Law and Religion Headlines
Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Justice Neil Gorsuch suggested New York’s COVID restrictions hold back Orthodox Jewish women. The truth is far more complicated.
(Lorelei Laird, Jewish Telegraphic Agency: Opinion)
The Supreme Court was right to block Cuomo’s religious restrictions
(Michael W. McConnell and Max Raskin, The New York Times Opinion)
To this Supreme Court, religious freedom trumps public health — even amid COVID-19 plague
(Laurence H. Tribe and Michael C. Dorf, USA Today)
First Liberty Institute, Kentucky AG ask U.S. Supreme Court to allow in-person classes at faith-based K-12 schools
(First Liberty)
Christian school asks Supreme Court to reinstate District Court's injunction against Kentucky's COVID order
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
COVID-19: Communal worship from 2 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Geneva COVID-19 worship ban challenged
(ADF International)
Weekly highlight #134: Court battles and clergy roles in stopping the spread of COVID-19
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Monday, 30 November 2020
Vatican dicastery urges youngsters to share wisdom of elderly people facing Christmas alone
(Catholic News Agency)
Immaculate Conception: Pope Francis cancels traditional act of veneration due to pandemic
(Hannah Brockhaus, Catholic News Agency)
Archbishop Cordileone: New COVID church closures violate right to worship
(Catholic News Agency)
French Catholic bishops win appeal against 30-person Mass limit
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
Supreme Court Sides with Churches: 'Even in a Pandemic, the Constitution Cannot Be Put Away'
(Michael Foust, Christian Headlines)
Supreme Court Turns Down Petition From Pastor Facing Criminal Charges Over In-Person Gatherings
(Andrea Morris, CBN News)
Justice Alito refuses to enjoin Louisiana's COVID restrictions on churches
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Alito slaps down megachurch pastor’s lawsuit that claimed obeying God meant ignoring COVID-19 orders
(Aaron Keller, Law & Crime)
French Council of State says capacity limits on worship services are too strict
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
France must review COVID-19 crowd limits on church attendance
(Gilles Guillaume, Antony Paone, Reuters)
Federal judges uphold Kentucky governor’s virus school order
(Associated Press)
6th Circuit rejects preliminary injunction against Kentucky's closure of religious schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Court orders France to rethink 30-person limit on worship
(Associated Press)
Cuomo’s discriminatory lockdown orders stopped by midnight order from Supreme Court
(Becket: Press Release)
The Supreme Court emerges as a microcosm of America
(Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine)
Fireworks over religious liberty: The Supreme Court says Cuomo’s restrictions on worship violate the First Amendment.
(The Wall Street Journal - Opinion)
New Supreme Court majority halts enforcement of New York COVID-19 targeted restrictions on houses of worship pending appeal
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
Getting beyond politics on Brooklyn’s religious freedom fight
(John L. Allen Jr., Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Archbishop calls latest California church closures ‘blatant discrimination’
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
New COVID-19 legislation and guidance to 5 December
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Police block Canadian churchgoers from drive-in worship service: 'heartbreaking'
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
US Court ruling on religious services irrelevant, says NY governor, but decision shows future inclination
(Peter Kenny, Ecumenical News)
F grades spike by 83% due to school closures in response to COVID-19
(Anugrah Kumar, The Christian Post)
Does the UK's lockdown breach the right to freedom of religion?
(Dominic Ruck Keene, UK Human Rights Blog)
Tequila bar in Nottingham attempts to reclassify business as a religion in hopes of remaining open during the pandemic
(Michael Bartiromo, Fox News)
COVID-19 lockdowns, changes to Algeria's Constitution threaten churches, communal worship
(Kyle Huckins, The Christian Post)
Friday, 27 November 2020
Justices lift New York’s COVID-related attendance limits on worship services
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
High court blocks NY coronavirus limits on houses of worship
(Jessica Gresko, Religion News Service)
High court blocks NY virus limits on houses of worship
(Jessica Gresko, Associated Press)
Supreme Court overturns NY church restrictions, Brooklyn bishop says religion 'essential' during pandemic
(Catholic News Agency)
Supreme Court enjoins, pending appeal, New York's COVID-19 capacity limits on houses of worship
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Splitting 5 to 4, Supreme Court backs religious challenge to Cuomo’s virus shutdown order
(Adam Liptak, The New York Times)
Why the striking down of Cuomo’s rules on synagogue services signals a new era on the Supreme Court
(Marc Karlinsky, Forward)
Faith leaders react to Supreme Court ruling upholding religious freedom
(David Rosenfeld, The Press-Enterprise)
French bishops launch second legal appeal to reinstate public Masses for all
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
Vatican diplomat: Lockdowns revealed ‘glaring contradiction’ in attitudes towards migrants
(Catholic News Agency)
Pandemic conditions have increased Christian persecution
(Matt Hadro, Catholic News Agency)
Kentucky governor enjoined from enforcing closure of religious schools
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judge rules Kentucky’s religious schools can have in-person classes
(WKYT News)
England’s bishops ‘delighted’ over resumption of public worship on Dec. 2
