After loosing its request to have the Peter’s Pence case dismissed by the DC Court of Appeals in April 2025, the USCCB filed a request to have the case reheard en banc.
The term “en banc” is a French phrase meaning “on the bench.” In the United States court system, it describes a session where all judges of an appellate court hear a case together, rather than by a small panel. This procedure is a rare but important feature of the federal appellate system, reserved for cases that are unusually complex or of significant public interest. An en banc hearing allows for a collective judicial judgment on matters with a broad legal impact.
Today, the DC Court of Appeals denied the USCCB’s en banc request. The only option remaining to have the case potentially dismissed would be for the USCCB to appeal the case to the U.S. Supreme Court. It is highly highly unlikely that the Supreme Court would choose to hear this case.
