FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome Convene UK Parliament Session on AI and Freedom of Religion or Belief

London, 8 July 2026 — Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome will convene a Parliamentary Session on AI and Freedom of Religion or Belief on Wednesday, 8 July 2026, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in Committee Room 20, Houses of Parliament, London.

Hosted by the APPG for Freedom of Religion or Belief, the session will explore the opportunities and risks of artificial intelligence for freedom of religion or belief, human dignity, and human flourishing.

Speakers include Professor Lord Tarassenko CBE FREng FMedSci, President of Reuben College, University of Oxford, and Brian J. Grim, Ph.D., President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chair of Dare to Overcome.

The session is part of an ongoing Faith@Work and Dare to Overcome series examining the intersection of faith, work, technology, human dignity, and public life. The conversation began at the UK Faith@Work Conference hosted by EY in April, continues now in the UK Parliament, and will develop further at the London School of Economics on 16 October 2026 during Dare to Overcome London 2026.

“As artificial intelligence reshapes workplaces, economies, education, and public life, we must ask not only what technology can do, but what kind of society it should help us build,” said Dr. Brian Grim. “Freedom of religion or belief is central to that question because it protects conscience, dignity, identity, and the human search for meaning.”

The July 8 session will bring together policymakers, faith and business leaders, scholars, and technology experts for a focused discussion on responsible innovation and the future of human-centred society.

Attendance is limited. Email for invitation.

To the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission:

PUBLIC COMMENT – Chapter 13 and Chapter 14 – Brian J. Grim

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the draft report of the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission. I submit these comments as President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, as a former senior researcher on global restrictions on religion at the Pew Research Center, and as someone whose life’s work has been shaped by missionary experience, Catholic conversion, social science research, and practical engagement with business leaders seeking to build workplaces where people of all faiths and none can contribute with dignity.

I welcome the report’s central conviction that religious liberty is not merely a private benefit for believers, but a public good. I also welcome the report’s recognition that religious liberty protects believers, nonbelievers, and those still searching for what they believe. It strengthens communities, enriches civic life, and requires vigilance, education, and renewed commitment from institutions and citizens. That broader cultural emphasis is essential. Religious liberty cannot be sustained only through litigation after harm has occurred. It must also be cultivated through the ordinary institutions where people live, learn, work, serve, worship, dissent, and build trust across difference.

My principal recommendation is that the final report should strengthen its treatment of the private sector and workplace culture. Chapter 13 rightly recognizes that private employers, professional organizations, commercial enterprises, and other institutions provide jobs to millions of Americans, and that people of faith should not be required to leave their religious convictions behind when entering the workplace, engaging in commerce, serving their communities, or participating in public debate. I strongly support that conclusion.

At the same time, I encourage the Commission to go further. The workplace is not only a site where religious liberty may be violated. It is also one of the most important places where religious liberty can be made real.

My understanding of this reality came not first from research, but from experience. In Saudi Arabia, I learned what it meant to bring only the smallest version of myself to work. My Catholic faith had to remain hidden. Even mentioning Christmas could have cost me my job. Later, in the United Arab Emirates after September 11, Muslim officers at a national military academy recognized that I was Catholic and invited me to remain and pray with them. At a moment of profound global fear, they did not treat my faith as a threat. They recognized it, respected it, and made room for it.

That contrast became a turning point in my life. Religious freedom became for me not only a constitutional or legal principle, but the practical freedom to live and work without hiding one’s soul. It is the freedom to seek truth, follow conscience, live with integrity, and contribute to the good of others without being forced to amputate the deepest part of oneself.

For most Americans, religious freedom is not experienced primarily in courtrooms, agencies, or legislative hearings. It is experienced in the practical conditions of daily life: whether an employee can request time off for a holy day without fear of being viewed as less committed; whether a worker can wear religious dress or symbols without penalty; whether a manager knows how to handle a religious accommodation request with fairness and respect; whether employees can participate in faith-and-belief employee resource groups; whether Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, humanists, atheists, and others can speak from conscience without being stereotyped, pressured, or silenced; and whether people can bring not only their skills, but also their integrity, moral judgment, sense of vocation, and deepest sources of purpose to work.

