Wisconsin diocese takes religious battle to Supreme Court

Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a prior decision of the state Supreme Court that declared the organization to be “non religious.” The August 9 appeal came after the state Court ruled the Catholic non-profit could not opt out of the state’s unemployment compensation program to join a “better” program offered by Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops.  READ

Eucharistic revival calls Catholics to ‘Tear on Mission’

The National Eucharistic Revival has called for participation in the historic evangelization effort “Year on Mission” and offered new resources for those who wish to get involved. The Year on Mission is a call to action for all Catholics, whether experienced evangelists or those new to sharing their faith. READ

Appeals Court Upholds Religious School’s Employment Freedom

RICHMOND, VA – The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals recently ruled in favor of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, protecting the freedom of religious schools to employ schoolteachers who will uphold their religious beliefs. In Billard v. Diocese of Charlotte, the Court overturned a lower court ruling on May 8, 2024, and reaffirmed Charlotte Catholic High School’s (CCHS) religious freedom as a result of a lawsuit by a former high school teacher who was fired after he entered into a same-sex relationship that conflicted with the school’s beliefs about marriage and sexuality. Lonnie Billard sued the school in 2017 for sex discrimination under Title VII after he was fired. The former teacher taught English and Drama at CCHS for 12 years before retiring and transferring to a substitute role. As a teacher, he previously signed a contract agreeing to uphold teachings of the Catholic Church. But in 2015, he entered into a same-sex marriage in violation of Catholic teaching and made public statements on social media advocating against Church teaching. When the school chose not to continue employing him as a substitute teacher, he sued the school and the Diocese of Charlotte for asking their teachers to support the school’s religious mission. The Diocese of Charlotte, represented by The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and Troutman Pepper, has operated Catholic schools across western North Carolina for more than 50 years.

 

 

In its ruling, the Fourth Circuit stated the First Amendment requires civil courts are “bound to stay out of employment disputes involving ministers – those holding certain important positions with churches and other religious institutions.” The Court found that Billard was a minister because Charlotte Catholic requires its teachers to “model and promote Catholic faith and morals” and he played a “vital role” in advancing the school’s religious mission -- even if he taught secular subjects such as English and drama. CCHS expects its teachers to begin each class with a short prayer, led either by the teacher or the students, though it does not dictate the content of the prayer. It requires its teachers to accompany students to all-school Mass, where they play a ‘supervisory,’ though not specifically religious, role.” The Diocese states its own mission: “We, the people of God in the Diocese of Charlotte, fortified in the Father, redeemed in the Son, empowered in the Spirit, are called to grow ever more perfectly into a community of praise, worship, and witness. We seek to become ever more enthusiastically a leaven of service and a sign of peace through love in Piedmont and Western North Carolina.”  The school’s motto, inscribed at its entrance, reads: “The soul of education is the education of the soul.”  The Fourth Circuit’s jurisdiction includes North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and South Carolina.  Liberty Counsel Founder and Chairman Mat Staver said, “This commonsense ruling by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals protects a fundamental religious liberty of faith-based organizations to employ people who align with their mission. The ministerial exception allows religious institutions to decide who to employ to represent the organization.”

Shocking video exposes Planned Plarenthood execs

A newly resurfaced undercover video shows Planned Parenthood executives talking about avoiding illegal partial birth abortions by tearing late-term babies up before extracting them, harvesting their organs, and selling their parts. The Center for Medical Progress said this week that Planned Parenthood asked then California Attorney General Kamala Harris to seize the video. Officials then raided the home of CMP president David Daleiden and confiscated evidence. READ

[Video included]

Identity Crisis: The Detransitioner Taking on Planned Parenthood

Vatican officials deny involvement in rumored Latin Mass crackdown

VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — Two of the four Vatican officials reported to be aiding efforts to restrict the traditional Mass have denied any such involvement, whilst rumors not always in accord with evidence continue to stoke fears of upcoming restrictions.

The papal nuncio to France, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, and the prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches, Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, have both denied to this correspondent that they are involved in fresh efforts to restrict the traditional Mass.

Both Migliore and Gugerotti had been named in a June report by The Remnant, along with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, as being the three key aides in a move to compile a new document ushering in restrictions on the traditional Mass.

