The Question Now Before the Supreme Court: Is Serving the Needy Religious or Not?

The Supreme Court hears arguments today in a case that could reshape how religious organizations operate. Wisconsin’s high court ruled Catholic Charities is not entitled to a religious tax exemption.

The question now before the U.S. Supreme Court: Is serving the needy religious? The Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled it’s not, but many Catholic leaders cite the Bible as evidence that it is.

WATCH LIVE: Supreme Court Oral Arguments on Religious Tax Exempt Status 

Archbishop Emeritus Jerome Listecki of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee said, “One of the two great commandments, love God above all things and love one another, you can’t do that if you’re not attuned to the needs and concerns of the people of your community.  …We’re not asking if they are Catholic, we’re not asking that they be Catholic, we’re asking, are they in need, and then it’s our responsibility.”

In 2023, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that the work of Catholic Charities is not “typical religious activity.” And the only way they could qualify for an exemption from paying the state unemployment tax was to hire only Catholics and try to convert those it served.

Alan Rock, the executive director of Catholic Charities, said, “In this particular case, Wisconsin Catholic Conference has their own trust to pay unemployment insurance, and it’s actually a better model than the state of Wisconsin.  The state has stated that we’re not religious enough because we serve all people that come to us in need and that we don’t proselytize, which is something we cannot do as part of our Catholic tradition.”

Catholic Charities Bureau is the social ministry arm within the Diocese of Superior that serves people in need in 16 counties in northern Wisconsin.

Rock said, “The Diocese of Superior is a very rural setting, we provide over 650 units of housing for low-income seniors, people with disabilities, and those suffering with mental health. We also operate 5 community rehab program, our mission is to improve the human condition.”

On CBN’s Faith Nation, Penny Nance with Concerned Women for America says they are watching this case closely.

“Well, this is very important as we protect our First Amendment rights to religious freedom. We can’t allow a state like Wisconsin to deny an organization like Catholic Charities which has been around since 1917 and cared for the poor throughout its history the exemption they deserve,” Nance said. “We see this happening all over the country when you have leftist judges trying to deny religious freedoms to churches and to organizations.”

Listecki says the court’s narrow definition of religion penalizes all faiths that care for those in need regardless of religious background. 

“It’s a sense of individuals basically fulfilling the mandate that Jesus has given them to love one another,” Listecki said.

The Supreme Court will now decide if Catholic Charities, like other ministries in Wisconsin, can receive a religious exemption from the state – or, as the Wisconsin court maintains—its ministry is not religious enough.

***Please sign up for CBN Newsletters and download the CBN News app to ensure you receive the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***