Two Democratic-led states, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, continue efforts to require the Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic religious group, to include contraceptives in their healthcare plans. The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, representing the nuns, filed an appeal on July 7, 2026, asking a court to overturn a ruling that mandates compliance or faces millions in fines.
An Obama-appointed federal judge ruled in August 2025 that the Little Sisters must adhere to the states’ contraceptive coverage mandates. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initially required most employers to provide contraceptives under the Affordable Care Act in 2012 but did not include exceptions for certain religious groups like the Little Sisters.
Mark Rienzi, president of the Becket Fund and lead attorney for the Little Sisters, stated in a press release, “For fifteen years, government officials have stepped into the ring with the Little Sisters and gotten pummeled every time. You’d think Pennsylvania and New Jersey would know better by now—but some bureaucrats are just gluttons for punishment.” Rienzi expressed confidence that the court will again protect the nuns’ ministry.
Mother Loraine Marie Maguire of the Little Sisters emphasized the group’s nearly 200-year history of serving the elderly poor and dying, saying, “We cannot allow a government lawsuit to stop us from carrying out our mission. Pennsylvania and New Jersey can keep fighting if they want.”
The Becket Fund is named after Saint Thomas Becket, an archbishop who was assassinated after resisting royal interference in church affairs.
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