Father Paul Scalia’s Eulogy Shows the Extent to Which Our Religious Liberty is in Jeopardy

Father Paul Scalia, the son of Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonin Scalia, delivered a heartfelt and inspiring eulogy at the funeral Mass for his father at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday. In his remarks, Fr. Scalia celebrated his late father’s commitment to family, public service and the Law, as well as his dedication to truth, justice, the intellectually rigorous defense of liberty, personal virtue, and the sanctity of persons at every stage of life. While paying homage to Justice Scalia’s religious devotion, Fr. Scalia noted how: "God blessed [his] Dad with a deep Catholic faith: The conviction that Christ's presence and power continue in the world today through His body, the Church." Fr. Scalia’s tribute is part fond remembrance and part profound catechesis. [It is worth reading in full.]

Later on, Fr. Scalia makes the following observation which I draw to your attention:

God blessed Dad, as is well known, with a love for his country. He knew well what a close-run thing the founding of our nation was. And he saw in that founding, as did the founders themselves, a blessing, a blessing quickly lost when faith is banned from the public square, or when we refuse to bring it there. So he understood that there is no conflict between loving God and loving one's country, between one's faith and one's public service. Dad understood that the deeper he went in his Catholic faith, the better a citizen and public servant he became. God blessed him with the desire to be the country's good servant because he was God's first.

Let us pray for Justice Scalia’s soul, and in thanksgiving for his life, service and example. Given the increasing attacks on Christianity and expressions of Christian faith in the public square by those occupying "the commanding heights of the culture", [i.e. academia, the media, Hollywood, et al.] Justice Scalia’s passing is all the more concerning. Let us pray also that the freedoms he labored so courageously to preserve – be protected and endure.