U.S. religious liberty expert ‘disappointed’ in Vatican-China deal January 13, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Vatican, World News The United States’ chief advocate for religious freedom expressed his “disappointment” in the Vatican over its provisional agreement with China on the appointment of bishops in the country.
Federal judge rules Baltimore-based CRS must pay health benefits for spouse of gay employee August 19, 2022By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Local News, News, Religious Freedom A U.S. District Court judge in Maryland has ruled that Catholic Relief Services, the U.S. bishops’ overseas relief and development agency, must offer health care coverage to the spouses of gay employees as long as the employees’ jobs are nonreligious in nature.
Principal calls vandalism at Catholic school in Washington ‘a hate crime’ August 15, 2022By Richard Szczepanowski Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Schools, World News St. Anthony Catholic School in Northeast Washington has been vandalized twice in less than a week in what the principal of the school is calling “a hate crime.”
Archbishop Lori among bishops saying HHS proposal violates religious freedom and ‘is bad medicine’ July 28, 2022By Julie Asher Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News The chairmen of four U.S. bishops committees said July 27 that proposed regulations from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on abortion, transgender services and other procedures threaten the Catholic Church’s ability “to carry out our healing ministries” and others’ ability “to practice medicine.”
China deploys hundreds of auditors to monitor religious activities online July 6, 2022By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News The Chinese Communist Party is seeking to expand its apparatus to monitor and curb religious activities in cyberspace through training and deploying hundreds of “auditors” across the country, triggering concerns from rights groups.
Supreme Court sides with coach in public school prayer case June 27, 2022By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News In a 6-3 vote June 27, the Supreme Court ruled that a former high school football coach had the right to pray on the football field after games because his prayers were private speech and did not represent the public school’s endorsement of religion.
Supreme Court says Christian group can fly flag at City Hall May 9, 2022By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News After the Supreme Court ruled that Boston violated the free speech rights of a Christian group to fly its flag at City Hall, another group, The Satanic Temple, has requested permission to fly a flag outside the city building.
Court seems to side with football coach over postgame prayers April 26, 2022By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, Supreme Court, World News The majority of Supreme Court justices seemed to side with a former high school football coach April 25 who said his postgame prayers on the field — that cost him his job — amounted to private speech and not the public school’s endorsement of religion.
Gavel set symbolic of liberty created from historic wood March 20, 2022By Mary K. Tilghman Special to the Catholic Review Filed Under: Archbishop's Ministry, Feature, Local News, News, Religious Freedom In an interfaith service filled with pomp and patriotic fervor, a gavel set was dedicated to the gallant soldiers of the Maryland 400, also known as George Washington’s Old Line.
Speakers say Equality Act ‘overly broad,’ will harm religious liberty March 26, 2021By Kurt Jensen Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, U.S. Congress, World News A March 22 online webinar on the Equality Act focused on criticism that the legislation is so vaguely worded it would harm religious liberty and obscure biological reality.
Doctors seek permanent relief from mandate to do transgender surgeries March 9, 2021By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News Attorneys for doctors and hospitals argued in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit March 3 that they shouldn’t be forced to perform gender-transition surgeries required under the Affordable Care Act, stressing this is an issue of conscience.
Bishops: If passed, Equality Act will ‘discriminate against people of faith February 25, 2021By Julie Asher Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Religious Freedom, World News If the House of Representatives passes the Equality Act, its mandates will “discriminate against people of faith” by adversely affecting charities and their beneficiaries, conscience rights, women’s sports, “and sex-specific facilities,” said the chairmen of five U.S. bishops’ committees.