This is why I urge the Commission to frame workplace religious liberty not only as protection from discrimination, but also as a positive social capability. The goal should not be to make workplaces religious. The goal should be to make them more human.

In my current work with companies in the United States, the United Kingdom, India, and elsewhere, I have seen that many leading employers are beginning to understand religion or belief as part of a broader human capital and culture agenda. The most mature organizations do not treat religion or belief merely as a compliance risk or occasional HR problem. They develop the capacity to engage religion, belief, and non-belief with clarity, confidence, and care. They build fair policies, train managers, support employee networks, recognize holy days, provide practical accommodation processes, and create cultures where people can disagree respectfully while maintaining trust.

I encourage the Commission to add a practical workplace framework to its final recommendations, building on the “Know Your Rights” approach already included in the draft report. A stronger private-sector section could encourage the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Justice, and relevant agencies to develop not only posters, but also practical implementation resources for employers, including:

• — model guidance for religious accommodation processes and manager training;
• — best-practice examples of faith-and-belief employee resource groups and respectful dialogue initiatives;
• — guidance on religious expression, holy days, dress, grooming, prayer, dietary needs, and conscience concerns;
• — resources that help employers distinguish protected religious expression from harassment, discrimination, and religious prejudice; and
• — practical tools for measuring and improving workplace religious freedom and religion-or-belief inclusion.

The report should also recognize that the future of religious liberty will increasingly intersect with artificial intelligence and technology governance. AI tools are already being used in hiring, scheduling, monitoring, performance assessment, workforce planning, communication, promotion, and employee development. These tools may affect religious employees in subtle but significant ways. Automated scheduling systems may fail to account for Sabbath observance or holy days. AI-enabled performance systems may reward availability patterns that unintentionally disadvantage employees with religious commitments. Content moderation tools may misclassify religious speech. Talent systems may overlook the deeper sources of integrity, judgment, courage, service, and purpose that faith and belief often help form.

As organizations become more technologically powerful, they must also become more human. Religious liberty and freedom of conscience belong in that conversation.

I therefore recommend that the Commission add language encouraging employers, regulators, and technology developers to consider religious liberty, conscience, dignity, and meaningful human oversight in the deployment of AI and algorithmic systems affecting workers. Religious freedom in the next 250 years will not be protected only by remembering the Founding. It will also require foresight about the systems now shaping human identity, opportunity, speech, and belonging.

I also encourage the Commission to emphasize that religious liberty is strengthened when it is understood globally, not only domestically. America’s constitutional tradition has inspired many beyond our shores. At the same time, Americans can learn from global experience. My research at Pew showed that religious freedom is shaped by both government restrictions and social hostilities. Law matters deeply, but social pressure also matters. A person may have formal rights and still feel unable to live openly because of workplace hostility, social stigma, institutional silence, or fear of retaliation.

This suggests that the Commission’s final report should continue to stress legal protections while also making clear that religious freedom is sustained by culture. The question is not only whether government refrains from coercion. It is whether society has the habits, institutions, and civic imagination to make room for conscience and conviction across deep differences.

For that reason, I strongly support the report’s call for education, public awareness, and “Know Your Rights” resources. I would add that public education should be framed in a way that is invitational rather than merely defensive. Americans need to know not only what religious liberty protects them from, but what it frees them for: service, charity, civic responsibility, moral formation, neighborly love, truthful disagreement, and human flourishing.

Religious liberty must not become the possession of one political party, one religious tradition, or one cultural faction. It is too important for that. Properly understood, it protects the church, synagogue, mosque, temple, gurdwara, school, hospital, business, family, dissenter, seeker, convert, and nonbeliever. It protects the person whose convictions are popular and the person whose convictions are misunderstood. It protects the religious institution that serves from faith and the individual employee who seeks to live with integrity at work.

As America marks 250 years of independence, the Commission has an opportunity to help the nation look not only backward to 1776, but forward to 2276. Religious liberty must remain a living freedom, one that protects conscience, welcomes conviction, makes room for disagreement, and encourages every person to contribute to the common good.

The next chapter of religious freedom should not be written only for the people. It should be written by the people and of the people, with a renewed commitment to every person’s freedom to seek truth, follow conscience, and contribute to human flourishing.

Thank you for your work and for inviting public comment.

