Very different cases. The Georgia case involves entities that are actually elements of the Catholic Church. While not centers of actual worship schools, hospitals, and charities carry out the Church’s Mission and are supervised by diocesan personnel and overseen by the bishop. This decision is actually a no brainer. Hobby Lobby’s case is seeking the right of private citizens to be secure from state compulsion to perform activities contrary to their religious belief. That’s a dicier situation. SCOTUS will be very careful in its decision as the consequences could be far reaching whichever way it rules. If Hobby Lobby wins could a Muslim or Muslim owned business refuse to pay a portion of its taxes that would be used to fund the GWOT on the grounds that the Koran condemns Muslim on Muslim violence? Could banks be forced to grant muslims interest free mortgages on the grounds that interest and usury violate Koranic teaching? I’m sure the lefty morons Kagan and Sotomayor have no need to consider thede ideas beause they simply parrott Barky’s speeches, but I actually think Scalia will raise these questions in the internal discussions, simply becase he’s an honest jurist who looks at the complete issue before the Court.
In our law, bishops and priests have no higher standing than ordinary citizens. To grant them such would be an establishment of religion. The fact that “elements of the Catholic Church” are involved means nothing.