Press Release

Windy City Wrangle: Chicago’s Catholic Church battles government overreach in court Archdiocese of Chicago asks federal appeals court to let it supervise its own church leaders

Media Contact

Ryan Colby 202-349-7219 media@becketlaw.org

WASHINGTON – The Archdiocese of Chicago will be in court this week for oral argument before the entire Seventh Circuit to defend its right to select and supervise its own ministers of the faithIn Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish, the former music director of St. Andrew parish is suing the Archdiocese of Chicago for requiring its liturgical leaders to follow the tenets of the Catholic faithAs the church music director, Sandor Demkovich played a central role in conveying the Catholic faith to the congregationWhen Mr. Demkovich entered into a same-sex marriage in violation of his employment agreement and 2,000-year-old Church teachings, the pastor had to let him go. A recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Morrissey-Berru reaffirmed that religious groups have the right to choose who teaches the faithOn February 9, the Archdiocese, represented by Becket, will argue before the entire court that religious organizations must be free to select, supervise, and communicate with their own ministers of the faith without government interference. The Archdiocese is also represented by its General Counsel, Jim Geolywho will be presenting oral argument, and Alex Marks at Burke, Warren, MacKay & Serritella, P.C. 

What:
Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals En Banc hearing in Demkovich v. St. Andrew the Apostle Parish 

When:
February 9, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. EST 

Where: 
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Watch the livestream: Court Of Appeals 7th Circuit – YouTube  

Who:
James C. GeolyGeneral Counsel, Archdiocese of Chicago
Daniel Blomberg, senior counsel at Becket 

A Becket attorney will be available for comment immediately following the argument 

For more information or to arrange an interview, contact Ryan Colby atmedia@becketlaw.orgor 202-349-7224.Interviews can be arranged in English, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.