Pope Francis tells the Supreme Court to go to hell
Here’s a sign of what the current Supreme Court is likely to look like in coming years, if we can’t reform it. On late Wednesday night, the conservative justices found that Governor Cuomo had violated the Constitution by limiting gatherings at churches. Chief Justice John Roberts, in an effort to save the Court, was in dissent with the three remaining liberals. The decision reversed recent decisions by the Court that government officials could enforce and implement measures designed to address the exploding coronavirus.
In an editorial in the New York Times, Pope Francis appeared to disagree with the Court members and others complaining about such restrictions, writing in part:
“Looking to the common good is much more than the sum of what is good for individuals. It means having a regard for all citizens and seeking to respond effectively to the needs of the least fortunate.”
The Pope wrote about his experience in intensive care at twenty-one, and also wrote:
“It is all too easy for some to take an idea- in this case, for example, personal freedom- and turn it into an ideology, creating a prism through which they judge everything.”
Surely, the conservative justices including Amy Coney “I don’t rule based on personal preferences” Barrett will not change their dangerous opinions, but the Pope does not approve.
Daniel is a lawyer writing and teaching about SCOTUS, and is the author of the book “The Chief Justices” about the SCOTUS as seen through the center seat.