Respectfully submitted,

Brian J. Grim, Ph.D.
President, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation

Why your voice belongs in America’s conversation about religious freedom.

By Brian J. Grim, Ph.D.

Two hundred fifty years ago, America declared that human rights do not come from governments but from a Creator. That conviction has never belonged to one faith. It made room for conscience, worship, doubt, dissent, and change.

From serving as academic coordinator at the UAE Military Academy on September 11, when a Muslim general offered comfort and invited me to pray, to helping employers create workplaces where people can bring their whole selves, even their whole souls, to work and show dignity, respect, and compassion across differences of faith and belief, I have come to see religious freedom as something larger than protection from persecution. It is the freedom to live with integrity, contribute without hiding, and treat neighbors with dignity across deep differences. It also gave me freedom to follow conscience until I found my spiritual home in the Catholic Church.

As we celebrate America’s first 250 years, we should ask not only what religious freedom meant in 1776, but what we hope it will mean when descendants gather for America’s 500th birthday in 2276.

That is why the Religious Liberty Commission’s draft report matters. Whether one agrees with its conclusions or not, the Commission has invited public comment. We should accept that invitation.

And because the American experiment has inspired people abroad, it is fitting and proper that all who share these ideals make their voices heard.

The next chapter should not be written for the people. It should be written by the people. It should remain of the people, recognizing every person’s freedom to seek truth, follow conscience, and contribute to human flourishing.

Read the Commission DRAFT Report

• — Two-Page Summary of the Religious Liberty Commission Draft Report
• — Draft Report of the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission, June 2026

This draft of the Religious Liberty Commission Report, based on public hearings held and public comments received, is available here and open to public comment for fifteen (15) days, with comment period closing on Monday, July 13, 2026. Comments may be emailed to RLC@usdoj.gov.

–> Read My PUBLIC COMMENT: To the Presidential Religious Liberty Commission

To aid the Religious Liberty Commission in processing your comments, please format the subject line using the following:

PUBLIC COMMENT – [TOPIC OR CHAPTER NUMBER] – [NAME].

Please be aware that public comments are open to public inspection, not confidential. Please do not include personally identifiable information, such as personal addresses, in your comments.

After the fifteen (15) day comment period, Commission will hold a virtual public meeting to review comments reviewed, discuss the draft, and finalize the report. Attendance information will be posted on the “Upcoming Events” page and in the Federal Register at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting.

By Brian J. Grim, Ph.D.

As the United States and its allies engage in military action against Iran, with the MOU on peace looking increasingly fragile, much of the world’s attention is focused on security, geopolitics, energy markets, and economic disruption. Yet there is another consequence that receives far less attention. Decades of research show that armed conflict often makes religious freedom conditions worse. For those concerned about freedom of religion or belief, this presents a sobering reality: even when military action is undertaken for legitimate security reasons, war frequently increases religious persecution, social hostilities, and government restrictions rather than reducing them.

This concern is particularly relevant in Iran. According to Pew Research Center’s latest global study of restrictions on religion, Iran ranks among the world’s most restrictive major countries when both government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion are considered together.

As the accompanying chart illustrates, Iran sits in the upper-right quadrant among the world’s 25 most populous countries, reflecting both very high government restrictions on religion and high levels of social hostilities involving religion.

The relationship between conflict and religious freedom is not merely theoretical. Global research that Professor Roger Finke and I conducted found that armed conflict is among the strongest predictors of religious persecution and conflict. War tends to increase government controls, heighten social tensions, fuel suspicion of minority communities, and create conditions in which religious groups become convenient targets. In short, conflict often deepens the very conditions that undermine religious freedom.

The latest findings from Pew Research Center suggest that this challenge extends far beyond Iran.

In 2023, the number of countries experiencing high or very high social hostilities involving religion rose from 45 to 55, marking the third consecutive year of increase. At the same time, 58 countries had high or very high levels of government restrictions on religion, only one fewer than the highest number recorded since Pew began tracking these trends.

The chart above tells an important story. India stands out as having both very high government restrictions and very high social hostilities, making it one of the most challenging environments for religious freedom among the world’s largest countries. Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Nigeria, and Iran also face significant levels of both restrictions and hostilities. China occupies a different position, with some of the highest government restrictions in the world but comparatively lower levels of social hostilities. By contrast, countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, and South Africa remain in the lower-left quadrant, where both restrictions and hostilities are relatively low.

