When followers of the Afro-Caribbean religion Santeria announced plans to open a church in suburban Hialeah, local officials responded by banning their ritual sacrifices of chickens, ducks, goats and sheep.
On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1987 ban, saying the Constitution's guarantee of religious freedom protects the right to sacrifice animals, no matter how offensive that might be to others.The 9-0 ruling was the court's third decision this week favoring religion in disputes with government. Undiminished by the rulings, however, is a 1990 decision that mainstream religions say undermined their liberty.
The animal-sacrifice ruling overjoyed the Hialeah church's priest, but an animal-rights activist called it "an obscene, bizarre and disastrous mistake."
The case was taken to the high court by the Church of the Lukumi Babalu Aye (pronounced loo'-kuh-mee bah-bah-loo' eye-ay'), and its priest, Ernesto Pichardo. Animal sacrifices have long been an integral part of Santeria birth, marriage and death rites and the initiation of new priests. Most of the animals are eaten.
Writing for the court, Justice Anthony M. Kennedy said Hialeah improperly aimed the ban at Santeria believers. Other cities, including Chicago and Los Angeles, have passed similar laws.
"Although the practice of animal sacrifice may seem abhorrent to some, religious beliefs need not be acceptable, logical, consistent or comprehensible to others in order to merit First Amendment protection," Kennedy wrote.
Up to 60,000 people in south Florida practice Santeria, which was carried to Cuba by slaves in past centuries but banned by early slave traders and Christian missionaries.
"We are amazed by the decision. As an immigrant, as a Cuban, I feel a great honor," Pichardo said. "This is why we came to the United States, because we have freedom of speech and . . . religion."
Roger Caras, president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, called it "an obscene, bizarre and disastrous mistake" and compared it to the high court's pre-Civil War ruling that upheld slavery.
"This voodoo-like religion is not legitimate in the context of modern America," Caras said.
Mayor Julio Martinez said Hialeah would accept the decision reluctantly. He said its ordinance was based on health concerns.
"I don't think anyone likes to see animal carcasses in front of your house or in front of your car," Martinez said. "But the Supreme Court says that's what we have to put up with."
The church was represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, and legislative counsel Robert Peck in Washington said that as sweeping as the ruling appeared, it doesn't counter the court's recent willingness to allow some regulation of religion.
The decision specifically cited the wording of a 1990 decision allowing government to outlaw Indian religious use of the drug peyote, he noted.
"In this case, what they had was a classic example of a targeting a particular religion," Peck said. "It was only after Santeria announced their plan to establish a church in Hialeah that they passed the ordinance."
The U.S. Senate is considering a House-passed bill that would limit the 1990 peyote ruling, which said that people's religious beliefs don't excuse them from having to comply with "neutral and generally applicable" laws.
On Monday, the court held that religious groups must be allowed to use public schools in off hours if other community groups are given such access. The justices also let stand a ruling that allowed student-led prayers at public school graduations in three states.