Court of the Fisherman...

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Judge Sonia Sotomayor will soon become Justice Sotomayor- there has been no doubt about it and there is still no doubt about it.

She will be just the third woman, and the very first Hispanic to serve on the highest Court in our land.

What has gotten little attention is that she will also become the 6th Roman Catholic member serving on the Court.

Six sitting members of the United States Supreme Court owing allegiance to Pope Benedict, the head of a foreign government, and the man through whom God speaks to them, and who interpets God's word and intentions.

This makes me really, really uneasy.

Abortion. The Death Penalty. Same-Gender Marriage. Torture. War.

This is not a partisan issue for me, as following Catholic Doctrine would likely have results I view as proper and favorable on the death penalty, torture, and, very likely, war.

The line is not supposed be blurred like this. 6 Catholics, 2 Jews, and nothing showing up on the one I did not already know about, Justice Stevens.

No Presbyters. No Baptists. No Lutherans. No Buddhists. No Atheists- unless Stevens? Wouldn't THAT be something, if a Justice named John Paul turned out to be an Atheist?

Anyway, it just makes me nervous. I hope I am wrong. And, hey, Popes and Justices all have great robes!

Also, I know, there are some who say Ben Cardozo might lay claim to being the first Hispanic, but like one of his biographers said, "I think he considered himself a Sephardic Jew whose parents were from the Iberian Peninsula."

Look, I live in a town where there is a strong presence of both Spanish decendants and those of Central & South America. Do not make the mistake of confusing the two. It does not matter that the names are often spelled the same.

Knowing that, using "Hispanic" to describe Iberians is ridiculous and counterfeit. Apparently, "Latino" does not set well with everyone either.

How about Mijos? And Mijas, of course? A blend of the Spanish words for "My" and "sons" or "daughters".

The native sons and daughters of the lands in the Western Hemisphere- south of the United States.

Just a thought...

SRT