Law and Religion Headlines
Saturday, 30 May 2020
Ahead of Pentecost, Supreme Court backs California coronavirus limits on churches
(Catholic News Agency)
UN and US trade criticism over abortion during coronavirus
(Catholic News Agency)
Friday, 29 May 2020
Announcing the Religious Freedom Annual Review: Religion and Religious Freedom in the COVID-19 Era: Finding Community and Hope
(The International Center for Law and Religion Studies)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #72 - Russia: COVID-19 Causes Rumbles in Orthodox-State Relations
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
COMECE launches an online platform for live streaming masses
(COMECE: The Catholic Church in the European Union)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #73: Episcopal and Catholic Leaders Express Solidarity with Native American Communities Affected by COVID-19
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
APPG Statement on COVID-19 and prisoners of conscience
(UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief)
Bishop of Truro: FoRB, persecution and COVID-19
(UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for International Freedom of Religion or Belief)
Turkey reopens some mosques, prayers held in ex-cathedral
(Associated Press)
Asia Today: Indonesians return to mosques, at a distance
(Associated Press)
Communion unchanged in Greek Orthodox Church despite virus
(Elena Becatoros and Costas Kantouris, Associated Press)
For top U.S. virus experts, faith and science work together
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
COVID-19 and the Constitution: How the Bill of Rights is being tested by the coronavirus
(John Curran, Jake Gardener and Jeffery Ding, law.com)
Vietnam’s widely praised COVID-19 response harms religious minorities
(Kelsey Zorzi, Real Clear Religion)
Vatican official says anti-religious bias was evident during lockdown
(Crux: Taking the Catholic Pulse)
CDC quickly changed its guidance on limiting choirs at religious services
(Bill Chappell, National Public Radio)
Religious leaders speak out over Government's 'unlawful' closure of churches
(Gabriella Swerling, The Telegraph)
Illinois backs down, says churches can meet again
(Michael Foust, Christian Headlines)
Thursday, 28 May 2020
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #71: Basic Ecclesial Communities (CEBs) Respond to the COVID-19 Crisis
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
AP Photos: Romanian port city marks Easter late due to virus
(Vadim Ghirda, Associated Press)
Covid-19: Vatican urges OSCE to promote religious freedom amid rising intolerance
(Devin Watkins, Vatican News)
As churches reopen, Supreme Court faces balancing act between physical and spiritual health
(Richard Wolf, USA Today)
UN experts urge US states to honor reproductive rights amid COVID-19 pandemic
(Alanah Lockwood, Jurist: Legal News & Research)
The COMECE Social Affairs Commission releases statement on proposed EU recovery plan
(COMECE: The Catholic Church in the European Union)
Let Europe recover through justice: Reaction of the COMECE Social Affairs Commission to the proposed recovery plan
(Position Paper, COMECE: The Catholic Church in the European Union)
Justice Departments sends letter to California governor calling for equal treatment of religious gatherings
(The United States Department of Justice)
Broad opposition to religious exemptions during stay-at-home orders
(PRRI)
Indigenous leader calls for help in Brazil’s biggest reserve
(Yesica Fisch and Mauricio Savarese, Associated Press)
LA allows shopping, worship sooner than expected in pandemic
(Brian Melley, Associated Press)
Ill. churches ask Supreme Court to stop state’s lockdown order limiting worship attendees
(Michael Gryboski, The Christian Post)
What religion can offer in response to COVID-19
(Katherine Marshall, World Politics Review)
Church reopening debate revolves around religious freedom, public safety
(Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service)
Catholic gift shops near Vatican struggle to reopen after coronavirus lockdown
(Courtney Mares, Catholic News Agency)
US senators concerned over potential COVID-19 outbreak at Guantanamo Bay
(Erin Napoleon, Jurist: Legal News & Research)
County reopens in-person religious services under attendance limitations
(Hector Hernandez Jr., Highland Community News)
Freeing workers: Labor and plague in the Islamic World
(Shireen Hamza, The Revealer: A Review of Religion and the Media)
Before reopening, houses of worship should consider what their faith holds most dear
(Simran Jeet Singh, Religion News Service)
The fight over reopening churches reaches the Supreme Court
(Ian Millhiser, Vox)
Turkey readies for 'new normal' after declaring success against coronavirus
(Ayla Jean Yackley, Al-Monitor: Turkey Pulse)
Egypt registers highest number of coronavirus cases in single day
(Al-Monitor: Egypt Pulse)
AUCCRO initiates another meeting with the prime minister since the adaptive quarantine fails to meet the believers' needs
(Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU))
Freedom House calls for vigilance to dombat abuses during coronavirus pandemic
(Freedom House)
Family of 12 challenges Virginia restrictions on worship services of over ten persons
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Virginia family sues governor over ban on religious gatherings
(Calvin Freiburger, LifeSiteNews)
COVID-19 in Chile: will all religious gatherings be banned?
