Justice Antonin Scalia – RIP

This is a day for serious mourning for our country.

Justice Antonin Scalia died, at age 79.

Pray for the Scalia family, remembering in a particular way our friend Fr. Paul Scalia.

Pray for these United States.

Antonin_Scalia_Official_SCOTUS_Portrait

About Fr. John Zuhlsdorf

Fr. Z is the guy who runs this blog. o{]:¬)
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57 Comments

  1. Semper Gumby says:

    This is most unfortunate, Justice Scalia will be missed. Prayers for the Scalia family and these United States indeed.

  2. benedetta says:

    This is a staggering loss for our country.

    I am giving prayerful thanks to God for the life and scholarly brilliance of Justice Scalia, for his edifying words, and for his witness to the truth. I will also be keeping his family and loved ones in prayer.

  3. Mr. Graves says:

    Years ago, I heard Justice Scalia speak in a small venue. His learning, erudition, and wit were simply astounding. May his soul and those of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

  4. rodin says:

    First, I said a prayer for this wonderful man. Then, I cried.

    His like will not be seen again in this administration.

  5. mlmc says:

    had the pleasure of attending two marriages officiated by Fr Paul- they were superb. Also attended mass at another church where he was a “guest” priest- also very enjoyable. My prayers go out to him & his family & of course the great Antonin himself. If you want a treat go to uncommon knowledge & see the interview with the justice.

  6. kekeak2008 says:

    Requiem aeternam dona ei, Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen.

  7. excalibur says:

    May God have mercy on his soul.

    May God have mercy on these United States. May God keep Obama from placing Scalia’s replacement on the Court.

    Scary thought: Obama resigns, Biden becomes POTUS, then appoints Obama to the Court.

    Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us. The year 2017 coming fast as the 100th anniversary of the apparitions, and as 2016 seems in a hurry to get out of the way.

  8. Robbie says:

    My goodness, what terrible news. He was an intellectual giant and a hero to the conservative movement. The pro-life cause has lost one of its greatest American voices.

  9. frjim4321 says:

    A very sad day for his family.

    I wish a mourning period would be respected without all the talking heads on both sides bloviating on the news. (The first of whom was McConnell.)

    Can we at least have the funeral mass before we start discussing strategy and outcomes? There is a family in grief here!

  10. Bosco says:

    “In paradisum deducant te Angeli; in tuo adventu suscipiant te martyres, et perducant te in civitatem sanctam Ierusalem. Chorus angelorum te suscipiat, et cum Lazaro quondam paupere æternam habeas requiem.”

  11. cda_sister says:

    A great loss for this country. My prayers are with his family at this sad time. May he rest in peace and may perpetual light shine upon him. I pray for this country for it is a scary time and even more so now. May God deliver us from the evil that permeates our government. St Michael defend us….

  12. KateD says:

    My heartfelt sympathy goes out to his family. What a great man. May his soul rest in peace. He has fought the good fight.

    This is a tragic day for our nation.

  13. VARoman says:

    I remember seeing Justice Scalia at St. John the Beloved in McLean, VA, enjoying his son offering Mass in the Extraordinary Form.

    It really is a sad day.

  14. stephen c says:

    He will be missed, of course. I heard him give a lecture decades ago at my Jesuit university, on legal issues, and he was as gracious a speaker as one might expect; and decades later I heard his son, a gifted homilist, give good Christian sermons three or four times (I did not realize, the first few times, that the visiting priest was Justice Scalia’s son – anyway, in my view of the world, gifted homilists are not secondary to gifted jurists, however famous, in any respect). In each case, I felt happy to hear what they had to say. I pray our country is blessed enough to get many more lawyers like Antonin Scalia, and, while I , like many other Christians, feel spiritually (or maybe, to put it more accurately and humbly, emotionally) unable to feel all that much worldly grief for any long-standing fellow faithful Christian who dies in his sleep at 79, I will pray for his family in what has to be for them a difficult time of bereavement .

  15. organistjason says:

    I have had the honor to meet, interact and even ask Justice Scalia a question, on three occasions. A Brilliant Jurist, who loved intelligence, the Constitution and his family. “In the Midst of Life, we are in Death. From henceforth blessed are the dead which die in the Lord. Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine.”

  16. rdschreiner says:

    Well done, good and faithful servant. You will be missed, Justice Scalia.

  17. Atra Dicenda, Rubra Agenda says:

    Yeats once wrote “The best lack all conviction, while the worst are full of passionate intensity.”

