• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Catholic Review

Catholic Review

Inspiring the Archdiocese of Baltimore

Menu
  • Home
  • News
        • Local News
        • World News
        • Vatican News
        • Obituaries
        • Featured Video
        • En Español
        • Sports News
        • Official Clergy Assignments
        • Schools News
  • Commentary
        • Contributors
          • Question Corner
          • George Weigel
          • Elizabeth Scalia
          • Michael R. Heinlein
          • Effie Caldarola
          • Guest Commentary
        • CR Columnists
          • Archbishop William E. Lori
          • Rita Buettner
          • Christopher Gunty
          • George Matysek Jr.
          • Mark Viviano
          • Father Joseph Breighner
          • Father Collin Poston
          • Robyn Barberry
          • Hanael Bianchi
          • Amen Columns
  • Entertainment
        • Events
        • Movie & Television Reviews
        • Arts & Culture
        • Books
        • Recipes
  • About Us
        • Contact Us
        • Our History
        • Meet Our Staff
        • Photos to own
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • CR Media platforms
        • Electronic Edition
  • Advertising
  • Shop
        • Purchase Photos
        • Books/CDs/Prayer Cards
        • Magazine Subscriptions
        • Archdiocesan Directory
  • CR Radio
        • CR Radio
        • Protagonistas de Fe
  • News Tips
  • Subscribe
The Washington-area public transit system would not allow this religious message from the Archdiocese of Washington to be displayed in subway cars and on buses, so the archdiocese filed a lawsuit in 2017. On April 6, 2020, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a lower court's ruling that the transit system's ban on religious advertising did not violate the First Amendment. (CNS illustration/Archdiocese of Washington via Catholic Standard)

Supreme Court declines review of case involving Washington Archdiocese ad

April 9, 2020
By Mark Zimmermann
Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The Archdiocese of Washington expressed disappointment that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review a federal appeals court ruling that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority’s prohibition of religious advertising did not violate the First Amendment.

Reacting to the Supreme Court’s April 6 announcement in the case, the archdiocese said in a statement it would “continue to be a voice on the importance of religious freedom and expression and hope that other matters pending before the Supreme Court will underscore these important constitutional issues.”

The Supreme Court decision stemmed from a 2017 lawsuit filed by the archdiocese against the transit authority. The archdiocese claimed WMATA officials violated its First Amendment right to practice religion by not accepting an advertisement promoting its annual “Find the Perfect Gift” initiative during the Advent and Christmas seasons.

Transit authority officials rejected the ad, citing a 2015 policy that prohibited religious, political and advocacy advertisements in the transportation system that serves the U.S. capital region.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit upheld the transit authority’s ban of certain types of advertisements, leading the archdiocese to petition the Supreme Court seeking to review the case.

In denying the archdiocese’s petition, the Supreme Court noted that Associate Justice Brett Kavanaugh “took no part in the consideration or decision of this petition.” Kavanaugh had recused himself from taking part. He was a judge on the appeals court that heard the case and was nominated to the Supreme Court before the court ruled on the matter.

The Washington Post’s reporting on the issue noted that during oral arguments before the lower court, Kavanaugh had called WMATA’s ban of religious advertisements “pure discrimination.”

Associate Justice Neil Gorsuch issued a statement, joined by Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, in criticizing the court’s decision not to review the appeals court ruling. Gorsuch wrote: “Because the full court is unable to hear this case, it makes a poor candidate for our review. But for that complication, however, our intervention and a reversal would be warranted.”

Gorsuch’s statement noted, “At Christmastime a few years ago, the Catholic Church sought to place advertisements on the side of local buses in Washington, D.C. The proposed image was a simple one — a silhouette of three shepherds and sheep, along with the words ‘Find the Perfect Gift’ and a church website address.

“No one disputes,” he continued, “that if Macy’s had sought to place the same advertisement with its own website address, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) would have accepted the business gladly. Indeed, WMATA admits that it views Christmas as having ‘a secular half ‘ and ‘a religious half,’ and it has shown no hesitation in taking secular Christmas advertisements. Still, when it came to the church’s proposal, WMATA balked. That is viewpoint discrimination by a governmental entity and a violation of the First Amendment.”

The archdiocese’s statement noted, “While considerations of the full court’s ability to hear the case may have impacted the decision, it is heartening to hear two justices stating that the denial of the ‘Find the Perfect Gift’ advertisement ‘is viewpoint discrimination by a governmental entity and a violation of the First Amendment.’ As these justices stated, ‘The First Amendment requires governments to protect religious viewpoints, not single them out for silencing.'”

WMATA in a statement welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision against reviewing the appeals ruling.

Print Print

Primary Sidebar

Mark Zimmermann

Click here to view all posts from this author

For the latest news delivered twice a week via email or text message, sign up to receive our free enewsletter.

| MOST POPULAR |

  • Hunt Valley parishioner recalls her former student – a future pope

  • Father Robert Wojsław dies at 52

  • Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies

  • Loyola University Maryland graduate ordained Jesuit priest

  • Quo Vadis attracts biggest crowd ever, promotes camaraderie and faith

| Latest Local News |

Quo Vadis attracts biggest crowd ever, promotes camaraderie and faith

Lay associates journey with the Oblate Sisters of Providence

Father Robert Wojsław dies at 52

Scopes Monkey Trial ignited century-long debate on evolution and belief 

Deacon Gary Elliott Dumer Jr., active in men’s ministry, dies

| Latest World News |

NBC’s Tom Llamas says Catholic education deepened his faith, pushed him to always do his best

Tolton ambassadors renew goal to promote, pray for famed Black priest’s canonization

Three dead, Holy Family Gaza pastor injured after mid-morning Israeli attack

Proof of life for kidnapped Nigerian priest received by Alaska diocese where he served

Filled with hope, Christians know cries of the innocent will be heard, pope says

| Catholic Review Radio |

CatholicReview · Catholic Review Radio

Footer

Our Vision

Real Life. Real Faith. 

Catholic Review Media communicates the Gospel and its impact on people’s lives in the Archdiocese of Baltimore and beyond.

Our Mission

Catholic Review Media provides intergenerational communications that inform, teach, inspire and engage Catholics and all of good will in the mission of Christ through diverse forms of media.

Contact

Catholic Review
320 Cathedral Street
Baltimore, MD 21201
443-524-3150
mail@CatholicReview.org

 

Social Media

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Recent

  • Tolton ambassadors renew goal to promote, pray for famed Black priest’s canonization
  • Creation, human and divine
  • NBC’s Tom Llamas says Catholic education deepened his faith, pushed him to always do his best
  • Quo Vadis attracts biggest crowd ever, promotes camaraderie and faith
  • Three dead, Holy Family Gaza pastor injured after mid-morning Israeli attack
  • Proof of life for kidnapped Nigerian priest received by Alaska diocese where he served
  • Filled with hope, Christians know cries of the innocent will be heard, pope says
  • Pope calls for ceasefire, dialogue, peace after church hit in Gaza
  • School club gives students chance to benefit veterans, fosters Gospel value of serving others

Search

Membership

Catholic Media Assocation

Maryland-Delaware-DC Press Association

The Associated Church Press

© 2025 CATHOLIC REVIEW MEDIA, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED