The Supreme Court declined on May 26, 2026, to hear a case regarding the presentation of the Catholic Church's annual 'Peter's Pence' collection to its congregation. This decision allows the case to continue in a lower court, which raises concerns about potential government interference in religious practices.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) had requested the Supreme Court to dismiss a lawsuit challenging how the offering is described to parishioners, arguing that a ruling against the church would infringe on its First Amendment rights. The USCCB stated that such disputes should not be adjudicated by civil courts, as they pertain to church governance.
The Supreme Court did not provide a reason for its decision, which was included in a list of cases it chose not to hear. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the decision due to her previous involvement in the case at the district court level.
Both a federal district court and an appeals court allowed the lawsuit to proceed, which seeks refunds for individuals who claim they were misled into donating and requests changes in how the church discusses the offering. Various religious groups, including Protestants, Orthodox Christians, Jews, and Muslims, supported the USCCB's request for the Supreme Court to hear the case, warning that the lower court's rulings could threaten religious autonomy across different faiths.
The Supreme Court did not add any new cases to its docket for the next term, which begins in October, and only one of the ten cases it will hear involves First Amendment religious rights.