Archdiocese of Washington Files Petition for Rehearing En Banc in its Legal Challenge to the HHS Mandate

December 26, 2014

The Archdiocese of Washington and its co-plaintiffs today filed a petition for rehearing en banc with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in their lawsuit challenging the HHS mandate.

On November 14, 2014, a three-judge panel of the court of appeals upheld the HHS mandate in a deeply flawed ruling that conflicts with judicial precedent including the recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby. The filing today is the next step in the legal process, asking the full court to set aside that clearly erroneous decision and uphold our first and most sacred freedom. The archdiocese and its co-plaintiffs are hopeful that the final disposition of this case will support religious freedom and rights of conscience.

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 nongovernment 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, DC and five Maryland counties: Calvert, Charles, Montgomery, Prince George’s and St. Mary’s.

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