City of Philadelphia to Pay $2 Million to Catholic Foster Care Agency in Settlement

Catholic News Agency ^ | 10/23/21 | Christine Rousselle

[marshmallow]

The city of Philadelphia will pay Catholic Social Services a $2 million settlement and reinstate their foster care contract after the Supreme Court unanimously found in June that the city had discriminated against the group due to their religious beliefs.

Most of the money will be used to pay Catholic Social Services’ [CSS] legal fees, and CSS will receive $56,000.

As part of the settlement, CSS will be exempt from Philadelphia’s nondiscrimination ordinance, and will receive a contract for $350,000 for foster care. Additionally, CSS will have to state on its website that, while it does not work with same-sex couples, it will refer them to an organization that will.

Ken Gavin, a spokesperson for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, said the archdiocese was “grateful that our ministries can continue serving those who count on us, especially foster children in need of a loving home.”

The Supreme Court ruled in Fulton v. City of Philadelphia that the city discriminated in ending its contract with Catholic Social Services. The suit was sent back to the appellate court, and the city did not pursue additional legal action. Their settlement agreement was approved by the U.S. District Court on Oct. 1.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, the city backed down due to fears of additional constitutional changes.

[Combat_Liberalism]

If the supreme court loses its conservative majority, these cases will fall the other way. Getting Bernie Sanders’ and Liz Warren’s fingers off the levers of power in 2022 is imperative.

57 GOP senators, God willing, will make it hard for President Brandon to nominate a radical, and will dilute the power of wobbly RINO’s.

[daniel1212]

"If the supreme court loses its conservative majority, these cases will fall the other way. Getting Bernie Sanders’ and Liz Warren’s fingers off the levers of power in 2022 is imperative."

Surprisingly, this was 9-0, thus incentivizing liberals to push more to expand the court. Maybe to 18.

The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of the foster moms and Catholic Social Services in their lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia. The court found that the city violated the group’s free exercise of religion when it stopped contracting with them in 2018; the group had refused to certify same-sex couples as foster parents because of their Catholic beliefs on marriage.

Chief Justice John Roberts wrote in the majority opinion that “CSS seeks only an accommodation that will allow it to continue serving the children of Philadelphia in a manner consistent with its religious beliefs; it does not seek to impose those beliefs on anyone else.” He added that the city’s demand the agency certify same-sex couples “cannot survive strict scrutiny, and violates the First Amendment.”