The charges against Superior Court Judge Raymond Redden and
Municipal Court Judge Gerald Keegan are unfounded and if
the Supreme Court accepts the recommendations of the
Disciplinary Review Board our Judges will be forced not to attend any religious
functions or meetings in which the participates share in a common table.
As it stands now many Judges throughout the state, as part
of their personal religious apostolate, regularly, or occasionally, attend religious
meetings in the form of spiritual retreats, religious organizations and
meetings, in which other participates, may or may not be facing pending state
or federal criminal charges. Such
meetings could be, but not limited to such things as attending a meeting at the
Knights of Columbus, religious retreat house, Seder meals at the Synagogue or Temple, or at the Muslim Mosque during
the last day feast for Ramadan.
What is very troubling
about this grievance is that the Catholic Bartimeous Family group was not an
eating club, but rather a Catholic religious group dedicated to the apostolate
to healing, prayer and faith, which concluded after the meal with a Catholic
Mass.
Is the Disciplinary Review Board arguing that our judges are
no longer permitted to attend religious functions or meetings in which food is
served at a common table? Is the
Disciplinary Review Board now arguing that unless a criminal background check is
done on all present the Judge cannot attend the religious function or
meeting? Or is the DRB arguing that
before the Judge can attend such a meeting that the Judge first review the list
of participates to ascertain who among the group might have a pending criminal
or civil case before them, or their vicinage?
The actions of the DRB in this case are a further example of
the erosion of our religious liberties and hopefully our Supreme Court will
recognize this as such. Our Judges have
the First Amendment constitutional right to religious freedom and express and
they should not have to choose between their judicial office or their full
practice and expression of their religious faith.
The secular pop-culture which continues to marginalize
people of faith must end.
