New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo, his Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio are being sued by two Catholic priests from upstate New York and a trio of Orthodox Jewish congregants from Brooklyn for violation of civil rights by prejudicial orders and selective enforcement. The federal lawsuit, filed June 10,…
CNA—The governor of Delaware has amended controversial restrictions on houses of worship after a local church threatened a lawsuit. In an updated guidance released by Gov. John Carney (D) on the evening of June 2, the number of people who are allowed to gather in a house of worship was adjusted to match that of…
CNA—Churches in Dane County, Wisconsin, will be permitted to operate at 25% capacity, it was announced Friday, after the Diocese of Madison threatened to sue if previous reopening plans were not changed. “Emergency Order #4 makes a clarification with respect to religious services,” said a release from Dane County on Friday. “Religious worship services will…
Howard County, Maryland, has reversed a policy that banned consumption of any food or drink during religious services, effectively preventing the licit celebration of Mass. A county spokesman told CNA May 28 the prohibition will be removed, and faith leaders will be consulted on future guidelines for church reopenings amid the coronavirus pandemic. On Tuesday,…
CNA—An executive order issued Tuesday in Maryland’s Howard County outlines public health rules under which churches may reopen. The order prohibits the distribution and consumption of any food or drink as part of any religious service, effectively outlawing the distribution of Communion and the celebration of the Mass. Howard County Executive Order #2020-09 outlines the…
CMN—The Archdiocese of Baltimore said it has “serious concerns” about public health guidance from Howard County, Maryland, which prohibits the reception of Communion as a condition for churches to reopen during the coronavirus pandemic. “For the Catholic community, the reception of Communion is central to our faith lives and to our public worship,” said a…
faithwire—A pastor in Chicago said he was in the middle of delivering a sermon when armed police officers began banging on the doors of his sanctuary. The cops were sent by Democratic Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who said in early May she was “watching” and ready to arrest and jail anyone going to a “large or…
In Minnesota, a coalition of Twin Cities faith organizations and local businesses sued and called on Gov. Tim Walz to end what it calls an unconstitutional and draconian scheme to close businesses and places of worship. This lawsuit says it all The Minnesota lawsuit states, in part, that Walz’s executive orders during the pandemic unfairly…
National Review—We’re not just living through an earthshaking pandemic. We’re living through a new crisis in which a highly virulent virus arrives at the very moment when ubiquitous media coverage, global interconnectivity, and a certain amount of scientific conformity amplify everything. All of this has combined to create an unprecedented public-policy response. For the first…
May 22, 2020—“Today, I am identifying houses of worship, churches, synagogues and mosques as essential places that provide essential services,” Trump said in today’s White House press briefing. “Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out churches and other houses of worship, it’s not right,” he continued. “So…
Practicing Catholics and small- to mid-sized business leaders in the U.S. breathed a sigh of relief when the Little Sisters of the Poor finally won their battle against Obama care in the Supreme Court. As you recall, the nuns fought the forced mandate triggered by Obama’s and Pelosi’s healthcare mandate to violate the nuns’ faith,…
faithwire—Freedom of speech is becoming a COVID-19 casualty in America, especially in the public square of social media platforms like Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter. These privately-owned companies are freely censoring certain information. Just look at a recent protest at Michigan’s statehouse over re-opening the state’s government. The demonstration is protected by the First Amendment, but…
A Christian congregation in Chula Vista, California, and its pastor are suing Governor Gavin Newsom and other officials for unconstitutional stay-at-home orders and actions during the coronavirus pandemic. After weeks of mandatory isolation to stop the spread of COVID-19, Governor Newsom has begun a four-stage plan to “reopen” California’s economy. Retail and supporting manufacturing are…
CNA—The Bishop of Las Cruces, New Mexico, has lifted a diocesan ban on the public celebration of Mass, issued guidelines for distribution of Holy Communion, and told priests they may resume sacramental ministry if they follow state-ordered health precautions. “We [as priests] have been called by Christ and ordained to serve the people of the…
When the late William F. Buckley set out to find a religion editor for National Review, he was careful to choose a Protestant. Though a Catholic himself, Buckley feared that his magazine—by then, already the flaghship of American conservatism—was becoming “too Catholic.” Eventually, he settled on a bombastic Lutheran minister named Richard John Neuhaus. Alas…
Asia Bibi is a Pakistani Catholic woman who was sentenced to death in 2010 for blasphemy against Islam. After more than eight years in prison, she was acquitted by the Supreme Court of Pakistan in 2018. “I was accused because of the name of Jesus and I knew I would be freed because of Jesus,”…
The state of California is renewing a mandate that forces churches and Christian groups to pay for killing babies in abortions. Last month, President Donald Trump took action against the California over its requirement that private health insurance plans pay for abortions. The requirement essentially forces churches and Christian groups that are pro-life to fund…
CNA—The writings of newly-canonized St. John Henry Newman offer important reflections for contemporary society on freedom of conscience and the duty to search for truth, said a leading figure in international religious freedom. “Newman prefigured the Church’s 1965 Declaration on Religious Freedom, Dignitatis Humanae,” said Thomas Farr, president of the Religious Freedom Institute. Farr, who…
Earlier in 2019, the very sharp and prayerful Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of Hong Kong, was interviewed by Raymond Arroyo on the World Over. The interview is clear, frank and very helpful in understanding the truth about Catholics in China, and the consequences of the China-Vatican arrangement. In case you missed it, we bring…
Recent developments at the United Nations underscore the truth that religious freedom is not the preference of one religion over another. It is not the random, personal preference of one government leader or party, nor of one political approach to problem-solving over another. Not at all. It is, rather, at the core of creating a…