The chart also helps explain why I became increasingly interested in engaging the business community in advancing freedom of religion or belief.

As a senior researcher at Pew Research Center, I led the development of the methodology that continues to be used to measure government restrictions and social hostilities involving religion worldwide. Over time, however, it became clear that while documenting the problem was essential, the global trajectory was still moving in the wrong direction. That realization ultimately led me to found the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation, based on the conviction that making the economic and business case for religious freedom could complement traditional advocacy efforts and engage new stakeholders in addressing these persistent challenges.

The latest data tell a troubling story.

Approximately 78% of the world’s population now lives in countries with high or very high levels of government restrictions on religion, social hostilities involving religion, or both. While many countries maintain relatively low levels of restrictions, some of the world’s most populous nations, including India, China, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Iran, face elevated challenges that affect billions of people.

For global business leaders, this is not merely a human rights concern. It is a strategic economic issue.

Religious freedom and social cohesion are closely linked to trust, and trust is one of the most valuable forms of economic capital. Trust lowers transaction costs, facilitates cooperation across differences, strengthens institutions, encourages investment, and enables innovation. When religious communities are marginalized, harassed, or excluded, trust begins to erode. Businesses face greater difficulty attracting talent, building cohesive teams, entering new markets, and maintaining stable operations.

The economic consequences can be substantial. Countries with elevated religious restrictions and hostilities tend to experience greater social conflict, political instability, corruption, and reduced investor confidence. These conditions create uncertainty that discourages entrepreneurship, undermines long-term investment, and weakens economic growth.

What is particularly concerning about the latest Pew findings is that rising social hostilities are not confined to traditional conflict zones. Countries such as Belgium, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Russia moved into the high-hostility category in 2023. The trend suggests that religion-related tensions are becoming increasingly relevant across both developed and developing economies.

This is one reason why initiatives such as Dare to Overcome and the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation work to engage business leaders in advancing freedom of religion or belief as both a human dignity issue and an economic imperative. Inclusive workplaces and societies are not simply more just; they are also more resilient, innovative, and prosperous.

The lesson emerging from nearly two decades of global data is clear. Societies that protect freedom of religion or belief, respect human dignity, and create space for people of different faiths and convictions to contribute fully are better positioned to generate trust, economic opportunity, and human flourishing. Conversely, societies characterized by rising restrictions, increasing hostilities, and armed conflict often face growing instability and diminished prospects for long-term prosperity.

As the conflict involving Iran unfolds, these lessons deserve careful consideration. Military outcomes may shape borders, security arrangements, and geopolitical alliances. But if history is any guide, the conflict is also likely to affect religious freedom on the ground, and not for the better.

For policymakers, business leaders, and civil society alike, the challenge is not only to seek peace. It is to build societies where people of all faiths and beliefs can contribute freely, fully, and peacefully. The evidence increasingly suggests that human dignity, religious freedom, social trust, and economic prosperity rise or fall together.

PBS Premiere, Faith & Leadership, and the Dignity of Work

By Brian Grim

One of the great privileges of my work is meeting people whose lives demonstrate the power of courage, compassion, and bridge-building. That is why I am especially thrilled to celebrate the national PBS premiere of The Last Twins on June 15 and to congratulate my friend Dr. Judith Richter, recipient of the 2021 King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Award.

The film tells the extraordinary story of Judith’s father, Erno “Zvi” Spiegel, whose courage helped save dozens of young twins subjected to Josef Mengele’s experiments at Auschwitz. More than a Holocaust story, it is a powerful reminder that individual acts of moral courage can preserve human dignity even in the darkest times.

Judith continues that legacy through her own work, including the NIR School of the Heart, which brings together Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze students to build friendships across divides while preparing future healthcare leaders. I encourage everyone to watch and share this important film as we prepare for the 2026 Global Reunion of recipients of the King Husein Global Business & Interfaith Peace Awards, taking place during Dare to Overcome (12–16 October).

I am also excited to participate in an interfaith dialogue hosted by the Institute for the Impact of Faith in Life on 17 June.

