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On June 17, 2021, the United States Supreme Court ruled unanimously (9-0) that the City of Philadelphia’s refusal to contract with a church-affiliated group for the provision of foster care services—unless it agreed to certify same-sex couples as foster parents—violates religious free exercise protected by the US Constitution’s First Amendment.
The Catholic Church has served the needy children of Philadelphia for over two centuries. In 1798, a priest in the city organized an association to care for orphans whose parents had died in a yellow fever epidemic. During the 19th century, nuns ran asylums for orphaned and destitute youth. Later, the Church established the Children’s Bureau to place children in foster homes. Catholic Social Services (CSS) continues that mission today.
The Philadelphia foster ...
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