(Charles Collins, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Church seeks Supreme Court relief against California COVID-19 restrictions
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Kentucky AG sues its governor over religious school closures
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Cabinet Office statement on “Christmas bubbles”
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Quebec to allow gatherings during Christmas, but not Hanukkah, frustrating province’s Jews
(Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Weekly highlight #133: Religious coping, Holidays hampered, and rituals shifting in the continued fight against COVID-19
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Together in tribulation: British Muslims and the COVID-19 pandemic
(The Muslim Council of Britain)
Keeping the Faith: Partnerships between faith groups and local authorities during and beyond the pandemic (PDF)
(The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Faith and Society)
Monday, 23 November 2020
New York says render unto Cuomo: Opinion
(The Wall Street Journal: Opinion)
As hurricanes belt Honduras, Christian aid group fights not just water but corruption
(Alejandra Molina, Religion News Service)
Stay home, evangelical medical organization tells churches as COVID spreads
(Bob Smietana, Religion News Service)
More practicing Christians disengaging from church during pandemic: survey
(Jackson Elliott, The Christian Post)
Virus deaths of senior Serb religious leaders triggers alarm
(Dusan Stojanovic and Elena Becatoros, Associated Press)
Catholic Church in Mexico cancels Guadalupe pilgrimage over pandemic
(Associated Press)
Palestinians may limit Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem
(Associated Press)
Religion is not a hobby. Governments should treat it accordingly
(Deseret News)
New York tells justices not to intervene in conflict over attendance limits at worship services
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
Welsh Government: updated guidance on COVID-19
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
New legislation and guidance to 28 November
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
UK Government’s COVID-19 winter plan for England
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
UK shuls will be allowed to reopen under new Covid restrictions
(Jewish News)
Latest NSW amendments to gathering rules for churches, weddings and funerals
(Neil Foster, Law and Religion Australia)
Clerics have a role in Kenya's Covid-19 war
(Eliud Wabukala, The Star)
On virus-stricken Native reservations, church shares food and light
(Erik Tryggestad, Religion Unplugged)
Friday, 20 November 2020
Tennessee lawmakers take aim at COVID-19 vaccination with bill to allow religious and conscience exemption
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
COVID-19: Northern Ireland Executive agrees two-week “circuit breaker” lockdown
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
No pandemic pause in persecution, says Poland Ministerial
(Jayson Casper, Christianity Today)
Oregon COVID-19 limits on parochial schools upheld
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Judge denies preliminary challenge to governor's coronavirus orders: 3 Christian schools challenged order
(Maxine Bernstein, The Oregonian)
Pope Francis tells Latin American leaders to resist corruption during the pandemic
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
NYC Catholic schools in session while pandemic closes public schools
(Christine Rousselle, Catholic News Agency)
Christian leaders challenge mandatory church closures during England’s second lockdown
(Catholic News Agency)
Treat churches like businesses during lockdowns, Americans say
(Kate Scanlon, Catholic News Agency)
Kenyan churches reopen without kids, causing fear of gap in education
(Diana Mwango, Religion Unplugged)
Wednesday, 18 November 2020
German, Swiss churches prepare for religious Christmas at home
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Russian government faces need to help church deal with pandemic crisis
(Religiia i Pravo, Russia Religion News (Stetson University))
New York synagogues ask justices to lift attendance limits (updated)
(Amy Howe, SCOTUSblog)
New COVID-19 legislation and guidance to 21 November
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Contagion: Government and religion during the COVID-19 pandemic
(Barry W. Bussey, Canadian Centre for Christian Charities)
The ethics of Moderna's coronavirus vaccine
(Catholic News Agency)
Abuse, racism and COVID-19: Advisory councils make recommendations to bishops
(Mary Farrow, Catholic News Agency)
Weekly highlight #131: Mixed news on religious fronts: focus on Latin America, refugees
(Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Rome’s traditionalists join protests over coronavirus restrictions
(Elise Ann Allen, Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
Pastor John MacArthur and California church closings: Why isn't this a national story?
(Julia Duin, GetReligion)
Monday, 16 November 2020
French Catholics protest for end to lockdown on Mass
(Associated Press)
Maharashtra govt announces reopening of religious places from Monday
(Times Now News)
Bishop calls on UK government to protect prisoners during COVID second wave
(Zenit: The World Seen from Rome)
Communal worship ‘criminalised’ under lockdown, church leaders in England say
(Harriet Sherwood, The Guardian)
Sunday, 15 November 2020
WEBINAR, 15 November 2020 (2:00 pm AEDT): Abraham Conference 2020, Interfaith on the Frontlines
(Abraham Conference)
Friday, 13 November 2020
Stressed by COVID, online seekers discover Buddhism’s calming practice
(Caitlin Yoshiko Kandil, Religion News Service)
Suit challenging Louisiana COVID-19 limits on churches fails
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Rev. Tony Spell loses again in fight against Gov. John Bel Edwards' crowd-size limits
(David J. Mitchell, The Advocate)
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