Bringing together leaders from Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Hindu traditions, the conversation will explore how faith traditions inspire leadership, service, and the common good. Throughout my career, I have been encouraged by how diverse faith communities often converge around shared commitments to human dignity, compassion, integrity, and peace. At a time when many focus on what divides us, this discussion will highlight the possibilities for collaboration across faiths and cultures.

The following day, 18 June, I will host the Revd Josh Harris, Director of the Joseph Centre for Dignified Work, for a conversation on Recognising the Dignity of Workers in the City of London.

The discussion will explore how business, faith, and civic leaders can help ensure that every worker is treated with dignity and has the opportunity to flourish. As organizations navigate rapid change, this conversation offers an important reminder that people—not profits alone—must remain at the center of our vision for the future.

Whether through remembering acts of courage, fostering interfaith understanding, or promoting dignity in the workplace, each of these initiatives reflects our shared commitment to human flourishing and the common good.

Insights from the Vatican, UK Parliament & our Global Study

By Brian Grim

Over the past two weeks, I’ve had the wonderful opportunity to witness the release of three very different reports in three very different places: Washington, D.C., the Vatican, and the UK Parliament. Yet despite their different audiences and perspectives, each arrived at a remarkably similar conclusion: people are more than economic units.

The first was our own report, Faith, Belief, and the Future of Corporate Culture, launched on May 20 in Washington, D.C. The research found that the world’s leading companies increasingly rely on deeply human qualities—trust, integrity, belonging, purpose, and ethical responsibility—that no technology, however advanced, can create on its own.

Just days later, in Rome, I participated in discussions surrounding Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. There, the message was equally clear: human dignity comes before productivity, and people must never be reduced to data points, outputs, or economic value.

Then, at the UK Parliament, where I joined a panel discussion marking the release of Work, Wealth & Wellbeing, participants challenged assumptions that human worth can be measured primarily by income, status, or productivity. Instead, they emphasized dignity, purpose, participation, and contribution to the common good.

Three reports. Three countries. Three very different conversations. Yet all pointed toward the same truth: flourishing societies and successful organizations are built when we recognize the full dignity, potential, and humanity of every person.

The questions raised by these reports are too important to leave on the page. How do we build economies that value people as much as profit? How do workplaces foster belonging and purpose? And how can societies strengthen both prosperity and human flourishing? These are precisely the conversations we will continue together at our next global gathering.

Save the Date: October 12–16, 2026, for Dare to Overcome: The Economics of Kindness, where business leaders, faith leaders, policymakers, academics, and changemakers from around the world will explore how economies, businesses, and societies can be built around human dignity, belonging, and the common good. I hope you’ll join us. Learn more at https://dto.world/.

Catholic Social Thought in a Fragmented Age

By Brian Grim

The release of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas comes at a moment of profound global uncertainty. Across the world, democratic societies face rising polarization, declining institutional trust, technological disruption, geopolitical instability, and growing social fragmentation. Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies, communications, and human relationships at a pace faster than most governments or civic institutions can effectively understand or regulate. Meanwhile, many societies are struggling to sustain the moral and civic foundations necessary for pluralism, democratic participation, and peaceful coexistence.

It is precisely within this context that the 2026 International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation convenes in Vatican City under the theme: “A Fragmented World in Search of Spirituality: Freedom and Pluralism through the Social Doctrine of the Church.” The conference reflects a growing recognition that today’s crises are not merely political or economic. They are fundamentally anthropological and spiritual. The erosion of trust, the rise of tribalism, and the increasing inability of societies to sustain dialogue across differences point toward a deeper crisis concerning the meaning of freedom, the dignity of the human person, and the moral responsibilities necessary for democratic life.

Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica Humanitas enters directly into these debates. Building upon the intellectual tradition of Rerum Novarum, Centesimus Annus, Caritas in Veritate, and Fratelli Tutti, the encyclical argues that human dignity must remain at the center of political, economic, and technological development. The document warns that societies increasingly shaped by algorithmic systems, digital fragmentation, and hyper-individualism risk losing the moral frameworks that sustain authentic freedom and solidarity. Technology itself is not presented as the enemy. Rather, the encyclical argues that technologies detached from ethical principles and moral accountability can deepen alienation, weaken community, and undermine democratic culture.

