At Yankee Stadium in 1979, amid a gathering of 80,000 faithful, Pope Saint John Paul II shared a profound reminder. He declared, “The poor of the United States and of the world are your brothers and sisters in Christ.” He urged us not to settle for offering them the crumbs that fall from the table. What a powerful call to live out the Gospel with love and dignity for all.
The Holy Father’s message resounded as a clear and urgent call, reminding the Church in America to redouble its centuries-old service to those in need.
Nearly 50 years later, we find our mission to answer that sacred call under attack. Here in Wisconsin, state authorities have proclaimed that Catholic Charities’ vital work with the poor, the elderly, and the disabled does not qualify as religious. This view not only ignores the religious imperative of our faith-driven mission but also jeopardizes the Church’s ability to serve those in need across the nation. Now the U.S. Supreme Court can correct this grave misunderstanding and safeguard the freedom to live out our Gospel call to charity.
Last year, the Wisconsin Supreme Court delivered a deeply troubling decision, denying Catholic Charities in the Diocese of Superior a religious exemption from the state’s unemployment compensation program. The court astonishingly ruled that Catholic Charities’ ministry is not religious because it serves all people in need, regardless of their faith, and suggested that its work is no different from a secular charity. Even more concerning, the court implied that to be considered religious, Catholic Charities would need to focus on converting those it serves and restrict hiring to Catholics. This decision forces Catholic Charities to remain in the state’s less efficient and more expensive unemployment system, preventing it from joining the Wisconsin Catholic Church’s better unemployment plan. This secular second-guessing strikes at the heart of our mission and misconstrues the Gospel call to serve all God’s children.
The court’s decision reflects a deep misunderstanding of our Catholic faith. Our belief in the imago Dei calls us to recognize the face of Christ in those who suffer. For over two thousand years, this truth has driven the Church’s mission to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, and shelter the homeless, treating all with dignity and love, regardless of their faith or background. As the old saying goes, we don’t serve those in need because they are Catholic, we serve everyone because we are Catholic.
Equally troubling is the court’s implication that Catholic Charities must impose the Catholic faith on those they serve. Such a notion fundamentally misrepresents Catholic teaching and undermines the true spirit of charity. We care for those in need not to convert them, but because our faith commands us to love and serve all as an expression of grace. Pope Benedict XVI powerfully affirmed this in his encyclical Deus Caritas Est, stating, “Charity...cannot be used as a means of proselytism. Love is free; it is not practiced as a strategy to achieve other goals.” True charity flows from the heart of Christ and seeks only to share His love, expecting nothing in return.
The consequences of this ruling are already being felt in northern Wisconsin. Every dollar Catholic Charities is forced to divert into participating in the state program is a dollar taken directly from its ministries — dollars that would otherwise provide food to families in crisis, transportation for people with disabilities, and critical support to seniors trying to remain in their homes. In a rural diocese with limited resources, every wasted dollar has a human cost.
And the danger does not stop at Wisconsin’s borders. If the state prevails, it could jeopardize Catholic ministries across the country. Food pantries, shelters and elder care programs—all could be put to the same unjust choice: compromise your religious mission or suffer financially. The result wouldn’t just weaken the Church’s ability to serve, it would strip vital services from the people who rely on them most.
Next week, attorneys at the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty will ask the Supreme Court to ensure Catholic Charities’ faith-based mission is recognized. I pray the Court doesn’t forget the wisdom of Saint John Paul II, who reminded us decades ago that the Church doesn’t set out tiny, exclusive tables. No, ours is a feast where there’s always room to pull up a chair.
This article was originally published by RealClearReligion and made available via RealClearWire.
