Rev Scalia, who serves the diocese of Arlington, Virginia, said: “We are gathered here because of one man. A man known personally to many of us, known only by reputation to even more, a man loved by many, scorned by others, a man known for great controversy, and for great compassion”. “The issue was that he had found himself in my confessional line and he quickly departed it. As he put it later, ‘Like heck if I’m confessing to you.’ The feeling was mutual”.
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“Many of the Torah’s commandments and rabbis’ teachings specifically deal with the importance of a fair judicial system”, said the letter sent Friday.
“He loved us and sought to show that love and sought to share the blessing of the faith he treasured”, Scalia said.
“But what is also true is Justice Alito is on the bench right now”, Obama said.
Paul Scalia joked that “the Roman collar was not a shield against his criticism”.
The 79-year-old Scalia died unexpectedly last weekend at a remote Texas ranch. “There are plenty of judges (who) are on high courts already who have had unanimous support of the Republicans”. Burial plans had not been announced.
The roughly two-hour-long service was attended by such leaders in government and law as Vice President Joe Biden, former GOP Vice President Dick Cheney and the remaining eight high court justices.
Sandra Day O’Connor, the retired Supreme Court justice appointed by a Republican president, said on Wednesday that President Barack Obama should get to name the replacement for the late Justice Antonin Scalia. His casket rested on a funeral bier that first held President Abraham Lincoln’s casket after his assassination.
On This Morning, correspondent Margaret Brennan explained: “Well, President Obama’s decision to skip the Saturday funeral of Justice Scalia is being seen by some as a snub of the conservative judge”. The clerks will take turns standing vigil by their former boss throughout the day and night in a tradition most recently observed after the 2005 death of former Chief Justice William Rehnquist.
In light of Ginsberg’s words, that Justice Scalia held the Constitution in reverence, I wonder what he would have said about waiting to fill his seat. Obama has insisted that he will nominate a successor.
Obama told senators he has a constitutional duty to nominate a new justice after Saturday’s death of conservative Justice Antonin Scalia and reminded them of their constitutional obligation to “do their job” and vote to approve or reject his nominee.
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One of Scalia’s nine children, the Rev. Paul Scalia, is set to lead the Mass.
