USCCB Files an Amicus Brief to the Supreme Court to Preserve Local Governments' Authority to Regulate Firearms

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to preserve local governments' authority to regulate firearms. Citing Bruen and Rahimi, the USCCB argues that modern gun laws only need to align with the principles of historical gun regulations, rather than being exact historical replicas.

The brief draws a direct parallel between constitutional interpretation and Catholic doctrinal development: both rely on the continuity of underlying principles rather than identical past applications.

Key Legal and Theological Principles

• Self-Defense: Recognized as a legitimate right, but one that is not absolute or unlimited.

• Public Safety & The Common Good: Government holds the inherent authority to pass laws that protect its citizens and maintain order.

• Local Autonomy (Federalism / Subsidiarity): Local communities need the flexibility to tailor firearm regulations to their specific conditions.

Conclusion

The USCCB rejects the argument that high ownership numbers automatically make a class of weapons immune to regulation. While taking no stance on the specific state law or county ordinance in question, the Conference urges the Court to safeguard the ability of local communities to regulate weapons capable of exceptional violence and threats to public peace.

Source: https://www.usccb.org/resources/26-0904_Viramontes%20v%20Cook%20County%20IL%20Grant,%20Jr.%20v%20Higgins.pdf