Elder Oaks delivered the speech Thursday in New York City to more than 500 people, including religious leaders of numerous faiths. The event is an annual award ceremony sponsored by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest organization dedicated to protecting free expression of religious traditions.
Elder Oaks was
presented the prestigious Canterbury Medal for his lifetime of service
in promoting the cause of religious freedom. The medal recognizes
individuals who demonstrate courage in the defense of religious freedom
and is named for Canterbury Cathedral, where Thomas Becket stood in
defense of religious freedom against King Henry II.
Francis
Cardinal George, archbishop of Chicago, presented the award to Elder
Oaks. “Tonight, dear friends, we honor one of the great leaders of the
defense of religious liberty in our law,” Cardinal George said. “In
recent years, Catholics and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints have stood more frequently side by side in the public
square in order to defend human life and dignity. It’s through this
cooperation around shared principles and concerns that I’ve come to know
[Elder Oaks].”
Cardinal George added that it is men
like Elder Oaks that enable him to “remain hopeful with you for the
future of religious liberty in America.”
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