    Antonin Scalia proved the fallacy of this phrase. The world needs more brave men of conviction. We have lost one of the best. May God grant him pardon and peace, and may perpetual light fall upon him. May he hear those beatitudinous words, “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Come unto the eternal joy of your Master.”

  18. PostCatholic says:

    It is a sad day for his family and loved ones. He has given America a legacy from which great growth is possible. May he now rest in peace.

  19. jfk03 says:

    I will miss his incisive wit. He was a warm and good man. He had friends of all stripes. Pray for his soul and for his family.

  20. MarylandBill says:

    My prayers for the repose of his soul, and for his family. I never met him, but I had the privilege of meeting Father Scalia last year and if the son is a reflection of the father, then his death is a great loss for this country above and beyond losing his voice on the Court.

  21. Fr_Sotelo says:

    I knew this day would eventually come, but it is nonetheless such a blow against my spirit. Scalia was always our voice, uncompromisingly Catholic and loyal to constitutional principles. It’s like good jurisprudencehas been oorphaned.

  22. Rocha90 says:

    I heard he devoutly attended the Extraordinary Form. This is a HUGE loss not only for the Church, but for the future of religious liberty in America at large. We need to pray and fast that another like-minded judge gets appointed.

    May Our Blessed Lord grant him eternal rest, and admit him into the splendor of his Heavenly presence.

  23. glovehead says:

    Justice Scalia was a regular at our TLM. He will be missed. Never any fanfare…just a man devoted to his faith.

  24. Clinton R. says:

    Rest in Peace, Justice Scalia. A good and fair judge and a man devoted to the Catholic Faith. May God bless his soul and grant comfort to his family and friends. +JMJ+

  25. Gerard Plourde says:

    I pray as well for the repose of the soul of Justice Scalia. It is my fervent hope that this day he heard Our Lord say to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Come and share your Master’s joy.”

  26. Benedict Joseph says:

    God reward him amply.
    The memory of the man, , his virtue, his brilliance, his accomplishment his will be his family’s consolation and a call to vigilance for our citizenry.
    Nevertheless, it is all quite eschatological.
    Good Lord, regard us in our necessity.

  27. juergensen says:

    This is a disaster for our country. The spineless Republicans are likely to cave and allow Obama to replace Scalia with a devoted baby butcher.

  28. excalibur says:

    In his praise and memory, I share the fitting words of Justice Story:

    “He who has been enabled, by the force of his talents and the example of his virtues, to identify his own character with the solid interests and happiness of his country; he who has lived long enough to stamp the impressions of his own mind upon the age, and has left on record lessons of wisdom for the study and improvement of all posterity; he, I say, has attained all that a truly good man aims at, and all that a truly great man should aspire to.”

    http://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2016/02/struck-with-grief-at-the-loss-of-a-great-man-let-us-pray.html

  29. zag4christ says:

    May his soul rest in peace. He was a voice of reason, faith, and sanity in our country. Sometimes I think that as our culture here in the U.S. and around the world continues to head south, God is calling home good people so they do not have to experience the insanity of people clinging to delusions.
    Peace and God bless,

  30. Nun2OCDS says:

    “He died in his sleep” sounds unexpected; it is unlikely that he received the last rites. Knowing him to be a great jurist, devout Church man and loving family man are all important but do not make him a saint. We do not know how it went for him at his immediate judgment. Let us keep him (and his family) in our prayers long past the funeral.

    Serves as a reminder as Fr. Z keeps telling us : Go to Confession!

  31. SKAY says:

    This is indeed a very sad day for his dear family and this country has lost
    a brilliant voice of sanity and reason on this Supreme Court.
    Just saying that he will be missed seems like such an understatement.

  32. Andreas says:

    Justice Scalia used to attend Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Geat Falls, VA

  33. Andreas says:

    Many apologies for inadvertently sending the fragment above. Justice Scalia used to attend Mass at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church in Great Falls, VA. He often commented positively on the music that we sang as part of the liturgy; I seem to recall Justice Scalia was especially fond of Renaissance polyphony and the glorious 18th and 19th century works that characterized Mass each week. It was (and will remain) a great privilege to have had His Honor amongst us.

  34. Kathleen10 says:

    An enthusiastic Amen to the prayers of all here, may God rest his soul. He shall be missed on many accounts.
    Until America repents and turns back toward God, we are going to suffer defeat after defeat after defeat, while we see the enemy empowered. There can be no doubt, they get all the breaks while we keep getting hit. We must pray the rosary every day.