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
The First Amendment and religious freedom compel me to refute Trump’s position on churches reopening
(Wendell Griffen, Baptist News Global)
Medical groups ask FDA to ease access to abortion pill during the pandemic
(Sarah McCammon, National Public Radio)
Kazakhstan: warned for violating coronavirus regulations, but fined for leading worship
(Felix Corley, Forum 18 News Service)
WEBINAR, 28 May 2020 (3 pm CEST, GMT +2): COVID-19, Religion and Belief: Webinar Series || EPISODE 8: Special Envoys' Perspectives
(Jan Figel', Michael Suhr, Tristan Azbej, Emanuela C. Del Re, Daria Wołosiuk)
COVID-19: latest guidance from the Church of England
(Frank Cranmer, Law & Religion UK)
Considerations for religious institutions in times of crisis
(Barry Black and John B. Madden, law.com)
Law firm representing churches calls Pritzker's new guidelines 'victory for people of faith'
(WAND)
Wednesday, 27 May 2020
As Covid-19 crisis grows, Latin America’s basic ecclesial communities step up to help
(Eduardo Campos Lima, America: The Jesuit Review)
How ancient Christians responded to pandemics
(Michael Flexsenhar III, OUPblog Religion)
Churches during relaxation of lockdown – I
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Evidence of environmental dispersion of COVID-19
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Research on transmission of COVID-19
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Reflections on Freedom of Religion or Belief during the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic
(Conference of European Churches)
The failure to pursue the mandates of international organizations in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic
(Dr Lorenzo Gasbarri, EJIL: Talk! Blog of the European Journal of International Law)
New CofE guidance: fabric and building maintenance
(David Pocklington, Law & Religion UK)
Church challenges Colorado's limitation on size of worship services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Church sues Colorado governor over public health order
(Janet Oravetz, 9News)
Churches challenge Oregon's COVID-19 limits
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Oregon governor sued over COVID-19 order that allows numerous gatherings, restricts churches
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
This is a news story: Shuttered churches fuel death of Catholic newspapers during pandemic
(Clemente Lisi, GetReligion)
Cuba uses the coronavirus crisis to continue to harass, imprison religious leaders | Opinion
(Teo Babun, Miami Herald)
At Manhattan mosque, an imam eases a pandemic’s grief
(Selin Thomas, Religion News Service)
Oman ending lockdown in capital
(Al-Monitor: Gulf Pulse)
Tuesday, 26 May 2020
RECORDED WEBINAR (5 May 2020): States' Positive Obligations under IHRL during the coronavirus outbreak
(Stuart Wallace, Conall Mallory, Aoife Nolan, Merris Amos, Amanda Cahill-Ripley, Laurens Lavrysen, Strasbourg Observers)
Is the lockdown of churches an aggression towards freedom of religion or belief?