The document is believed to be being written by Archbishop Vittorio Francesco Viola, who serves as the Secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments (CDW), and who – according to some reports – is drawing up a text restricting the traditional Mass which he will present to Pope Francis for approval.

But when questioned by this correspondent, Migliore and Gugerotti denied that they were supporting or encouraging Viola in his project. Full details are provided below, but first some background and context is necessary.

Background to rumors

On June 17, the traditional blog Rorate Caeli issued a report suggesting that the Vatican is set to publish new measures restricting the traditional Mass even further than it already is. Rorate wrote that there is an attempt to implement a “stringent, radical, and final solution banning the Traditional Latin Mass.”

Describing their sources as “credible,” Rorate stated that the sources for the information were

the very same sources that revealed to Rorate that the Vatican had sent out a survey to bishops on Summorum Pontificum (in preparation for what would become Traditionis Custodes), and Rorate was the first source to post this; and the very same sources who first revealed that a document like Traditionis Custodes would come (and Rorate was also the first to reveal it at the time). [Emphasis original]

Rorate’s report was published by one of the site’s editors known as “New Catholic”: this correspondent understands that “New Catholic” has kept information about his sources strictly to himself.

Where would it come from?

No information was given by Rorate as to which body of the Roman Curia would be leading operations in issuing any new document. Were it to affect the former Ecclesia Dei traditional Mass communities, then it would have to also involve the Congregation (now Dicastery) for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life (CICLSAL).

However, with Pope Francis having just recently met with, and affirmed the charism of, the two most notable ex-Ecclesia Dei communities offering the traditional Mass – the FSSP and the ICKSP – it is therefore unlikely that restrictions would be ushered in against them via CICLSAL, and would therefore be issued via the CDW.

Indeed when this correspondent questioned the notoriously anti-traditional prefect of CICLSAL – Cardinal João Braz de Aviz – if his dicastery had any document restricting the traditional Mass, his secretary issued a reply July 4, stating:

We cannot answer your question because the topic is not our responsibility but that of the Dicastery for Divine Worship. [Emphasis original]

Such would correspond with the information reported by The Remnant, which cited “well-informed sources” as stating that the rumored document “would prohibit all priests other than those belonging to approved ex-Ecclesia Dei institutes from offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass in the Vetus Ordo, or old rite as it is commonly called.” This would involved the CDW, rather than CICLSAL.

It appears from these two aspects that the rumored document would originate from the offices of the CDW, and chiefly by the hand of Archbishop Viola.

Disagreement over existence of document

But sources disagree on the existence of the document. Rorate was the first to report that it existed and has maintained that position, with The Remnant following suit in supporting the argument some days later.

“I have been informed by reliable sources that a new Vatican document more restrictive than Traditionis Custodes does indeed exist, is backed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and has been presented to Pope Francis,” wrote Diane Montagna for The Remmant.

Well-placed Vatican sources close to Pope Francis questioned by this correspondent could not attest to the existence of the document. They highlighted the confusion emanating from the Vatican about the current state of affairs regarding the future of the traditional Mass, though none of the sources consulted denied that such a document might exist.

Nor has The Pillar been able to confirm existence of the rumored document, despite its record of having talkative and apparently well-placed sources throughout the Vatican and especially in the Secretariat of State – the office led by Cardinal Parolin, who is reportedly a key advocate of measures to restrict the traditional Mass.

Cardinal Arthur Roche – prefect of the CDW – and Parolin have not replied to email questions by this correspondent about the rumored document. Roche has, in the meantime, blocked this correspondent on a social media platform.

A source previously informed LifeSiteNews’ John-Henry Westen that the rumored document was likely to be published on July 16, the third anniversary of Traditionis Custodes, the 2021 motu proprio through which Francis ushered in sweeping restrictions on the traditional Mass. The date swiftly became the international focus of much hype, both in the media and for Catholics outside of the media bubble.

The reports – by Rorate and The Remnant – which attested to the existence of the document did not give any details about such a date. Nothing was issued by the Vatican on July 16, with the month officially being a quieter holiday period for Pope Francis.

Vatican officials deny involvement

While Rorate’s original reports had been sparse in providing details of any fresh restrictions, The Remnant’s report provided names of its alleged proponents and details of its alleged contents.

As noted above, papal nuncio Migliore – who is noted for his stance opposing the traditional Mass in France – was listed as a key supporter, along with the prefect of the Dicastery for Eastern Churches Cardinal Gugerotti and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Parolin.

