Little Sisters of the Poor Appeal Court Ruling on Contraceptive Mandate

The Little Sisters of the Poor Challenge Court Decision on Contraceptive Coverage

In a significant legal battle, an order of Catholic nuns is contesting a court’s opposition to a Trump-era regulation that permits religious employers to opt-out of providing contraceptive coverage in employee health plans. Their legal representative describes the ongoing litigation as a “legal crusade” against them.

The Little Sisters of the Poor, an order dedicated to assisting the impoverished, are appealing a district court’s verdict that blocked the Trump administration’s rule. This decision aligns with the efforts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania to prevent religious exemptions from the contraceptive mandate under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, representing the nuns since their legal journey began in 2011, announced the appeal recently. This case, which has already seen two victories for the nuns in the U.S. Supreme Court, is set to be heard by the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, with oral arguments scheduled for early 2026.

Under the contraceptive mandate, employers providing health insurance must include contraceptive coverage at no cost to employees. The Little Sisters of the Poor argue that this mandate infringes on their deeply held religious beliefs regarding human sexuality.

Previously, the U.S. Supreme Court had intervened in 2016 to prevent a lower court from enforcing a ruling that would have required the Little Sisters of the Poor to allow contraceptive coverage through their healthcare plan. In 2020, the justices affirmed the validity of the Trump administration’s rule, sending the case back to lower courts.

In August, Judge Wendy Beetlestone, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, ruled against the rule, agreeing with the states that the rule could cause “financial injury” by increasing the number of women seeking state-funded contraceptive care. Beetlestone raised concerns that the rule allowed exemptions too broadly, warning it lacked restrictions on who could claim them.

Nonetheless, Beetlestone later issued a stay of her ruling, specifically for the Little Sisters of the Poor, allowing them to continue their operations without complying with the contraceptive mandate while the litigation proceeds.

Becket President Mark Rienzi, leading the legal team for the nuns, criticized the prolonged legal struggle, stating, “The fourteen-year legal crusade against the Little Sisters has been needless, grotesque, and un-American.” He urged the Third Circuit to dismiss the states’ lawsuit, emphasizing the Supreme Court’s previous support for the Little Sisters.

Mother Lorraine Marie Maguire expressed her frustration with the extended legal proceedings, emphasizing the order’s mission: “For nearly 200 years, our order has welcomed the elderly poor and dying into our homes as we would welcome Christ Himself. It is painful that we have spent more than a decade defending that mission in court.”