Church Militant

Church Militant is a non-profit media company and advocacy organization that supports reform within the Catholic Church. In 2021, it sought to lease the City of Baltimore’s event venue for a prayer rally in protest of the meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops which would be taking place nearby. After negotiating an agreement with Baltimore’s event manager, the city issued a veto over their leasing of the venue. The city’s veto was based on the content of the message that Church Militant wished to present at the rally, and feigned concern that the group would incite a riot. Church Militant sued in Maryland federal court and sought an injunction requiring Baltimore to allow the organization to hold their rally. The district court granted Church Militant’s injunction, allowing the protest to proceed. Following an expedited appeal, the Fourth Circuit upheld the district court’s decision. The case remains pending.