After 21 years as a nuncio, Gugerotti returned to the Dicastery for Eastern Church in 2022 as its prefect, having served as an official in the Dicastery for 16 years prior to his diplomatic service. He was raised to the cardinalate last September.

Cardinal Parolin (center) with Abp Gugerotti (R) in 2015. Credit: Paval Hadsinzki/Flickr

Following The Remnant’s June 25 report, this correspondent contacted both Migliore and Gugerotti on July 19 asking if they would comment on the report and if they were giving “support or assistance or encouragement to an attempt by Archbishop Vittoria Viola, who is preparing a new document on the ‘Latin Mass.’”

Migliore swiftly replied by saying:

Short question, short answer: these are conjectures, to say the least, fanciful.

Gugerotti’s private secretary replied August 6 with a less direct statement, which nevertheless appeared to distance the cardinal from the rumored document. The reply read:

Thank you for your kind request, of which His Eminence Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches, has taken careful note. In this regard, I would like to inform you that no information appears on the subject to which you refer.

Parolin has yet to reply to the same question posed to Migliore and Gugerotti.

Denials and confusion

In early 2023, similar rumors abounded that Cardinal de Aviz was set to issue issue a document which would usher in hefty restrictions on the former Ecclesia Dei communities. This correspondent managed to meet with de Aviz on April 5 last year, and the cardinal firmly denied that his dicastery was going to issue any such document and that he was not aware of any such document.

The rumored text never emerged, though the strong body of evidence from multiple sources speaking to multiple news outlets and journalists indicated that the document did indeed exist, despite Cdl. de Aviz’s denial. This correspondent’s own Vatican sources also attested to the fact that the document did exist, with the sources adding that the only question was whether it might be published or not.

With the official denials of Migliore and Gugerotti about their involvement in the rumored 2024 document, in the face of reports which named them as specifically involved, the confusion over the entire case appears to grow.

The Remnant places faith in its sources which name the pair amongst the three key supporters of Archbishop Viola; should a document soon emerge and Migliore and Gugerotti be found to have been supporting it, then they would have lied on record to a journalist.

In the meantime, Argentine Catholic blog Caminante Wanderer (CW) published a July 22 report (translated and republished by Rorate) which attested that Francis had actually received a copy of the rumored document but had not signed it. CW suggested that this was partly due to Francis not being as devoted to attacking the Latin Mass as Abp. Viola is – as highlighted already – but partly due to the outpouring of petitions and vocal calls defending the Mass made in recent weeks.

However, in an apparent discrepancy with official details, CW stated that Cardinal Roche had fallen out of favor with Francis – an aspect which sources for multiple outlets do confirm – and that he had not been received in papal audience since February 2022.

Official records of the Pope’s audiences show that Roche was received by Francis in June 2022 with the leadership of the CDW. Roche was then received again in January 2023, in February 2023, and (with the CDW leadership) in September 2023.

Either the Holy See’s records are not accurate or the sources for that aspect of CW’s report were not informed correctly.

Whatever the case, it serves to highlight the immense confusion and lack of clarity surrounding the entire affair, with numerous Catholics concerned over the future of the traditional Mass. With denials, contradictory evidence and rumors circulating, the truth of the affair appears elusive in many respects.

Parents and Teachers Allowed to Join Proposed Class Action Against “Parental Exclusion Policies”

 Federal Judge Roger T. Benitez Permits Thomas More Society to Proceed with Proposed Class Action

San Diego – On August 8, 2024, U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez allowed Thomas More Society attorneys to join parents and additional teachers and proceed to file the proposed class action complaint in Mirabelli v. Olson. The federal court order also permits the addition of California Attorney General Rob Bonta as a defendant in the proposed class action lawsuit challenging “Parental Exclusion Policies.”

 

On June 7, 2024, Thomas More Society asked the federal court to permit additional teachers, parents, and a school district, to be part of a proposed class action lawsuit, as representatives seeking class-wide relief. While the August 8 order from Judge Benitez denied the addition of a school district-plaintiff, Lakeside Union School District, it does allow the case to proceed forward with added parents and teachers, along with their associated classes and claims.