  35. Thomas Sweeney says:

    Our troubled country and world can ill afford to lose a man like this.
    R.I.P Judge Scalia

  36. FrankWalshingham says:

    A brilliant jurist and a great patriot, Antonin Scalia was surely the St. Thomas More of our times. Scalia served the American people well by his unswerving devotion to the US Constitution, striving to protect it from the intrusive management of a reckless chief executive, and a congress so inept that our lawmakers do not even read the bills that they pass. Justice Scalia was a good and faithful servant of the people because he respected the Divine law that is the legitimate source of all public authority. May his profound advice below influence the American citizenry and our leaders for years to come:

    “God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools…and He has not been disappointed….If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.”

    Requiem aeternam dona ei , Domine, et lux perpetua luceat ei. Requiescat in pace. Amen

  37. acardnal says:

    Justice Scalia was a “hard identity” Catholic in both his private and public life. In an interview with a writer from New York Magazine he mentioned he believed in the Devil – just like Jesus did. The writer was apparently astonished. HERE

    I remember seeing Justice Scalia and his wife attending Sunday Mass at St Catherine of Siena parish in Great Falls, Virginia.

    May he rest in peace and may his wife and children know the consolation of our Lord.

  38. Sandy says:

    It is rare that I would feel tears come for a public figure, but that is what happened yesterday afternoon when I heard this news. The sadness is for our country as well, to have lost one of the few voices of good. I prayed for his soul, his family to be comforted, and then I asked his intercession for my family. May he rest in peace and pray for out country, that it returns to sanity.

  39. The Masked Chicken says:

    Some Supreme Court decisions are excellent studies in humorous writing. Did you know that Scalia was rated in one (questionable) study as being 19 times funnier than Justice Sotomayor? My favorite comment was when Justice Roberts, commenting on illegal sear and seizure, wrote a noir story:

    “North Philly, May 4, 2001. Officer Sean Devlin, Narcotics Strike Force, was working the morning shift. Undercover surveillance. The neighborhood? Tough as a three dollar steak. Devlin knew. Five years on the beat, nine months with the Strike Force. He’d made fifteen, twenty drug busts in the neighborhood.

    Devlin spotted him: a lone man on the corner. Another approached. Quick exchange of words. Cash handed over; small objects handed back. Each man then quickly on his own way. Devlin knew the guy wasn’t buying bus tokens. He radioed a description and Officer Stein picked up the buyer. Sure enough: three bags of crack in the guy’s pocket. Head downtown and book him. Just another day at the office.”

    We need more Justices who realize that they are not the Ultimate Judge and that, sometimes, their decisions leave Him as perplexed as the rest of us.

    Justice Scalia was an Originist. While I, personally, think the Constitution could stand for another Convention, it is refreshing to see someone who cared about what the original writers had in mind.

    The Chicken

  40. donato2 says:

    A huge loss for the traditional Latin Mass community in the United States. In our times there have been two North American Catholics who have stood out for their brilliance: Justice Scalia and Father Neuhaus. It is a deep sadness that now we have neither.

  41. Jackie L says:

    He will be missed, I cannot think of another American traditional Catholic, with a secular job who has been such a part of the public eye for so long…And I have been wondering if his last gift may be a requiem mass in the Extraordinary Form.

  42. Nicolas Bellord says:

    I knew Nino back in 1956 in Fribourg University, Switzerland but sadly lost touch with him and only got to know of his rise to eminence a couple of years ago. In those far off days the Catholic Church seemed rock sold and it is great that he has since done so much to maintain that tradition. May he rest in peace.

  43. benedetta says:

    Sandy, you are not alone. I too shed tears last evening, and for me to cry at the death of a public figure too is quite rare. The last time I did so was at the passing of St. John Paul II.

    I am thankful for his life and all that God worked through his American servant. Yet I cannot help but feel a palpable fear for our country, for what it has been going through, and for dark days ahead. It is the sadness of the reality of life ahead without a spiritual father. Of course “He has not left us orphans”. We are not a people in despair. We need to recognize the times for what they are, and regather our strength, and move forward for the benefit of our children and grandchildren.

