Prairie State Wire

Facing lawsuits from multiple churches and a deadline from the U.S. Supreme Court, Gov. J.B. Pritzker has agreed that churches and other houses of worship can reopen in Illinois.

Constitutional attorney Peter Breen commented on the governor’s reversal in a tweet May 28.

“After multiple rounds of @ThomasMoreSoc lawsuits, including in Lake County yesterday, @GovPritzker has reversed course and agreed to end his arbitrary mandates on Illinois churches. His plan previously wouldn’t have lifted these restrictions until “Phase 5,” months or possibly years away.”

Breen is vice president and senior counsel of the Thomas More Society, which filed a lawsuit against Pritzker on April 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois Western Division, on behalf of The Beloved Church and pastor Stephen Cassell.

According to a news release by the Thomas More Society, Cassell and his church, in Lena, Illinois, were threatened with arrest and prosecution by Stephenson County officials.

“The spiritual well-being of the people of Illinois is just as important as their temporal well-being during these dark times,” said Breen, Thomas More Society vice president and senior counsel. "Keeping liquor stores open but indefinitely shutting down churches and religious ministries violates our Constitution and our most basic liberties. If liquor stores are ‘essential,’ so are churches.”

On May 28, the U.S. Supreme Court gave Pritzker until Thursday night to respond to an appeal by two more churches In the state: Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church in the Albany Park neighborhood, and Logos Baptist Ministries in Niles. These churches argued that Pritzker’s restrictions on religious services were unconstitutional. These churches were represented by Liberty Counsel, a nonprofit organization.

The new guidelines say that houses of worship should limit attendance to one-quarter of the building’s official capacity, or cap attendance at 100 individuals.

"This guidance does not obligate or encourage places of worship to resume in-person activity," health officials said. "Indeed, it is strongly recommended that places of worship continue to facilitate remote services, particularly for those who are vulnerable to COVID-19 including older adults and those with co-morbidities."

Before the change in reopening rules for churches, Dr. Willie Wilson, a former candidate for Chicago mayor wrote to President Trump and Attorney General William Barr, complaining about Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, citations issued by the city and disorderly conduct charges filed against churches.  He also said that if places that sell alcohol are deemed essential, churches should be too.

“The problem with the mayor and also the governor is that they put themselves above the law,” said Wilson in an interview with WGN9. “And I understand this Sunday, they were supposed to give a ticket to the people who come to service. This is not China or the Soviet Union. This is America where we have rights.”

Radio personality Steve Cortes tweeted a statement from Breen in a May 28 tweet and said he would be discussing it from 5-7 p.m. Central time on AM560 The Answer.

“This is a total and complete victory for people of faith,” Breen said. “Illinois’ governor and his administration abused the COVID-19 pandemic to stomp on the religious liberty of the people of Illinois. Be issuing guidelines only and not the previously announced mandatory restrictions, he has handed a complete victory to the churches in Illinois.”