Matthew Connolly was convicted for violating an ambiguous ordinance in Michigan.
By Catholics for Catholics
A noted pro-life Catholic activist who was sentenced to jail for praying near an abortion site in Michigan is asking the Supreme Court to intervene in his case.
Matthew Connolly, 42, who used to belong to the Brothers of Peace but did not take his final vows, was convicted for violating an ambiguous ordinance in the city of Southfield that criminalizes conducts causing “annoyance” or “disquiet” in public spaces, according to attorneys with religious liberty firm Advocates for Faith & Freedom.
The Christian Post reported that according to a petition filed July 28, Connolly never went into the abortion clinic, he did not raise his voice or disturbed any activity. Law enforcement officials described him as “peaceful.”
Connolly was detained while kneeling in prayer in a public common area, attorneys said. After rejecting a probation condition that would bar him from engaging in pro-life speech within 500 feet of any abortion facility nationwide — which attorneys contended could possibly restrict access to medical care at hospitals offering abortions — Connolly was jailed and fined.
“This case is not just about Mr. Connolly,” said attorney Erin Mersino of Advocates for Faith & Freedom. “It is about whether the government can silence pro-life Americans and criminalize public prayer. If this unconstitutional gag order is allowed to stand, then no one’s speech is safe.”
The petition defies the ordinance’s biased standard, which attorneys argue discourages free expression and invites random enforcement. “We are asking the United States Supreme Court to do what the Constitution already demands — protect the right of Americans, especially those who advocate for the sanctity of life, to speak freely, assemble peacefully, and pray publicly,” Mersino added.
“If prayer can be prosecuted, preaching can be banned,” she said. “Silence now will only embolden government suppression of faith-based expression.”
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