Supreme Court Case: Is Catholic Charities Secular ? – WSJ

Their activities are secular in nature, the Wisconsin Supreme Court, newly controlled by a 4-3 liberal majority, held last year. They neither attempt to imbue program participants with the Catholic faith nor supply any religious materials. The majority therefore ruled that the Catholic Charities arm whose president, for the record, is the local bishop is not operated primarily for religious purposes, at least under this Wisconsin law.

Hence the U.S. Supreme Court s argument Monday in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin. The nonprofit, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, argues that the First Amendment prohibits the state s effort to pick and choose among religious groups and carve out works of mercy from the realm of the religious altogether. The group s mission is to be an effective sign of the charity of Christ, and its expression of that includes providing services to the disabled.

via www.wsj.com