I know, “red mass” sounds like something out of a bad novel about satanism. It’s actually an annual event held by the John Carroll Society at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington, DC, on the Sunday before the opening of the new Supreme Court term every year.
This year, 6 of the 9 justices attended: John Roberts, Antonin Scalia, Elena Kagan, Anthony Kennedy, Clarence Thomas and Stephen Breyer. Two Jewish justices attending a Catholic mass? Yep. I don’t get it either. Especially when the archbishop who presided over the event told the justices to “strive to be instruments of a new evangelization.” Hell no. That isn’t their job. Their job has nothing to do with evangelizing anyone. That’s your job, not theirs.
The Red Mass has taken place since 1953 and the attendance of justices varies. Justice Ginsburg used to attend but no longer does because in the past the priests have preached against abortion rights. Justice Sotomayor, who is Catholic, attended last year but not this year. Justice Alito is also Catholic and has attended in the past, but not this year.
We shouldn’t make too much of this. It’s a mostly meaningless bit of symbolism. But as symbolism, it’s still rather disturbing.
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democommie
October 7, 2012 at 9:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Of course it’s meaningless symbolism, Ed; just like that giant frikkin’ cross out in the desert, “One nation, under GOD!” or “E Pluribus Unum” on the currency. The only way it would be meaningful is if any of it was not meaningless in a KKKristianiist sortaway.
ambulocetacean
October 7, 2012 at 9:45 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Well, it sounds slightly more exciting than the big pet-blessing event at an Anglican church in Brisbane today:
Amazing that not even the prospect of witnessing a crustacean consecration can get more than 30 people to a church.
democommie
October 7, 2012 at 10:13 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
When it comes to “blessing” crustaceans, I’m gonna be wearin’ a lobster bib*.
* Not really, I detest the fucking things and I usually eat lobster with something that requires shucking the meat.
cry4turtles
October 7, 2012 at 10:25 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
This sounds like something Ozzy Osborne would be involved in. Oh wait…that was black masses. Tomatoe…tom aaah toe.
Michael Heath
October 7, 2012 at 10:30 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Given the path Antonin Scalia’s been taking, I’m waiting for the year where he’s the preacher at this event.
Ed – a blog post on J. Scalia’s recent and incoherent argument about gay marriage, abortion, and the death penalty would be most welcomed. Recently he once again re-asserted his frame of reference as that of a textualist but then immediately contradicted that approach by arguing:
Cite: http://goo.gl/Orrtn
Ed Brayton
October 7, 2012 at 1:05 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Mike –
That post is already written, should be up in the next day or two.
Chiroptera
October 7, 2012 at 1:09 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Michael Heath, #5: For 200 years, it was criminal in every state,” Scalia said at the American Enterprise Institute.
If I recall correctly, so was discrimination against Catholics.
I’m just sayin’, is all.
Chiroptera
October 7, 2012 at 1:11 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Oops. I meant, that discrimination against Catholics wasn’t criminal in every state.
grumpyoldfart
October 7, 2012 at 1:21 pm (UTC -4) Link to this comment
It seems to me when Catholic judges get told by their archbishop that they should “strive to be instruments of a new evangelization,” then there is a chance that they might be inclined to obey – and much should be made of it.
StevoR
October 8, 2012 at 2:31 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Red mass?
Wait a second.. Wasn’t that the techno-gimmicky stuff used in that last Star Trek – the movie reboot by that Lost the plot guy?
So these Supreme Justices are coming together* to create, what, a black hole out of exotic matter or summin?
+++++++++++++++
* Hey, your mind came up with that image not mine!
dingojack
October 8, 2012 at 3:12 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
A Red Mass eh? So that’s where all those pinko activist judges come from. I keep telling ‘em don’t put yer black ‘n white judges in with yer red bishops, but will they listen to me…?
;) Dingo
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PS: ambulocetacean – if the rev. canon is ‘a bodacious babe with bosoms and a bob’, it could be that those journos were just watching a old re-run of The Vicar of Dibley
Moggie
October 8, 2012 at 4:00 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
Can you imagine the reaction if a prominent imam invitied the supremes to a similar event at a mosque?
democommie
October 8, 2012 at 7:46 am (UTC -4) Link to this comment
@12:
Yes, Maggie, I imagine it quite easily. It would likely involve the 21st century equivalent of grain flails, pitchforks and torches.