Celebrating Independence Day 2026 Inspired by the Virtue of Solidarity

Dear Friends and Readers,

I wish you a happy celebration of our national holiday. I hope this essay provides a spiritual perspective that is uplifting and hopeful.

Fr. Jim Bacik

On July 4, 2026 we celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with what has been called the greatest sentence ever read: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.“ The Declaration set the stage for a series of historic developments: the ratification of the constitution in 1788 and the bill of rights in 1791; the abolition of slavery in 1865; and the granting of women’s suffrage in1920. As we celebrate the Declaration this year, contradictions continue to shadow our national history as they have from the very beginning. As a prime example, Thomas Jefferson who wrote the inspiring words about human equality also personally owned slaves,(more than 620 during his lifetime,) as did 41 of the 56 signers of the Declaration. Today our republic is deeply divided by partisan politics. Over 80% of American citizens think that our constitution and our democracy are under threat.

As an antidote to this toxic situation, I propose that we reflect on the Christian virtue of solidarity. The American Bishops have presented solidarity as an important theme of Catholic social teaching that empowers us to act as “one human family” and as “keepers of our brothers and sisters in the pursuit of justice in peace in our shrinking world.“ In its Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the Second Vatican Council taught that we are saved as members of the people of God and that the church is a “community of solidarity, called to be a sign and instrument of God‘s saving work in the world.“

Pope John XXIII employed solidarity as an “engine,“ a source of spiritual energy, to promote the common good and world peace. Pope John Paul II taught that solidarity is a virtue that produces justice and peace as its fruit. Pope Francis used solidarity as the framework for his encyclical Fratelli tutti stressing that we are called to intimate communion with God our Father and Christ our brother that grounds a genuine sense of solidarity with all God‘s creatures.

In his first encyclical Magnifica humanitas, (Magnificent humanity), Pope Leo develops and applies the virtue of solidarity. We are not merely neighbors to one another, but are “entrusted” to each other, prompting us to take responsibility, as best we can for “the lives and wounds of our brothers and sisters.” He cautions us not to remain in “deaf indifference” to the plight of our neighbors, but instead to search for “paths of sharing, cooperation and mutual care.“ He encourages us to think and act as social beings who embrace “dialogue and listening that leads to careful discernment of one’s role while working with others to understand the truth about what is needed and how to build community together.”

Pope Leo encourages us to “cultivate relationships“ and “to cherish places and times where physical presence remain crucial.“ He insists solidarity amplifies “the very essence of our humanity,” our “capacity for relationships and love.” It also reminds us that the real measure of our success is found in the care for the most vulnerable among us. Leo suggests that we practice solidarity by welcoming the stranger, building connections with the lonely, participating in local communities of peace and supporting international efforts to make the world a more hospitable place where all people can flourish.

Let us pray that our anniversary celebration of Independence Day this year will not only be a relaxing and enjoyable day of family gatherings, good food and fireworks, but will also serve as a springboard to a renewed and sustained common effort to live up to the high aspirations of the Declaration of Independence, inspired by the virtue of solidarity.