(Cătălin Raiu, Diresome)
RECORDED WEBINAR (21 April 2020): Council of Europe: The Conscience of Europe in a Time of Crisis
(Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou, Stuart Wallace, Veronica Bilkova, Philip Leach, Rob Linham, Jörg Polakiewicz, Inete Ziemele)
RECORDED WEBINAR (from 7 April 2020): Human Rights in the Time of Coronavirus- Does England's Lockdown Violate Human Rights Law?
(Stuart Wallace, Ed Bates, Natasa Mavronicola, Başak Çalı, Alan Greene, Kanstantsin Dzehtsiarou)
Why we don't see church as 'essential'
(Brett McCracken, The Gospel Coalition)
Contact-tracing apps face serious adoption obstacles
(Sarah Kreps, Baobao Zhang, and Nina McMurry, Brookings)
U.S. policing after wave one of COVID-19
(Vanda Felbab-Brown, Lawfare)
WEBINAR RECORDING: Lessons from COVID-19: Building A Stronger Global Health System
(Foreign Policy)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #70: Reopening Debates: When Will Religious Doors Open and Who Decides?
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
The President cannot order the states to open houses of worship during covid-19
(Marci A. Hamilton, Verdict)
California lays out pandemic rules for church reopenings
(Stefanie Dazio and, Associated Press)
California church appeals to U.S. Supreme Court as governor announces new guidelines for opening houses of worship
(Don Byrd, Baptist Joint Committee for Religious Liberty)
New Jersey pastor that defied state order to reopen says 'church is essential,' people 'want to be with their pastors'
(Matthew Impelli, Newsweek)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #69: Brazil’s Catholic Bishops Contest Government Policy on COVID-19
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
Plug-In: Faith vs. COVID-19 – Restrictions prompt clashes over churches reopening
(Bobby Ross Jr., GetReligion)
DAILY HIGHLIGHT #68: COVID-19 Dampens Eid Celebrations Worldwide
(COVID-19: Exploring Faith Dimensions, Berkley Center, Joint Learning Initiative, WFDD)
The European Court, Domestic Oversight of COVID-19 Emergency Measures, and Procedural Rationality
(Guest Post by Vassilis P Tzevelekos, ECHR Blog)
In photos: Malaysianscelebrate Eid Al Fitr in lockdown
(Alexandra Radu, Religion Unplugged)
Kashmir gun battle leaves hundreds homeless during Eid and COVID-19 pandemic
(Masrat Zahra, Religion Unplugged)
Implications of COVID-19 on ethno-religious tensions in Sri Lanka
(Thamesha Tennakoon, Berkley Forum, Georgetown University)
New York Times asks what 'hardcore' New Yorkers miss during pandemic (hint: no steeples)
(Terry Mattingly, GetReligion)
EVENT RECORDING (from May 21): The COVID-19 Crisis: Faith Engagement Between Peace and Conflict in Asia
(Katherine Marshall - Religious Responses to COVID-19, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs, Georgetown University)
Class of COVID-19: 3 commencement addresses that highlighted faith
(Clemente Lisi, Religion Unplugged)
Be fearlessly authentic: “Open and honest discussion of core beliefs helps maintain a flourishing culture.”
(Kent Johnson, Religious Freedom & Business Foundation)
Church sues challenging Nevada's covid-19 limits on in-person services
(Howard Friedman, Religion Clause)
Nevada governor: People can gather in restaurants, stores, salons, but not in churches
(Alliance Defending Freedom)
US warns Nevada governor about in-person worship limits
(Elana Schor, Associated Press)
Serbia criticizes Montenegro for keeping border ban on Serbs
(Predrag Milic, Associated Press)
WEBINAR, 26 May 2020 ( 2pm EDT): Democracy’s defenders — American diplomacy in the age of COVID-19
(Norman Eisen, Jeff Gedmin, Alina Polyakova, Brookings)
Justice Department raises concerns over Nevada restrictions on religious services
(Melissa Quinn, CBS News)
Why governments should not be deeming in-person worship essential
(Mark Silk, RNS Column: Spiritual Politics)
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