California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office has issued revised guidelines for indoor church services after the Supreme Court lifted the state's ban on indoor worship during the COVID-19 pandemic, but left in place restrictions on singing and chanting.
20A137 HARVEST ROCK CHURCH, ET AL. V. NEWSOM, GOV. OF CA
The application for injunctive relief presented to Justice Kagan and by her referred to the Court is granted in part. Respondent is enjoined from enforcing the Blueprint’s Tier 1 prohibition on indoor worship services against the applicants pending disposition of the appeal in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari, if such writ is timely sought. The application is denied with respect to the percentage capacity limitations, and the respondent is not enjoined from imposing a 25% capacity limitation on indoor worship services in Tier 1. The application is denied with respect to the prohibition on singing and chanting during indoor services. This order is without prejudice to the applicants presenting new evidence to the District Court that the State is not applying the percentage capacity limitations or the prohibition on singing and chanting in a gener
Churches hold indoor services despite public health order [The San Diego Union-Tribune]
The nation’s highest court decided Friday that California’s pandemic prohibition on indoor worship violates the Constitution’s protection of the free exercise of religion.
The U.S. Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision granted an appeal by South Bay United Pentecostal Church in Chula Vista, which challenged the state’s restrictions on church services, including its ban on singing and chanting. The split decision still allows California to cap attendance at indoor worship services at 25 percent of a building’s capacity and to restrict indoor singing and chanting.
Pasadena-based Harvest Rock Church has announced plans to resume indoor worship services today after winning a legal victory from the U.S. Supreme Court, which granted a partial injunction against California's coronavirus-related prohibition against indoor worship services.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom's office has issued revised guidelines for indoor church services after the Supreme Court lifted the state's ban on indoor worship during the COVID-19 pandemic, but left in place restrictions on singing and chanting.