U.S. Supreme Court Rules 9-0 in Favor of Catholic Charities

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday in a unanimous decision that the City of Philadelphia's refusal to contract with Catholic Charities for the provision of foster care services unless they agreed to certify same-sex couples violates the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. While the decision was narrowly drawn and may leave the door open for charity groups to be denied such contracts in the future, it is seen as a victory for religious liberty for the moment.  

Chief Justice John Roberts issued the opinion of the court, and all the other justices of the court concurred in the judgment, although Justices Alito, Thomas, and Gorsuch issued an opinion saying the majority opinion did not go far enough to protect the First Amendment rights of the organization and warning that they may end up back in court in the future seeking similar relief. Archbishop Perez of Philadelphia issued this statement expressing gratitude for the opinion.