 

Paul Jonna, Thomas More Society Special Counsel and Partner at LiMandri & Jonna LLP, reacted:

 

“We are incredibly pleased that Judge Benitez has granted our motion for leave to amend our complaint in Mirabelli v. Olson, permitting us to proceed forward with filing a statewide class action lawsuit that includes both teachers and parents. We intend to file a motion for class certification in short order, which will seek to expand our case to secure class-wide protection for not only the teachers forced to keep parents in the dark through unconstitutional Parental Exclusion Policies, but for all parents who seek this critical information about their school-aged children.”

“Moreover, we look forward to prosecuting this case against California Attorney General Rob Bonta, whose addition to the suit has now been permitted with this order. Despite the clarity in the law brought by the federal preliminary injunction we won before Judge Benitez in Mirabelli v. Olson, in September 2023, Attorney General Bonta has ignored it, and state officials have pursued legal action in open defiance of the court’s order. In doing so, Attorney General Bonta is at the tip of the spear of the institutional push to unconstitutionally violate the rights of parents and teachers. Our clients hope to put this issue to rest once and for all—by obtaining class-wide relief on behalf of all teachers and parents.”

Read the Order Granting-In-Part and Denying-In-Part Plaintiffs’ Motion to Amend in Mirabelli, et al. v. Olson, et al., filed by U.S. District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez, on August 8, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, here.

 

About Thomas More Society

Thomas More Society is a national not-for-profit law firm dedicated to restoring respect in law for life, family, and freedom. Headquartered in Chicago and with offices across the country, Thomas More Society fosters support for these causes by providing high quality pro bono legal services from local trial courts all the way up to the United States Supreme Court. For more information, please visit thomasmoresociety.org.

ANALYSIS: Harris on Crime and Abortion

 

ON CRIME: “Harris faces a serious problem,” writes CatholicVote’s Anthony Iafrate: “no matter which way she turns, she finds people blasting her crime policies one way or another.” Is Harris really the tough-on-crime prosecutor many of her campaign ads claim she is? Is she the soft-on-crime candidate who solicited donations to bail out violent rioters in 2020? Or is she the authoritarian “cop” who wrongfully imprisoned black men in California?  READ ON ABORTION, HER ‘TOP PRIORITY’ “The Democratic Party under Harris is as radically pro-abortion as it can possibly be,” warns Ryan T. Anderson. “Short of coming out for killing toddlers, there simply is no way to be more extreme than Kamala Harris and her party now are.”  READ

This week on Faith On Trial: State forces therapists to affirm gender identity; tuition assistance options for Catholic student parents.

Podcast now up at: https://faith-on-trial.simplecast.com/

Why Scripture Can't Be Canceled

Catholicvote, others respond to new Harris-Walz ticket

A chorus of critics are voicing concerns over Walz’s gubernatorial record and the newly minted Harris-Walz ticket’s agenda. “Harris-Walz is the most anti-Catholic ticket ever,” stated CatholicVote President Brian Burch. “Gov. Walz’s COVID lockdowns, mandates, and ‘stay-at-home orders’ were some of the harshest in the nation – and they targeted the Church in particular.” READ

This week on Faith On Trial: Project 2025, Olympic blasphemy

 Podcast up now: https://faith-on-trial.simplecast.com/episodes/hans-von-spakovsky-erika-ahern-08-03-2024

Florida pro-life leader sues Google

A Catholic pro-life leader in Florida is suing Google for de-platforming her after the tech giant suspended her email account. Trudy Perez-Poveda sent an email on September 23, 2023 to members of Family for Life, her pro-life group which peacefully prays, counsels, and holds Mass and Eucharistic processions outside abortion facilities in Jacksonville, Florida. She had used the account for over 11 years.  READ

CatholicVote confronts Biden-Harris DOJ on church attacks

In a letter to Biden-Harris Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke, CatholicVote President Brian Burch wrote that the administration “has repeatedly met and coordinated with the abortion industry, but has refused to meet with representatives of the millions of pro-life Americans and concerned Catholic citizens who are being threatened and intimidated across the country.” READ

Biden-Harris admin okayed ‘trans’ drug despite knowing risks

According to an internal email, the Biden-Harris administration’s Food and Drug Administration (FDA) greenlit hormonal drugs for children despite acknowledging that it could lead to an increased suicide rate among minors. “We did find increased risk of depression and suicidality, as well as increased seizure risk … there is definitely a need for these drugs to be approved for gender transition.” READ