Trump appoints Bishop Robert Barron to US Commission on International Religious Freedom

President Donald Trump nominated Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester to the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. Barron, who currently serves on the Religious Liberty Commission, joins two other nominees, pastor Andrew Brunson and Joe Grogan.

The commission is an independent federal body that monitors religious freedom violations abroad and provides recommendations to the president, the State Department, and Congress. Its work includes tracking the direct persecution of religious communities, imprisonments based on faith, and state restrictions on worship.

Barron stated it is an honor to accept the invitation and noted the bipartisan nature of the commission. He joins a list of previous Catholic members, including Archbishop Charles Chaput, Father Thomas Reese, and Bishop William Murphy.