Last Updated Feb 24th, 2020 at 2:20 pm

The Supreme Court announced on Monday that it has agreed to hear a religious liberty case concerning foster care and same sex couples centered around the city of Philadelphia and a Catholic organization.

Catholic Social Services sued the city of Philadelphia after a Third Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in the city's favor, freezing all taxpayer funding to the agency because it refused to place children in the care of same-sex couples for religious reasons. The Catholic organization claims the city violated its First Amendment rights to freedom of religion and free speech.

The city of Philadelphia, which decided not to renew its contract with the Catholic foster care system, said that private groups partnering with the city to care for neglected children must abide by the city's anti-discrimination laws.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case during its next term beginning in October. The case has major implications for the constitution's definition of the separation of church and state in the U.S.