The Supreme Court on Monday seemed swayed by a Catholic charity group’s bid for tax relief in Wisconsin in a case that could drastically alter eligibility for religious tax exemptions.

A Wisconsin chapter of Catholic Charities, a social services arm of Catholic dioceses nationwide, challenged the top state court’s determination that it does not qualify for a religious tax exemption because it isn’t “operated primarily for religious purposes.”

Catholic Charities Bureau is controlled by the Diocese of Superior but claims it was denied an exemption from a state unemployment tax because it serves and employs non-Catholics, completes work that could be administered by non-religious groups and doesn’t attempt to proselytize, swaying those it serves to become Catholic.

Eric Rassbach, a lawyer for Catholic Charities, argued that no court would hold that clergy who preach on Saturday aren’t ministers because preaching on Sunday is more typical, nor would a court suggest that religious leaders who help the poor aren’t ministers because secular leaders help the poor, too.

“By that measure, Mother Teresa might not qualify,” Rassbach said, suggesting the Wisconsin........

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