The U.S. Catholic bishops Monday blasted "aggressive secularism" and the Obama administration for attacking the Church -- and all believers -- on religious liberty by curtailing the voices of faith in the public square.

"Passion" was the word of the day at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Their leader, New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan, told the annual gathering of 300 prelates to employ their passion for Jesus and the Church to face down the "chilling statistics'" of people leaving the church and the cultural onslaught of critics of the Church.

The charge comes as the Church is in the headlines -- for good or for ill:

The Department of Health and Human Services declined to renew a grant to a Church-sponsored program assisting the victims of human trafficking because it didn't offer rape and abuse clients information or services on abortion or contraception.

The Obama administration declined to defend the Defense of Marriage Act that would ban federal recognition of same-sex marriage. Dolan met last week with Obama and is on the record as praising the president for his civility, according to Michael Sean Williams blog at National Catholic Reporter.

The 2012 presidential election looms and the bishops' pushes on immigration changes, health care and poverty have been back-tabled by congressional fights over the deficit and taxes.

The agenda moved very quickly to the pragmatic and the political. Bishops cited programs for ministering to women who have had abortions and efforts to combat gay marriage and strengthen traditional marriage.

The centerpiece of the day was Bishop of Bridgeport William Lori, chairman of the new Committee on Religious Liberty, who issued a clarion call to the culture war battlements.

Beyond freedom of worship and speech, the bishops say, the Church must stand for its right to speak for the "common good" in the public square.

Lori said Monday:

We rightfully envision the Church as an actor in society, forming not only believers but citizens equipped to build a civilization of truth and love. Thus we seek protection by law and acceptance in our culture of intermediate institutions such as the family, churches and schools, which stand between the power of the government and the conscience of individuals, all while contributing immensely to the common good.

Lori blasted "aggressive secularism," which he says is...

...establishing un-religion as the religion of the land and granting it the rights and protections that our Founding Fathers envisioned for citizens who are believers and for their churches and their church institutions.

He said:

Instead of promoting toleration of differing religious views, certain laws, court decisions and administrative regulations treat religion not as a contributor to our nation's common morality but rather as a divisive and disruptive force better kept out of public life.

Laurie Goodstein of The New York Times asked Lori if this Catholic redefinition of "religious liberty" would "guarantee that religious groups receive government funds?"

No, Lori said, it just means that their major social agencies with outstanding records of service to all should not be at a disadvantage because of the Church's convictions. "Our convictions should be accommodated," he said.

Unanswered is whether the federal government should be in the business of accommodating some religions and not others.

DO YOU THINK ... the bishops are on the right track? Doing too little, too late? Or are they trying to limit your liberty?