This concern echoes one of the central insights of St. John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus, which emphasized that freedom divorced from truth ultimately becomes self-destructive. In the decades following the collapse of totalitarian regimes in Europe, Centesimus Annus defended democratic governance, civil society, economic freedom, and human rights, while also warning that democratic institutions cannot survive without moral and cultural foundations rooted in human dignity and responsibility. That warning appears increasingly prescient today. Modern democratic societies face growing pressures from ideological extremism, disinformation, declining social trust, and the concentration of technological and economic power in ways that challenge both subsidiarity and pluralism.

The Vatican conference therefore represents more than an academic or theological gathering. It is an effort to recover a moral and spiritual vision capable of addressing the fragmentation now shaping international politics, civil society, and human relationships themselves. Discussions on artificial intelligence, media ethics, peacebuilding, migration, multilateralism, interreligious dialogue, and democratic resilience all point toward a central question: how can societies preserve freedom and pluralism while sustaining a shared understanding of the human person and the common good?

These questions closely intersect with the work of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF). In recent years, RFBF has increasingly engaged issues involving civic trust, pluralism, interfaith cooperation, responsible leadership, and the role of ethical frameworks in sustaining healthy societies and institutions. The organization’s emphasis on advancing freedom of religion or belief for all people aligns naturally with Catholic Social Doctrine’s defense of human dignity, conscience, and the mediating role of civil society.

The principle of subsidiarity, central to Catholic social teaching, is especially relevant in this context. Subsidiarity holds that larger institutions should support, rather than replace, the role of families, local communities, religious organizations, and civic associations. In an era when many citizens feel alienated from political institutions and disconnected from one another, intermediary institutions become essential for rebuilding trust, encouraging participation, and preserving democratic culture. Organizations like RFBF operate precisely within this mediating space—bringing together business leaders, policymakers, religious communities, and civil society actors around shared commitments to dignity, coexistence, and responsible engagement across differences.

The conference’s focus on artificial intelligence further highlights the growing relevance of these conversations. AI is rapidly transforming communications, labor markets, governance, and information ecosystems. Yet technological advancement alone cannot determine whether societies become more humane, more just, or more free. The ethical questions surrounding AI involve not only privacy, automation, and economic disruption, but also deeper concerns regarding truth, human agency, moral responsibility, and the integrity of public discourse.

Here again, Magnifica Humanitas offers an important contribution. The encyclical rejects both technological determinism and simplistic anti-technology narratives. Instead, it calls for human-centered innovation guided by ethical reflection, solidarity, and respect for the intrinsic dignity of every person. It argues that technologies must serve humanity rather than reshape humanity according to purely economic or ideological priorities. This perspective is increasingly relevant not only within religious communities, but also among policymakers, educators, business leaders, and civic organizations seeking frameworks capable of addressing the social consequences of technological acceleration.

RFBF’s engagement with questions of institutional trust, ethical leadership, and constructive dialogue positions it within this broader global conversation. The organization’s work demonstrates that religious freedom and pluralism are not peripheral concerns, but essential components of stable, innovative, and prosperous societies. In a fragmented world increasingly defined by suspicion and polarization, the ability to convene diverse actors around shared principles of dignity and mutual respect becomes strategically important for democratic resilience itself.

The Vatican conference also places strong emphasis on peacebuilding and multilateral cooperation. As geopolitical tensions intensify and societies become more fragmented internally, the need for institutions capable of fostering dialogue across political, religious, and cultural boundaries grows increasingly urgent. Catholic Social Doctrine offers a framework that resists both authoritarian centralization and radical individualism by emphasizing solidarity, subsidiarity, and the common good. These principles encourage cooperation without demanding uniformity and promote pluralism without collapsing into relativism.

Ultimately, the challenges confronting democratic societies today cannot be solved through policy reforms or technological innovation alone. The crises of polarization, distrust, and fragmentation are rooted in deeper questions concerning identity, meaning, moral responsibility, and the purpose of freedom itself. Both Magnifica Humanitas and the 2026 Centesimus Annus conference suggest that rebuilding democratic culture requires not only institutional renewal, but also moral and spiritual renewal.

