The following comes from a Dec. 23 story from the Cardinal Newman Society,

In the week before the HHS contraceptive mandate is scheduled to go into effect, conflicting decisions have descended from courts concerning Catholic colleges seeking relief from the Obama administration’s infringement on religious freedom, according to Catholic Culture.

In recent days, courts have ruled against The Catholic University of America, the University of Notre Dame, the Archdiocese of Washington and Priests for Life, while granting relief to Thomas Aquinas College in California, Cardinal Spellman High School and Monsignor Farrell High School in New York, and Legatus, an organization of Catholic business executives. There have been other mixed rulings on the HHS mandate, and many more are expected prior to January 1, when the mandate goes into effect.

The mixed messages from the courts make it increasingly likely that the U.S. Supreme Court will eventually hear a case on the constitutionality of the mandate being enforced on explicitly religious nonprofit institutions such as Catholic colleges and schools. The court has already agreed to hear challenges from Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties and will decide whether family-owned companies can exercise religion.

The archdiocese of Washington issued a statement on its website calling the ruling by the U.S. District Court for Washington D.C. “an astonishing decision that conflicts with the well-reasoned rulings of many other federal courts around the country.”

The archdiocese has already announced plans to immediately appeal the decision, as has Notre Dame….

To read original story, click here.