The Nominee: Judge Amy Coney Barrett

It seems that there are some among the devout who think it is ungodly for a Catholic wife and a mother to be involved in politics and public life. There are many examples in the past of devout Catholic women, some saints, being directly involved in public and political matters. Over the ages, God has called certain women to step out of their traditional role to fulfill a mission. The examples of Aethelflaed of Wessex, St. Joan of Arc, the Servant of God Isabel the Catholic, and Empress Maria Theresa, are before us. They were called to take a stand for the People of God in crisis situations to manifest the Divine intervention, like Deborah and Judith in the Scriptures.

Isabel of Castile did everything that a king would do but lead soldiers into battle. She had her husband do that. So did Empress Maria Theresa, who completely ran the administrative side of the Holy Roman Empire. And ran it well. And in France, Marie de Medici, mother of seven, ruled France until her son was old enough. Mary Queen of Scots did lead soldiers into battle, and not always successfully. The Calvinist ex-priest John Knox admonished her and lamented "The Monstrous Regiment of Women" in that he did not believe women should rule at all. The Pope at the time is not recorded lamenting that Queen Regnants like Mary Stuart had the authority over men, but rather His Holiness made sure she could receive the Eucharist when imprisoned. 

There are lots of other examples of such women. And no pope ever rebuked them for being rulers. Perhaps for other things, but not for their political involvement. Some say that a call to be a woman ruler or a woman leader was not a free choice but history is more complicated than that. Mary Stuart could have stayed in France and let her Protestant half-brother rule for her. Isabel could have been a nun but fought for the crown. Maria Theresa took the Habsburg empire in what is known as the Pragmatic Sanction, which cut out several male heirs. And why did God call St. Joan when France was full of experienced knights who could have led the troops to victory? 

 From The Federalist:

President Trump formally nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court on Saturday in the White House Rose Garden to fill the seat left vacant by Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s death.

“I stand before you today to fulfill one of my highest and most important duties under the United States Constitution, the nomination of a Supreme Court justice,” Trump stated.  Trump praised Barrett’s track record as a federal judge as well as her history working with deceased Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. He also urged Democrat lawmakers and the media to provide a “respectful and dignified hearing that she deserves and, frankly, that our country deserves.” (Read more.)

 

From First Things:

 Over the past week, scores of articles have been published on various aspects of Amy Coney Barrett’s character—her fitness as a judicial nominee, her acumen as a scholar, and her unapologetic commitment to the Catholic faith. But long before I had reason to consider any of these qualities, I thought of Judge Barrett simply as an answer to my prayers.

I arrived at Notre Dame in 2013. Like any new law student, my head swirled with hopes, thoughts, dreams, and fears. But unlike many other students, I also needed to singlehandedly ensure that I had access to the tools and technologies necessary for me to succeed as a completely blind person.

Unfortunately, things got off to a bumpy start. The assistive technology purchased by the university, which would have allowed me to compete on equal footing with my sighted peers, did not arrive on time. And, in keeping with Murphy’s law, my personal laptop immediately broke, leaving me overnight with no reliable way to access my texts, take notes, or otherwise keep pace in class. I needed help, and I needed it fast.

For that help, I turned to then-professor Barrett. Although I had known her for only two weeks, I felt confident that this poised, articulate woman would not dismiss my concerns and would counsel me on how to get the university to procure the needed assistive technology as quickly as possible. (Read more.)

 

From USA Today:

Yes, she is brilliant. And, yes, she is a principled, careful judge, admired legal scholar and amazing teacher. Her respect among her colleagues and students is reflected in the fact that she has been elected professor of the year three times by the law school’s graduating class and in letters of support for her nomination to the 7th Circuit, including ones signed by all of her full-time faculty colleagues at Notre Dame, all of her fellow Supreme Court clerks, hundreds of former students and dozens of prominent law professors from around the country. (Read more.)

 

More HERE. And HERE.

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