That insight may prove to be the conference’s most important contribution. Authentic pluralism depends upon more than procedural tolerance. It requires a shared commitment to human dignity, dialogue, truth, and the common good. Freedom cannot endure without solidarity, and democratic institutions cannot remain stable without moral cultures capable of sustaining trust and responsibility.

In that sense, the convergence of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, the Vatican conference, and the work of organizations such as RFBF reflects a broader search for frameworks capable of preserving human dignity and democratic coexistence in an age of fragmentation. The questions now facing societies are not simply how to govern new technologies or manage political disagreement. They are how to sustain the moral foundations necessary for human flourishing itself.

The answer proposed by Catholic Social Doctrine is both demanding and hopeful: societies remain strongest when freedom is ordered toward truth, when institutions serve human dignity, and when pluralism is sustained not by coercion or indifference, but by solidarity, conscience, and a renewed commitment to the common good.

Conference concludes with private audience with Pope Leo XIV

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: RFBF President Brian Grim to Participate in Vatican Conference Following Release of Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical Magnifica Humanitas

VATICAN CITY — Brian Grim, president of RFBF, will participate this week in the 2026 International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation at the Vatican, one of the Holy See’s leading annual gatherings on Catholic social thought, global governance, and ethical leadership.

The conference, held May 28–30 in Rome and Vatican City, brings together Church leaders, diplomats, academics, business executives, and civil society representatives under the theme: “A Fragmented World in Search of Spirituality: Freedom and Pluralism through the Social Doctrine of the Church.”

Read Dr Brian Grim’s comments here

The gathering comes at a significant moment following the release this week of Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which addresses the moral and spiritual challenges facing societies amid growing polarization, technological disruption, democratic instability, and declining social trust. The conference will explore many of the same themes, including religious freedom, peacebuilding, ethical leadership, artificial intelligence, pluralism, and the future of multilateral cooperation.

“As societies across the world confront rising division and institutional distrust, there is an urgent need for frameworks that strengthen human dignity, pluralism, and responsible leadership,” Grim said. “The conference provides an important opportunity for dialogue across faith, civic, academic, and policy communities on how moral and spiritual traditions can contribute constructively to the future of democratic society and global cooperation.”

The conference program includes plenary sessions and working groups focused on Catholic Social Doctrine, reconciliation and peacebuilding, AI and communications ethics, interreligious dialogue, democratic resilience, and the ethical responsibilities of leadership in an increasingly fragmented world.

RFBF’s work in advancing civic dialogue, institutional trust, and responsible engagement across religious, political, and cultural differences closely aligns with many of the themes under discussion during the Vatican gathering.

The conference will conclude Saturday with a Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica and a private audience with His Holiness Pope Leo XIV at the Apostolic Palace.

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 20, 2026, Lorna Coury Named 2026 ERG Leader of the Year at National Faith@Work Conference

Washington, DC — The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) is pleased to announce that Lorna Coury, Executive Director at Consumers Energy, has been named the 2026 ERG Leader of the Year. The award was presented on May 20, 2026, at the annual Dare to Overcome (DTO) Faith@Work ERG Conference, held at The Busch School of Business in Washington, DC.

The Faith-ERG Leader of the Year Award recognizes exceptional leadership in advancing faith-friendly and belief-inclusive workplaces. The honor is presented annually among peers, including Fortune 500 ERG leaders and global executives, who are shaping the future of workplace inclusion through research, innovation, and practical leadership.

Coury was recognized for her visionary leadership in founding and growing the Interfaith Employee Resource Group (ERG) at CMS Energy and Consumers Energy, an initiative that has become a model for faith inclusion across corporate America.

“Few leaders embody the spirit of this award as consistently and courageously as Lorna,” said Brian J. Grim, President of the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation and Global Chair of Dare to Overcome. “She has not only built a thriving interfaith community within her organization, but has also helped create a blueprint for other companies seeking to foster respect, belonging, and collaboration across differences.”

Founded in 2022 after nearly two years of research and development, the Interfaith ERG has grown to more than 500 members and continues to expand. Under Coury’s leadership, the group evolved from a startup initiative into a structured, sustainable program with measurable impact, including the development of bylaws, strategic goals, and ongoing programming.

