Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York says Judge Amy Coney Barrett is “the best candidate around” for the U.S. Supreme Court.
The former Notre Dame law professor was nominated on Sept. 26 by President Donald Trump to replace Ruth Bader Ginsberg, who died of cancer on Sept. 18.
Barrett, who currently serves on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, has come under fire for her strong Catholic faith and ties to the charismatic group People of Praise, with critics saying it may unduly influence the candidate on issues such as abortion and gay rights.
“She takes her Catholic faith seriously, but that is not why she was nominated as a Justice to the Supreme Court is it?” Dolan said on his SiriusXM show “Conversation with Cardinal Dolan.”
“I think she is nominated because she is the best candidate around. I hope so. And from what I hear she is. So, let’s hope for the best,” he said.
The cardinal noted the difference between criticism of Barrett’s faith and the lack of controversy surrounding the faith of Ginsberg.
What I admired in the accolades to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, there were a lot of articles about her deep Jewish faith and how she was not afraid to say that the values of her Jewish faith animated how she lived, and how she judged. Nobody found that controversial,” Dolan said. “
Recently, I forget, either the NY Times or the Wall Street Journal that said she always said she faced three biases: A woman, a mother, and a Jew. Well is seems like Judge Barrett is facing: Woman, mother and Catholic.”
The Republicans hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and Barrett could be confirmed before the Nov. 3 presidential election. The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to hold hearings on her nomination on Oct. 12.
