WASHINGTON – Catholic Social Services (Css), affiliated with the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will now be able to receive foster children who will not be entrusted to LGBT parents. This was decided by the US Supreme Court, which ruled that the city of Philadelphia violated the Constitution by limiting its relationship with the Catholic child fostering agency, given the latter’s refusal to certify homosexual couples as foster care.
The judges ruled unanimously. “Philadelphia’s refusal to outsource foster care to CSS unless it accepts same-sex couples as foster parents cannot survive rigorous scrutiny and violates the First Amendment,” Judge John Roberts wrote.
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Therefore, religious rights are placed before those of the LGBT community. The decision marks a victory for Catholic Social Services, which accused the city government of violating the Constitution’s First Amendment on freedom of speech and religion.
The agency said her religious beliefs prevent her from considering same-sex couples as foster parents. Philadelphia learned from a reporter in 2018 that CSS wouldn’t work with couples. The city said it requires the more than two dozen foster care agencies it works with not to implement discriminatory policies under contracts. And he asked the Catholic agency to change policy. The group refused and the city stopped referring children to the agency.
The Catholic social services have sued the city, the lower courts have sided with the city administration.
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