    I think it important to mourn this man with respect and offer prayers, first and foremost. However, to those who call for people to not consider the ramifications of a vacancy on the high court, I say to them that the facebook pages of the pro death candidates are loaded with scorn, not prayers, and harsh intolerant, hateful words, towards one not passed from this earth for more than 48 hours. Is this the sort of constituency that we need, or want, to guide leadership in this country, for a potential decade, and much more, a generation, from the court? We do well to comprehend the stakes. To go forward in action, even whilst grieving a public servant in our nation, would be, I daresay, an approach that this great man could respect and commend. We should do him proud, honor his work and scholarship and citizenship and love of our country, and that great witness, by going forward and stand firm that our country is in dire need of solid ground and leadership, like yesterday. Take it from me.

  44. iudicame says:

    A great Catholic man and an inspiration and example for generations to come. Prayers for his soul and our country. Rest in peace.

  45. I am devastated. Deep sadness.

    The loss of Justice Scalia is a tragedy with enormous consequences to follow. This Justice consistently stood up for the Constitution and Catholic-based morality.
    Not only is half the country grieving but the shock for his grieving family must be terrible. His son, Father Scalia, is a gifted speaker, among many wonderful traits.

    I have seen Justice Scalia at Masses throughout the diocese, he was especially devoted to the TLM and reverent Masses, loved the good and appropriate music of the Liturgy – very supportive.
    I remember him, as others here, years ago at St Catherine’s in Great Falls. I sang in the choir there too.

    I do hope he gets a TLM Requiem!!

    My deepest condolences to his family and his dear friends.

    Requiescat in Pace.

  46. JerrytheYTPer says:

    I am legitimately crushed upon hearing this. I fear for this nation. I worry about how the other good justice, Clarence Thomas, will hold up since his main dissenting partner is gone. We better hope the next president elect will bring in good justices to replace the others who will likely retire soon.

  47. Cajetan says:

    Rest in peace, wise jurist. Your likes are rare and the United States was fortunate to have your service.

    And may Barack Obama never be allowed to appoint another Supreme Court justice. Ever.

  48. Sandy says:

    My thought later was of the beautiful Mass that will no doubt be said by his son, Father Scalia. May it not be a large public affair that all the D.C. pagans will attend, or if they do that someone will make an announcement about Catholics in good standing receiving Holy Communion, and the others asking God to come to them spiritually (or whatever tactful way you say it).

  49. Br. Augustine of Nubia says:

    Is it still possible to name someone a “Defender of the Faith?”

    It would drive people nuts but it would be fitting

  50. michaelk says:

    I wa fortunate enough to see him speak at an event put on by the St. Thomas More Society of Nevada following a Red Mass. His talk was titled “Oh the wise, Christians as Cretins”. It was a wonderful witness to the faith (roughly 45 minutes) to many from the Nevada Bar. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a few converts afterwards.

  51. Charles E Flynn says:

    Justice Antonin Scalia: In his own words, on the BBC Website:

    Conservative US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who died on Saturday, was renowned for his biting wit, sarcasm and cutting humour – in daily life, as well as in his rulings.

  52. excalibur says:

    He was a titan. Especially where so many pygmy’s roam, that would be Washington, D.C. We shall not see his like again in our lifetimes.

  53. PostCatholic says:

    Some of the theories advanced here are illuminating of a side of American culture I know little about.

  54. iamlucky13 says:

    May he rest in peace.

    It’s startling to read his opinions in a critical light and compare them to, for example, Ginsberg read with the same critical eye; a clear contrast of logical application of the law as it was written and intended against blowing with the winds of popular interpretation of how most people think the law should be applied.

    Separately, there is a disgusting amount of celebration of his death. I was shocked and disappointed to see a cousin, very liberal and “open-minded”, post multiple mockeries of his passing on Facebook, as well as a wish for the death of Clarence Thomas:

    “This would be an excellent day for Justice Clarence Thomas to continue his tradition of just doing whatever Justice Scalia does.”

  55. LarryW2LJ says:

    “God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools … and he has not been disappointed. … If I have brought any message today, it is this: Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.”

    Antonin Scalia at the Living the Catholic Faith Conference in 2012.

    Pretty much sums it all up. We lost a great man. Rest in Peace, Justice Scalia – Almighty God, please watch over our Republic.

  56. Giuseppe says:

    1) He loved the word – the words of the Constitution.
    2) He loved the Word made flesh Who dwelt among us
    3) He was unapologetically Roman Catholic. It was who he was.

    May he rest in peace.

  57. baseballmom says:

    I have never grieved this much for a man I never met, although my son was blessed to hear a few guest lectures from this good man while at Law School. Whenever SCOTUS handed down a bad decision I would go immediately to read Justice Scalia’s plain spoken dissent. Our terrible loss, his blessed gain. Lord have Mercy on his dear soul.

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