As the 2025-2026 United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) term came to a close, Commissioner Stephen Schneck detailed the declining religious freedom abroad and the severe violations against people of faith.
"The problems not only are very, very present, but worsening," Schneck told EWTN News. "I think the situation for religious freedom in the world today is worse than it was when I came on the commission, and certainly worse than it was a decade ago."
In its 2026 report, the commission recommended 18 countries to be labeled as "countries of particular concern" (CPCs) — "the label that we give to the governments in the world who are the worst abusers of religious freedom," Schneck said.
The list includes 12 countries the U.S. Department of State designated as CPCs in December 2023, including Burma, China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Nicaragua, North Korea, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.
It also includes Nigeria, which President Donald Trump designated in 2025, and five additional recommendations: Afghanistan, India, Libya, Syria, and Vietnam.
India "is among the worst countries in the global community in regards to religious freedom from the analysis that has been done by the commission over the last decade or so," Schneck said.
"Since 2020, maybe 2019, the commission has been calling on the United States government to designate India as a CPC."
The religious freedom status in India is "particularly tragic" because it "is a country that is famous for its democratic traditions and … where many religions have actually emerged historically," he said.
"The principal driver" of the current problems "is a really powerful religious nationalism," he said. "Particularly it's Hindu nationalism that is being promoted largely for political reasons by the political party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), of the current prime minister, Narendra Modi."
"Since the separation from Great Britain and its independence after the Second World War, there have been a number of episodes of communal violence," he said.
There is "mob violence against minority religious believers increasingly being allowed, and frankly sometimes being promoted, or at least given legal impunity, under the government's control by the BJP."
"The State Department never really explains fully … why they decline to go along with our designation," Schneck said. It could be due to "geopolitical reasons of international politics and U.S. foreign policy."
"India is a particularly important country, for a variety of reasons," including being "an important country set against China in the geopolitical politics of our day, and it's an important country for trade purposes for the United States."
"Unfortunately, now through several administrations ... we have not seen the United States governments actually support our commission's recommended designation."
The commission also continues to recommend China as a CPC, which the State Department has listened to. It has continued to list China since it was first categorized a CPC in 1999.
Despite its designation, Schneck noted that the commission is "very concerned about the situation in China."
As Trump recently traveled to China and discussed political prisoners with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Schneck noted the commission has "called for Jimmy Lai's release and [has] made not only his case, but the case of millions of others within China."
The situation "gets worse and worse" and "it's not just limited to individuals," Schneck said. "We're talking about whole populations here — the Uyghur Muslims, the Tibetan Buddhists, Christians."
"Even our own Catholic Church is under the watchful eye of China … The repression of religion by China is a real deal and something that we should all be concerned about," he said.
Catholics should be 'on the front lines' of defending religious freedom
May marked the end of seven commissioners' terms, including Schneck's. He said: "I'm very concerned about leaving this work at this particular moment … that I see religious freedom really under a great deal of stress around the world."
Schneck was appointed to the commission in June 2022 by President Joe Biden. He was later reappointed to the commission and served as its chair for the 2024-2025 term.
Schneck joined the commission after having worked as a political philosopher, a professor, department chair, and dean at The Catholic University of America for more than 30 years. There, he founded and directed the Institute for Policy Research and Catholic Studies.
Schneck served as a national co-chair of Catholics for Biden, part of Biden's presidential campaign. The group worked to rally Catholics to vote for Biden, despite the then-nominee's support for legislation and policies that did not align with Church teaching. Prior to that, Schneck was appointed by President Obama to the White House Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Prior to that, he was appointed by President Barack Obama to the White House Advisory Council for Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
Schneck was also the executive director of Franciscan Action Network, a national organization promoting environmental, economic, and social justice for the Franciscan communities of the United States.
Following his multiple positions, Schneck said serving on USCIRF was the "capstone" of his career.
The work "is so meaningful," he said. "But sometimes it's incredibly hard. You talk to people whose relatives have been killed. You talk to people … who have just come out of prison. You go to refugee camps and you see how refugees are living in absolutely dire situations."
"So, emotionally it can be tremendously hard," he said. "But at the same time…you really do feel that bearing witness to what has happened to these people is important work and makes a difference."
"It was a privilege … to be a representative of my own faith on the commission," Schneck said. "I do feel that my own faith really was strengthened as a result of my participation on the commission."
"The famous document from the end of Vatican II, Dignitatis Humanae, really laid down for our Church what religious freedom should be about, how we as Catholics should be on the front lines in trying to defend religious freedom around the world."
"I feel like I was called in a way by that teaching of our Church to do this work. I mean, truly, even though it's only four years, it did feel like a vocation," he said.
While Schneck is no longer a USCIRF commissioner, he said he plans to continue his advocacy work through other organizations.
Schneck serves on the governing board of Catholic Climate Covenant, a U.S. organization that advocates for care for creation and climate action. He also is on the board of the Catholic Mobilizing Network, an organization working to end the death penalty.
"Both of these two organizations … spun out of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops," he said.
"I'm pleased to continue my work for the Church with both of these fine organizations, by working on behalf of care for creation ... and working on the Church's pro-life mission in working against the death penalty here in the United States," he said.
