The leadership of the Springfield Catholic Diocese has signed on to a new lawsuit challenging a new Illinois law, supposedly forbidding discrimination against women over their "reproductive health choices," which the church leaders say would actually trample the First Amendment religious freedom rights of organizations which oppose abortion, along with other controversial "reproductive freedom" issues championed by Illinois' left-wing Democratic leaders.
On March 20, the Diocese of Springfield signed onto the lawsuit, along with a crisis pregnancy center in Rockford, seeking a court order forbidding the state from enforcing its new law against them and other religious organizations and employers.
The Springfield Diocese covers 28 central Illinois counties, including Madison and Sangamon counties, and includes more than 123,000 Roman Catholic adherents.
They are represented in the action by attorneys from the Alliance Defending Freedom, a constitutional law non-profit that typically advocates for socially conservative causes.
The lawsuit takes aim at the legislation known as HB4687. That legislation, passed in 2024, amended the Illinois Human Rights Act to specifically prohibit discrimination on the basis of "reproductive health decisions" for people seeking employment, housing, credit and public accommodations.
The legislation was quickly signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker, who has been consistently recognized as one of the most pro-abortion governors or public officials in the U.S.
The amended Human Rights Act took effect Jan. 1.
At the time the legislation took effect, Pritzker and Illinois Lieutenant Gov. Juliana Stratton and others trumpeted the new law, saying it was needed "at a time when reproductive rights are under attack across the nation."
Stratton added the new law was "not just protecting a right," but "championing a fundamental principle of personal autonomy and bodily integrity."
The Springfield Diocese and Pregnany Center of Rockford filed suit to challenge the law in Rockford federal court.
In their complaint, the plaintiffs said the changes to the Illinois Human Rights Act actually represent a state-led assault upon the fundamental constitutional rights of religious organizations who oppose abortion and other so-called "reproductive freedoms" promoted by Illinois' staunchly pro-abortion Democratic state government supermajority.
The lawsuit particularly asserts the law would empower the state to strip religious organizations of their constitutional right to determine who to employ, according to their religious beliefs and doctrines, while also compelling them to speak contrary to those beliefs and affirm "reproductive health" choices they believe are sinful and immoral.
"Plaintiffs do not—and will not—lie to their employees by saying that employees can make sinful reproductive decisions without facing adverse action and with the blessing of ministry benefits and accommodations," the Diocese and their co-plaintiffs said in the complaint.
“Illinois can’t force pro-life religious organizations to bend their knee to the state’s secular view of abortion,” said Alliance Defending Freedom Senior Counsel Mark Lippelmann in a statement announcing the lawsuit. “The Constitution protects the right of religious organizations to choose workers who will advance—rather than contradict—their religious beliefs. We urge the court to uphold these organizations’ fundamental right to serve their communities consistent with their faith.”
In that statement, Springfield Diocese Bishop Thomas John Paprocki added: “The Diocese of Springfield in Illinois proclaims, teaches, and encourages Catholics to live out all the teachings of the Church, including the dignity and value of human life.
"Our employees represent the Diocese and are expected to uphold our standards of conduct to ensure they align with the doctrine and moral teaching of the Catholic Church. However, under the state law, we cannot hire or retain employees based on our deeply held religious beliefs on pro-life teachings without being subject to disciplinary action. We must have the freedom to follow and express our convictions without government interference.”
The lawsuit seeks a court order declaring the new law, as applied to them and potentially other anti-abortion religious organizations, is unconstitutional and blocking the state from attempting to enforce the law against them.
The state has not yet responded to the lawsuit in court.