This was probably the most interesting NY Times article in Sunday's paper, at least to me. If Judge Sonia Sotomayor is confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court, there would be six Catholic justices.
I had no idea there were so many. But the story also underscores how many different kinds of Catholics there are. It ranges from socially conservative churchgoing Catholics (like Scalia) to socially progressive nonchurchgoers (as Sotomayor may be).
Sotomayor is a product of Catholic upbringing and education. But she does not attend church, except for major family events. Her appointment underscores the disparities between Catholic church and a Catholic education.
When one listens to the Catholic mass, you are given a theology with no room for doubt. A truth is presented with no room to question it. (As in the Nicene Creed.)
However, in a Catholic education -- and I experienced 17 years of it -- the student is taught critical thinking skills and given an awareness of social justice. We are challenged to debate, doubt and wrestle with issues. We allow for other possibilities, other points of view. I liked the quote in the article from Judge Sotomayor's former schoolmate: "“We were asking, what’s wrong with the other religions, and why do you say everybody else is going to Hell?”
While the Catholic church may have little hold on Judge Sotomayor, the Catholic educational system should be proud to have helped inspire so many of our country's critical thinkers and greatest legal minds.
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