Supreme Court Hand Massive Victory to Nuns Fighting New York's Abortion Mandate

Catholic nuns and Christian ministries were granted a second opportunity by the Supreme Court to challenge New York’s abortion coverage requirement, a mandate that many argue forces religious groups to violate their deeply held beliefs.

Key Facts:

The Supreme Court vacated a New York court ruling that upheld a 2017 state abortion insurance mandate.
The case involves Catholic and Anglican nuns, dioceses, churches, and religious social ministries.
New York narrowed its original religious exemption under pressure from abortion activists.
Becket Fund appealed to the Supreme Court after lower courts rejected earlier religious freedom claims.
The Supreme Court’s action came shortly after it unanimously ruled in favor of a Catholic charity in a related Wisconsin case.

The Rest of The Story:

The Supreme Court on Monday ordered New York’s top court to take another look at a case where religious groups were required to fund abortion services through employee health plans.

The case, Diocese of Albany v. Harris, stems from a 2017 rule change by New York’s Department of Financial Services.

The rule initially allowed exemptions for religious employers but was later limited to only those who strictly teach religious doctrine and serve members of the same faith.

The plaintiffs, which include nuns, churches, and dioceses, argue that the narrowed exemption violates their religious beliefs.

Despite a prior Supreme Court order in 2021 to reconsider the case after the Fulton ruling, New York’s courts claimed the precedent didn’t apply.

But last week, a unanimous win for religious groups in Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin prompted the high court to step in again.

“The judgment is vacated, and the case is remanded… for further consideration,” the Supreme Court wrote.

Becket Fund’s Eric Baxter added, “New York wants to browbeat nuns into paying for abortions… bully tactics like these have no place in our nation.”

Commentary:

This ruling should have never needed a second trip to the Supreme Court.

The state of New York knew full well it was trampling religious freedom when it rewrote its health care rules to force nuns and churches to fund abortions.

The courts in New York had every opportunity to correct this after the Fulton decision, yet chose instead to ignore a clear constitutional principle.

This isn’t just about abortion.

It’s about forcing religious Americans to choose between obeying their faith or complying with a state that has grown hostile to traditional values.

The Constitution exists precisely to prevent this kind of abuse.

The Supreme Court didn’t issue a final verdict—yet—but by vacating the lower ruling and citing a recent unanimous decision, they sent a clear signal.

Religious institutions deserve equal protection under the law.

The nuns don’t deserve to be targeted for helping the poor or for hiring people outside their denomination.

New York’s exemption rule is so narrow it practically disqualifies any ministry that serves the broader community.

That’s not religious freedom—it’s a trap. It’s a test of loyalty to the secular state, not to God.

Let’s be honest: this mandate was never about health care.

It was about using the force of government to push abortion funding through every crack possible—even if it means violating the deeply held beliefs of nuns and pastors.

The New York Court of Appeals must now correct its mistake.

And it should do so swiftly.

The religious plaintiffs should also explore legal action to recover damages and legal fees for the years they’ve spent fighting a battle that should never have started.

The state’s aggressive stance against these ministries shows a level of hostility that should concern every person of faith—regardless of denomination or political party.