This past year was busy for the nation’s high court, particularly with issues of interest to Catholics regarding abortion, religious liberty, COVID-19 vaccine mandates and the death penalty. This fall, all eyes were particularly on the court with its two cases looking at abortion laws in Texas and Mississippi. After hearing oral arguments in November,…Read More
Attorneys representing a Maine family at the Supreme Court are feeling confident following Wednesday’s oral arguments in the case Carson v. Makin. The case asks whether a state – such as Maine – breaches the free exercise clause or equal protection clause of the First Amendment by barring students in a student-aid program from using…Read More
Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla. said Wednesday that a recent memo from the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department showed the Biden administration’s disregard for Americans’ First Amendment rights. His comments came on the same day that Fox News reported on HHS’ effort to rescind Trump-era measures for beefing up religious liberty protections. “The memo is…Read More
The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) is considering revoking authority the former Trump administration delegated for the Office of Civil Rights (OCR) to prevent violations of religious liberty – prompting concerns about conscience protections under Secretary Xavier Becerra. A draft memo obtained by Fox News targets two actions related to the First Amendment from…Read More
Belgium’s Catholic bishops called Tuesday for dialogue with the government after it decreed that public Masses would remain suspended until Jan. 15, 2021. Following a ministerial decree Nov. 29, the country’s approximately 6.5 million Catholics will be obliged to celebrate Christmas at home. In a Dec. 1 press statement, the bishops acknowledged the need for…Read More
Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito has spoken of his concern that religious liberty is under threat in the United States. The justice spoke out on Thursday about a range of issues which, he said, were challenging basic legal freedoms in the country. The justice warned that the ongoing coronavirus pandemic was acting as a “stress…Read More
Oklahoma County Commissioners heard from the public for the time in 151 days. The first time since Commission Chair Kevin Calvey ended public comments due to COVID-19. For an hour and a half, commissioners heard from protesters, civil rights advocates and concerned citizens. Many spoke against a proposed ordinance on the agenda that would have…Read More
A Maryland county has issued a second order preventing non-public schools from reopening for in-person instruction, despite a previous effort being immediately overridden by Gov. Larry Hogan. “Reemphasizing the need to protect the health and safety of Montgomery County residents as well as parents, students, teachers and staff from the spread of COVID-19, County Health…Read More
By a 5-4 vote last Friday the Supreme Court upheld Nevada’s coronavirus regulation that limits attendance at indoor religious services to 50 persons. Some businesses in the state, such as casinos, may admit 50% of their capacity. Chief Justices John Roberts and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan decided July…Read More
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of California’s limits on the number of people who may attend a church service, in a decision that saw justices debating whether religious services were being treated more strictly than similar gatherings under restrictions aimed to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. Chief Justice John Roberts, a President…Read More