Archdiocese of Washington Welcomes Supreme Court of the United States Decision to Review its Legal Challenge to the HHS Mandate

November 6, 2015

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Archdiocese of Washington is heartened to learn that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to review the D.C. Circuit’s flawed ruling in our challenge to the HHS mandate, together with the other challenges pending before the Court. A particular concern for the archdiocese is the Government’s treatment of Catholic educational and charitable ministries as if they are somehow less religious than houses of worship, and therefore less deserving of the right to operate in accord with the Church’s teachings. The archdiocese is hopeful that the Court will vindicate our religious freedom, and the freedom of Catholic ministries also seeking to practice their faith freely, as guaranteed under the law.

The archdiocese and its affiliates remain committed and determined to serve others freely in accordance with the Catholic faith. It is precisely because of this faith that local Catholic entities are the largest nongovernmental provider of social services in this region.

For more information about the lawsuit brought by the archdiocese and its co-plaintiffs, Roman Catholic Archbishop of Washington, et al. v. Sylvia Mathews Burwell, et al., D.C. Cir. case no. 13-5371, please visit www.PreserveReligiousFreedom.org.

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The Archdiocese of Washington is home to over 620,000 Catholics, 139 parishes and 95 Catholic schools, located in Washington, D.C., and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.

CONTACT:
Chieko Noguchi or Lindsey Frechou
301-853-4516
[email protected]