Catholic Bishops Oppose Garland

Opposing the nomination of Merrick B. Garland to the Supreme Court, the American Conference of Catholic Bishops endorsed Senator Mitch McConnell's plan to refuse to consider the Obama nominee. "Garland's appointment would radically alter the religious balance of what has historically been a Catholic Institution," New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan said.

Prior to the death of Antonin Scalia the court comprised six Catholics and three Jews. The appointment of Garland, who is Jewish, would change this to a razor thin five to four Catholic majority. "This change could imperil the bedrock Catholic values that the Court has recently protected, including unlimited campaign contributions, restrictions on voting rights, the freedom to carry a concealed assault weapon while performing the Stations of the Cross, gutting the commerce clause, diminishing the power of labor unions and ruling that a corporation is a person and, therefore, eligible to enter Heaven. Without market-responsive, customer-focused and data-driven business corporations, Heaven could soon become socialist," Dolan warned.

Protestants who continue not to be represented on the Supreme Court were less upset. "None of our people would be comfortable surrounded by Catholic and Jewish strivers," said Abigail (Muffy) Van Rensselaer, who chairs the Association to Protect Protestant Privilege (APPP). "Mind you, we have nothing against them. In fact, many of our members hire Catholic and Jewish lawyers for legal work, but not for tasks that require an understanding that cannot be acquired in schools, such as estate planning and contracting with indentured servants."