Letter of Gratitude to Most Rev. Charles E. Blake, Presiding Bishop, Church of God in Christ, Rev. Eugene F. Rivers, and others

October 5, 2020

Dear Bishop Blake, Pastor Rivers, and other esteemed clergy and Christian leaders:

We are Catholic scholars who write as your brothers and sisters in the Christian faith to express our gratitude for your bold and compelling defense of Amy Coney Barrett against the bigotry directed toward her because of her Catholic faith, and her family’s membership in an ecumenical Christian charismatic community:  https://110c6a4e-4c9f-4c15-bc98-ca4791e6331d.filesusr.com/ugd/f15948_f95ac6406c23439aa5470941a6029767.pdf

The moral witness of the historic Black churches, notably including the Pentecostal-Charismatic and Full Gospel churches you lead and serve, is always powerful. Like the grace of Almighty God, which is bestowed abundantly, your witness is generously given on behalf of any and every person who is subjected to or threatened with injustice. You understand, as Dr. King understood, that “a threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Bigotry has raised its ugly head against Judge Barrett because she is the “wrong kind of Catholic”—a faithful Catholic. Yet as disturbing as it is to see the revival of anti-Catholic prejudice, it is even more heartening and inspiring to witness the prophetic stand you have taken against it. It is most impressive that you did not wait to be asked to speak out, but rather acted on your own initiative the moment you saw a faithful Catholic woman being threatened with discrimination and exclusion based on her faith.

Reflecting on the example you have set for us and for all men and women of goodwill, we recall Our Lord’s teaching: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall have their fill.”

With the highest respect and esteem,

 

Robert P. George

McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence

Princeton University

Mary Ann Glendon

Learned Hand Professor of Law emerita

Harvard University

 

Hadley Arkes

Edward N. Ney Professor of Jurisprudence and American Institutions emeritus

Amherst College

Founder and Director, James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights & the American Founding

J. Joel Alicea

Assistant Professor of Law

The Catholic University of America Columbus School of Law

 

Rev. Nicanor Pier Giorgio Austriaco, O.P.

Professor of Biology and of Theology, Providence College

Visiting Professor of Biological Sciences, University of Santo Tomas, Philippines

Francis J. Beckwith

Professor of Philosophy & Church-State Studies

Baylor University

Rev. Stephen L. Brock

Professor of Medieval Philosophy

Pontifical University of the Holy Cross

Gerard V. Bradley

Professor of Law

University of Notre Dame

John M. Breen

Georgia Reithal Professor of Law

Loyola University Chicago

Christian Brugger

Professor of Moral Theology

St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary

Teresa S. Collett

Professor of Law

University of St. Thomas School of Law (MN)

 

Patrick J. Deneen

Professor of Political Science

David A. Potenziani Memorial College Chair of Constitutional Studies

University of Notre Dame

Eduardo Echeverria

Graduate School of Theology

Sacred Heart Major Seminary

Kevin L. Flannery, S.J.

Emeritus Professor of Philosophy

Pontifical Gregorian University

 

David F. Forte

Professor of Law

Cleveland-Marshall College of Law

Cleveland State University

 

Matthew Franck

Associate Director

James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Lecturer in Politics

Princeton University

 

Rick Garnett

Professor of Law

University of Notre Dame

Mary Rice Hasson

Director, Catholic Women’s Forum

Ethics and Public Policy Center

 

Mary Healy

Professor of Scripture

Sacred Heart Major Seminary

 

Carson Holloway

Professor of Political Science

University of Nebraska at Omaha

 

Christopher Kaczor 

Professor of Philosophy

Loyola Marymount University

 

Patrick Lee

John N. and Jamie D. McAleer Professor of Bioethics

Franciscan University of Steubenville

 

Matthew J. Levering

James N. and Mary D. Perry Jr. Chair of Theology

Mundelein Seminary

 

Ralph Martin

Director of Graduate Theology Programs in the New Evangelization

Sacred Heart Major Seminary

 

Monica Migliorino Miller

Director of Citizens for a Pro-Life Society

Teacher- Sacred Heart Major Seminary

 

Michael P. Moreland

University Professor of Law and Religion

Director, Eleanor H. McCullen Center for Law, Religion, and Public Policy

Villanova University

 

Melissa Moschella

Associate Professor of Philosophy

The Catholic University of America

 

Vincent Phillip Muñoz

Tocqueville Associate Professor of Religion & Public Life

Department of Political Science

University of Notre Dame

 

Jeffrey A. Pojanowski

Professor of Law

University of Notre Dame

 

Dermot Quinn

Professor of History

Seton Hall University

 

Mark Regnerus

Professor of Sociology

University of Texas at Austin

Senior Fellow, Austin Institute for the Study of Family and Culture

 

Michael A. Reynolds

Associate Professor, Near Eastern Studies

Director, Program in Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies

Princeton University

 

Ronald J. Rychlak

Distinguished Professor of Law

Jamie L. Whitten Chair of Law & Government

University of Mississippi, School of Law

 

William L. Saunders

Fellow and Director of the Program in Human Rights, Institute for Human Ecology; 

Professor and Director of the Center for Human Rights, School of Arts & Sciences;  and

Co-Director, Center for Religious Liberty, Columbus School of Law,

Catholic University of America

 

Michael A. Scaperlanda

Gene and Elaine Edwards Family Chair in Law emeritus

University of Oklahoma

 

Gregory Sisk

Laghi Distinguished Chair in Law

University of St. Thomas School of Law (Minnesota)

 

Carter Snead

Professor of Law

Director, de Nicola Center for Ethics and Culture

University of Notre Dame

 

R.J. Snell

Director of Academic Programs

The Witherspoon Institute

 

Christopher Tollefsen

College of Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Philosophy

University of South Carolina

 

George Weigel

Distinguished Senior Fellow and Chair of Catholic Studies

Ethics and Public Policy Center

 

Edward Whelan

President

Ethics and Public Policy Center

 

Bradford Wilson

Executive Director

James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions

Princeton University

 

(Affiliations are for identification purposes.)