The Marble Palace Blog: Before the Supreme Court's First Monday Comes the Sunday Red Mass
This upcoming Red Mass may be historic. For the first time, seven of the Supreme Court's nine justices are Catholics or have Catholic roots.
October 01, 2021 at 12:47 PM
4 minute read
Thank you for reading The Marble Palace Blog, which I hope will inform and surprise you about the Supreme Court of the United States. My name is Tony Mauro. I've covered the Supreme Court since 1979, and for American Lawyer Media since 2000. I semi-retired in 2019, but I am still fascinated by the high court. I'll welcome any tips or suggestions for topics to write about. You can reach me at tmauro@alm.com.
By law (28 U.S. Code § 2) the Supreme Court convenes its new term every year on the First Monday in October—this time, Oct. 4. But in some ways, the traditions of the high court begin Sunday, the day before.
That is when the 69th Red Mass will take place at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in downtown Washington. Its aim, according to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, is to mark the opening of the Supreme Court term and to "invoke God's blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice as well as on all public officials." It's called the Red Mass because of the red vestments worn by the dozens of clergy on hand.
The majestic cathedral and its soaring choir and organ music draw not only justices and judges but also law school deans, lawyers, diplomats, members of Congress, cabinet members and occasionally a president. Masks will be required, and the mass can be viewed on YouTube.
This upcoming Red Mass may be historic. For the first time, seven of the Supreme Court's nine justices are Catholics or have Catholic roots. They are Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett. (Gorsuch grew up as a Catholic, but later attended Protestant churches.) The other two justices—Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan—are Jewish. They have ecumenically attended the Red Mass from time to time.
By tradition, the number or names of justices attending are not made public ahead of time. But two justices—Roberts and Kavanaugh—have strong ties to the archdiocese and have been longtime attendees. (The news that Kavanaugh tested positive for COVID-19 on Thursday may complicate things.)
Roberts's wife, Jane, is parliamentarian for the John Carroll Society, the association of professionals in the Washington area that sponsor the Red Mass. It also gives awards for pro bono legal services in the area.
Kavanaugh was an altar boy at the Little Flower Church in Bethesda, Maryland, where Monsignor Peter Vaghi, a lawyer, is the pastor. Vaghi is also chaplain for the John Carroll Society and is an active participant in the Red Mass.
Cardinal Wilton Gregory of the Washington archdiocese will be the main celebrant. Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, will give the homily or sermon.
Years ago the sermons, delivered before something of a captive audience, were controversial because of their strident rendition of Catholic doctrine. The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg famously stayed away from the Red Mass after attending once.
In "Stars of David," a 2005 book by Abigail Pogrebin, Ginsburg said of the Red Mass, "I went one year and I will never go again, because this sermon was outrageously anti-abortion. Even the Scalias—although they're very much of that persuasion—were embarrassed for me."
In recent years, the sermons have been more inclusive, spreading themes of unity and civility. In 2017 Los Angeles Archbishop Jose Gomez, giving the sermon, said, "There is a time for politics and a time for prayer. This is a day for prayer."
NOT FOR REPRINT
© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to asset-and-logo-licensing@alm.com. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
You Might Like
View AllSenate Judiciary Dems Release Report on Supreme Court Ethics
Who Knocked on the Supreme Court’s Door in November?
Supreme Court Takes Up TikTok's Challenge to Upcoming Ban or Sale
Justices Wade Into South Carolina's Medicaid Fight With Planned Parenthood
Trending Stories
- 1Court System Seeks Public Comment on E-Filing for Annual Report
- 2Foreign-Company Lobbyists Would Need to Register Under Proposed DOJ Regulation
- 3'Fancy Dress': ERISA Claim Accuses Plan Administrator and Cigna Affiliates of Co-Pay Maximizer Scheme
- 4The American Lawyer's Top Stories of 2024
- 5Semiconductor Component Maker Accused of Deceiving Investors About Market Downturn, Export Curbs
Who Got The Work
Michael G. Bongiorno, Andrew Scott Dulberg and Elizabeth E. Driscoll from Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr have stepped in to represent Symbotic Inc., an A.I.-enabled technology platform that focuses on increasing supply chain efficiency, and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The case, filed Oct. 2 in Massachusetts District Court by the Brown Law Firm on behalf of Stephen Austen, accuses certain officers and directors of misleading investors in regard to Symbotic's potential for margin growth by failing to disclose that the company was not equipped to timely deploy its systems or manage expenses through project delays. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton, is 1:24-cv-12522, Austen v. Cohen et al.
Who Got The Work
Edmund Polubinski and Marie Killmond of Davis Polk & Wardwell have entered appearances for data platform software development company MongoDB and other defendants in a pending shareholder derivative lawsuit. The action, filed Oct. 7 in New York Southern District Court by the Brown Law Firm, accuses the company's directors and/or officers of falsely expressing confidence in the company’s restructuring of its sales incentive plan and downplaying the severity of decreases in its upfront commitments. The case is 1:24-cv-07594, Roy v. Ittycheria et al.
Who Got The Work
Amy O. Bruchs and Kurt F. Ellison of Michael Best & Friedrich have entered appearances for Epic Systems Corp. in a pending employment discrimination lawsuit. The suit was filed Sept. 7 in Wisconsin Western District Court by Levine Eisberner LLC and Siri & Glimstad on behalf of a project manager who claims that he was wrongfully terminated after applying for a religious exemption to the defendant's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. The case, assigned to U.S. Magistrate Judge Anita Marie Boor, is 3:24-cv-00630, Secker, Nathan v. Epic Systems Corporation.
Who Got The Work
David X. Sullivan, Thomas J. Finn and Gregory A. Hall from McCarter & English have entered appearances for Sunrun Installation Services in a pending civil rights lawsuit. The complaint was filed Sept. 4 in Connecticut District Court by attorney Robert M. Berke on behalf of former employee George Edward Steins, who was arrested and charged with employing an unregistered home improvement salesperson. The complaint alleges that had Sunrun informed the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection that the plaintiff's employment had ended in 2017 and that he no longer held Sunrun's home improvement contractor license, he would not have been hit with charges, which were dismissed in May 2024. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer, is 3:24-cv-01423, Steins v. Sunrun, Inc. et al.
Who Got The Work
Greenberg Traurig shareholder Joshua L. Raskin has entered an appearance for boohoo.com UK Ltd. in a pending patent infringement lawsuit. The suit, filed Sept. 3 in Texas Eastern District Court by Rozier Hardt McDonough on behalf of Alto Dynamics, asserts five patents related to an online shopping platform. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Rodney Gilstrap, is 2:24-cv-00719, Alto Dynamics, LLC v. boohoo.com UK Limited.
Featured Firms
Law Offices of Gary Martin Hays & Associates, P.C.
(470) 294-1674
Law Offices of Mark E. Salomone
(857) 444-6468
Smith & Hassler
(713) 739-1250