WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court on Friday extended a temporary order from Justice Sonia Sotomayor barring the Obama administration from enforcing the contraception coverage requirement of the Affordable Care Act against an order of Roman Catholic nuns.

The justices said their order should not be construed as an expression of their views on the merits of the case. Nevertheless, it was a setback for the White House, the Justice Department and federal health officials, who say women will benefit immensely from access to contraceptives at no cost.

Donald B. Verrilli Jr., the solicitor general, had specifically asked the Supreme Court not to grant the injunction it granted on Friday. In a brief filed with the court on Jan. 3, Mr. Verrilli said the nuns of the order, the Little Sisters of the Poor, “fail to satisfy the demanding standard for the extraordinary and rarely granted relief they seek: an original injunction from this court.”

Federal rules issued under the health law require most employers to provide insurance coverage for contraception. The nuns said the requirement was offensive to their religious beliefs.