Growing up in Philadelphia, the Liberty Bell was part of the fabric of our city and our lives. World leaders, local politicians, passionate protestors, and curious tourists were constantly making their way to Chestnut Street to visit a relic of the Revolutionary War. School trips, summer festivals, and visiting relatives were all opportunities for my friends and me to visit the colonial foundations of our country and see the famous bell that was a focal point for so many causes.
The bell originated about a generation before the American Revolution when the Pennsylvania Assembly ordered a bell to commemorate the 50th anniversary of William Penn's original Constitution of 1701. This document proclaimed the rights and freedoms valued by people the world over. Penn's ideas on religious freedom, Native American rights, and his inclusion of ordinary citizens in governing their state were forward thinking and “revolutionary” in many ways.
The bell was placed in the steeple of The Pennsylvania State House (later renamed Independence Hall) with the inscription, "Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof," from Leviticus 25:10. Tradition tells us that it was one many bells that rang out on July 8, 1776, summoning Philadelphians to the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
Because of the deep connection to the fight for freedom, the original bell gained iconic importance when abolitionists adopted it as a symbol in their efforts to end slavery throughout America. The Old State House bell then became known as the “Liberty Bell” and was used throughout the 19th and 20th centuries as a reminder of the nation’s founding ideals set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
The power of this symbol and the American spirit it represents are illustrated in replicas created and displayed around the country. From Washington D.C. to Walt Disney World, you can find a version of the Liberty Bell in every state of the union.
A few years ago, I was in Kansas City raising money for Oblate missions. Having some free time on a Saturday morning I visited the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library in Independence, Missouri and I walked around the grounds until the tours started.
As I was about to enter the main building, I was surprised to see a replica of the Liberty Bell in a gazebo a few feet from the main entrance. I was even more surprised to read that the bell was a gift from Annecy, France. Annecy was the diocese where St. Francis de Sales was bishop in the 17th century.
This bell was given in gratitude for the sacrifices of our men and women who liberated France at the end of World War II. The bell was formally accepted by President Harry S. Truman on behalf of Independence and the United States at ceremonies held on November 6, 1950.
Being an American, growing up in Philadelphia, and embracing the traditions of St. Francis de Sales as an Oblate all seemed to coalesce at the bell. Freedom, liberty, faith, and service are not only part of the fabric of our nation but also of our souls. However, for Christians, especially those who follow Salesian Spirituality, the notion of liberty, freedom, and independence is a bit different than the modern popular view. St. Francis de Sales, the Bishop of Annecy, speaks of the real meaning of freedom when he writes about “liberty of spirit.”
Pope Benedict quoted St. Francis when he explained this true spirit: “In an age such as ours that seeks freedom, often with violence and unrest, the timeliness of St. Francis de Sales, the great teacher of spirituality and peace, speaks of the spirit of freedom, the true spirit. St. Francis reminds us that human beings find true joy and the most complete fulfilment in God alone. St. Francis tells us to do all through love, nothing through constraint; love obedience more than you fear disobedience. I leave you the spirit of freedom, not that which excludes obedience, which is the freedom of the world, but that liberty that excludes violence, anxiety, and scruples” (Letter of 14 October 1604).
Salesian Spirituality reminds us that each person has the freedom to cooperate in his or her own salvation by our daily choices. The virtue of indifference frees ones to be able to live in a spirit of liberty like the children of God described in the Gospels. This liberty neither asks for a specific result nor rejects what God puts before us. Human liberty leads one to care about what happens but is always concerned that God’s will is accomplished, whatever the outcome. In practice, Salesian liberty becomes a freedom to serve our neighbor.
As our nation celebrates our Independence, let us continually be inspired not just by the image of the Liberty Bell but by the words of Scripture that are inscribed on this precious symbol: “proclaim liberty throughout all the land.” As Christians, let us proclaim this liberty through our love and service to our neighbor. Let us live in a spirit of liberty, justice, and peace.
Happy 4th of July!
Fr. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Provincial Councilor and Superior of Salesianum Oblate Community
DeSales Weekly: https://oblates.squarespace.com/desales-weekly
DeSales Weekly Editor: Fr. Bill McCandless, OSFS
