From OSV News:
Due to security concerns, no Supreme Court justices attended this year’s Red Mass Oct. 5 at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle in Washington. The annual Mass prays for jurists and public officials the day before the start of the Supreme Court’s term.
The Metropolitan Police Department of Washington reported that they had arrested a New Jersey man who had set up a tent on the steps of the cathedral and that they charged him with possession of explosives.
The Mass was delayed for about 20 minutes and hundreds of people waited outside before they were allowed to enter the cathedral through a side entrance.
At the Mass, Washington Cardinal Robert McElroy emphasized that “men and women of the law are architects of hope by reason of their vocation.”
That hope, he said, is especially needed as the nation faces eroding faith in institutions, a collapse of political dialogue, a growth in political violence, and ongoing needs of the poor and powerless.
McElroy was the main celebrant and homilist at the 73rd annual Red Mass Oct. 5. The Red Mass, sponsored by the John Carroll Society of the Washington Archdiocese, invokes God’s blessings on those responsible for the administration of justice and on all public officials. The name of the Mass stems from the red vestments worn by the presiding clergy.
Normally several Supreme Court justices attend the annual Red Mass, but as the security situation unfolded, none of the justices attended this year’s Mass.
