counsel of the Chicago-based Thomas More Society, who explained the constitutional rights of private citizens to erect Nativity scenes as a form of free speech and free exercise of religion in America's public square.
Others who spoke included: Dave Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute; and Pastor Mark Johnson of Calvary Temple Christian Center in Springfield. Musicians and singers from iWorship Center in Springfield led the group in singing Christmas carols.
The SNSC hopes to have choirs volunteer to sing Christmas carols from noon to 1 p.m. daily at the Nativity display. Interested choirs should contact Salli Chernis, Secretary of State's office, Department of Special Events (217) 782-8996.