A hallmark of Coury’s leadership is her innovative “Faith and Belief Communities” model, which supports distinct religious and belief identities while fostering unity across differences. These communities include Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Jewish, and other groups, and they provide meaningful opportunities for connection, education, and celebration while remaining open to employees of all faiths, as well as those who identify as atheist or agnostic.

Through initiatives such as interfaith learning sessions, leadership outreach, prayer and meditation spaces, and company-wide celebrations, Coury has helped normalize conversations about faith at work and strengthen a culture of respect and belonging. Her efforts have also advanced organizational practices aligned with leading benchmarks for religious inclusion.

Beyond her company, Coury has become a trusted resource for organizations across industries seeking to establish faith-oriented ERGs. Her willingness to share best practices and mentor others has contributed to a growing movement of workplace inclusion grounded in respect for religious diversity.

“Lorna’s leadership demonstrates that faith inclusion is not only possible in today’s workplace, it is essential,” Grim added. “Her work strengthens organizations by fostering empathy, engagement, and a deeper sense of shared purpose.”

The Dare to Overcome conference, now in its seventh year, brings together leaders from Fortune 500 companies, global organizations, and academic institutions to explore how faith-inclusive cultures drive innovation, resilience, and ethical leadership.

Past recipients of the ERG Leader of the Year Award include leaders from Google, American Airlines, Dell Technologies, and Equinix.

About the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
The Religious Freedom & Business Foundation is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating the global business community on the positive contributions of religious freedom to the workplace, marketplace, and society.

Media Contact:
Brian J. Grim, Ph.D.
President, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation
email
+1.410.268.7809

IMMEDIATE RELEASE: REDI Index 2026 Recognizes Industry Leaders Advancing Faith-Friendly Workplaces Across the U.S.

Washington DC — May 20, 2026 — Today, the Religious Freedom & Business Foundation (RFBF) recognizes the 2026 U.S. Faith-Friendly Workplace ‘REDI’ Index honorees, honoring leading organizations across sectors that are setting the standard for faith-friendly workplaces.

This year, we are recognizing participating organizations by industry sector, highlighting how faith-friendly workplace leadership is emerging across multiple areas of business and industry.

The progress among sectors highlights a powerful trend: faith inclusion is no longer confined to a narrow set of industries. Instead, leading employers across technology, consulting, finance, manufacturing, energy and utilities are embedding faith-friendly practices into their workplace cultures, strengthening employee engagement, innovation, and organizational performance.

2026 U.S. Honorees

• Accenture — Professional Services
• Equinix — Digital Infrastructure
• Intuit — Financial Technology
• Dell Technologies — AI Infrastructure
• Merck — Biopharmaceuticals
• Consumers Energy — Energy & Utilities
• Salesforce — AI CRM Business
• AZZ — U.S. Manufacturing

Key Takeaways

Faith-friendly workplaces span multiple sectors
The 2026 honorees demonstrate that faith inclusion is not industry-specific. From manufacturing and energy to professional services, and from cutting-edge technology and to biopharmaceuticals, organizations recognize that supporting employees’ religious identities contributes to a more inclusive and productive workplace.

A competitive advantage in today’s workforce
Companies that actively support faith inclusion are seeing tangible benefits, including improved employee wellbeing, stronger retention, and enhanced reputation (see research). In an increasingly values-driven labour market, faith-friendly policies are emerging as a key differentiator in attracting top talent.

Alignment with core organizational values
Each of this year’s honorees exemplifies how faith inclusion aligns with broader corporate values such as respect, integrity, belonging, and purpose. By embedding these principles into workplace culture — through employee resource groups, spiritual care, inclusive policies, and leadership commitment — these organizations are translating values into action.

Awards Ceremony

The 2026 U.S. Faith-Friendly Workplace Awards will be held at Dare to Overcome in Washington DC at the Busch School of Business, Catholic University of America, on Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

This event will bring together business leaders, diversity professionals, and faith advocates to celebrate progress and share best practices.

About the Faith-Friendly Workplace ‘REDI’ Index

The Faith-Friendly Workplace Index benchmarks organizations on their commitment to religious inclusion and faith-friendly workplace practices. It provides a framework for companies to evaluate and improve how they support employees of all faiths and beliefs.

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