A majority of the justices seemed likely to side with Catholic Charities, but they debated where to draw the line for religious exemptions.

Catholic Charities is fighting a ruling that its work isn’t “religious” without proselytizing as the Supreme Court is set to weigh faith and public service.

The U.S. Supreme Court, during arguments Monday, appeared to side with Catholic Charities in Wisconsin over whether religiously affiliated groups are entitled to an exemption from certain state taxes.

Catholic Charities Bureau v. Wisconsin Labor and Industry Review Commission centers on Wisconsin's unemployment tax.

In a case that could have wide-ranging effects, the justices suggested the Catholic Charities Bureau should not have to pay unemployment taxes.

Catholic Charities Bureau has been making unemployment-insurance tax payments to the state since 1972, when a state agency determined that its purposes were “charitable,” “educational” and “rehabilitative,” but not “religious,” according to court papers.

The Supreme Court justices appeared unpersuaded that religious organizations must ‘proselytize’ to be deemed religious by government authorities.

Santa Rosa-based Catholic Charities of Northwest California will lose $309,222 it had earmarked for classes that help prepare legal permanent residents for the naturalization test they must pass to become citizens.