California’s Chief Justice hailed the example of St. Thomas More as she urged legal professionals and civic leaders to build trust in the state’s legal system at LA’s 41st annual Red Mass.
Recalling the “unfathomable violence and suffering” witnessed by the world in recent weeks and describing public trust in institutions as “fragile,” Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero said the 16th-century English saint “represents a guiding figure for lawyers, judges, and public servants to navigate the complexities of our work and our world.”
“St. Thomas More reminds us that in a world that can often seem turbulent, we must not abandon our duty as guardians of the law,” said Guerrero, who gave the closing remarks at the Oct. 25 liturgy at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels. The Mass was presided by Archbishop José H. Gomez and concelebrated by a dozen priests.
Guerrero, a Democrat, became the Supreme Court of California’s first Latina justice after she was nominated to the court by Gov. Gavin Newsom last year.
“It is a difficult time when we are called to do all that’s in our power in ways, big or small, to create a more just world,” said Guerrero. “We must continue to pursue justice and compassion, uphold the truth, and defend the rights of the most vulnerable.”
Organized by the local chapter of the St. Thomas More Society, the Red Mass is an ecumenical, civic celebration that honors judges, lawyers, legislators, and legal professionals usually held around the time the U.S. Supreme Court begins its new year.
The more than 200 people attending this year included representatives of various faith traditions. As in previous years, the Mass’ ceremonial honor guard was led by the Knights of Saint Peter Claver and the Knights of Columbus.
In her remarks, Guerrero also recalled the “deep and abiding” faith of her grandmother, who together with her parents passed on to her the “values of compassion and helping others” while growing up in California’s Imperial Valley.
This year’s homilist was Father Edward Siebert, SJ, rector of Loyola Marymount University’s Jesuit community and a longtime film producer who most recently worked as an executive producer for the 2023 Russell Crowe film, The Pope’s Exorcist.
The Jesuit invoked the 1957 legal drama 12 Angry Men in his homily to connect the theme of the evening’s liturgy with Jesus’ words in the Gospel: “Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more” (Luke 12:48)….
Before the end of the Mass, St. Thomas More Society of LA president Carmela Bombay announced the death of T. Matthew Hansen, general counsel for the Catholic Community Foundation of Los Angeles and a member of the society chapter’s board, who had died just three days earlier on Oct. 22.
Also remembered was Bishop David O’Connell, who was killed earlier this year and had concelebrated last year’s Red Mass alongside Archbishop Gomez. State Sen. Bob Archuleta, D-Pico Rivera, recalled that he received holy Communion from O’Connell at last year’s Mass. This year’s Mass, he told Angelus, was a chance to remember and pray for a man he considered a friend….
(Chief Justice Guerrero has been silent on abortion, but is listed on Google as Democrat. Senator Archuleto is consistent abortion supporter.)
From Angelus News
A Red Mass is a Mass celebrated annually in the Roman Catholic Church for all members of the legal profession, regardless of religious affiliation: judges, lawyers, law school professors, law students, and government officials, marking the opening of the judicial year. Through prayerful petition and thanksgiving the Red Mass requests guidance from the Holy Spirit for all who seek justice, and offers the legal community an opportunity to reflect on the power and responsibility of all in the legal profession.
The first recorded Red Mass was celebrated in the Cathedral of Paris in 1245. In certain localities of France, the Red Mass was celebrated in honor of Saint Ives, the Patron Saint of Lawyers. From there, it spread to most European countries. The tradition began in England around 1310, during the reign of Edward II. It was attended at the opening of each term of Court by all members of the Bench and Bar. Today the Red Mass is celebrated annually at Westminster Cathedral
In the United States, the first Red Mass was held in 1877 at Saints Peter and Paul Church Detroit, Michigan, by Detroit College, as the University of Detroit Mercy was known at the time. UDM School of Law resumed the tradition beginning in 1912 and continues to hold it annually. In New York City, a Red Mass was first held in 1928 at the Church of St. Andrew, near the courthouses of Foley Square, celebrated by Cardinal Patrick Joseph Hayes, who strongly advocated and buttressed the legal community’s part in evangelization.
From wikipedia
Silent on abortion. That says it all.
The headline is an example of agenda politics. This is the Red Mass, a long-standing tradition in the church. In DC it is held before the opening of the fall session of SCOTUS in October. If you were reporting on the DC Red Mass would you headline it as Cardinal honors Republicans?
Bob One, you misread the title of the article. It is not about politics at all. Which party offcially endorses, fully supports and promotes the sin, the crime of abortion– the murder of unborn children– in its official platform? The Democratic Party. The Catholic Church teaches that abortion– the murder of unborn children– is a very serious mortal sin. Catholics who support and promote the sin and crime of abortion should be prohibited from reception of Holy Communion, and called to repentance. Catholics in the field of law and justice are called to fully support protection of the lives of all unborn children, and to seek to protect all life, from the moment of conception until natural death, as our Catechism states. Looks like this Red Mass at the L.A. Cathedral was a farce, a total hypocrisy.
They have changed the title since this morning but the original title is:
California’s top judge praises St. Thomas More at LA Red Mass
You state that: Catholics in the field of law and justice are called to fully support protection of the lives of all unborn children, and to seek to protect all life, from the moment of conception until natural death, as our Catechism states. That isn’t totally true. They are called to support the Constitution and the laws of the states and the union. Public officials take an oath to support the Constitution, not a religious belief, etc. They may even say “So help me God” at the end of the oath, but we never say which God do we.
It does not matter what field you enter– law, medicine, teaching, etc. Your first duty is always and forever to Almighty God. If your teaching profession tells you to support Planned Parenthood, and lessons on promiscuity, contraception, and how to obtain abortions for kids, and LGBT lessons, gay sex, and same-sex marriage lessons for kids, and to hide transgender students’ gender changes from parents, and give kids pornographic books to read; if your law profession tells you to support and promote the killing of unborn babies, or euthanasia for the handicapped, sick, mentally ill, elderly, poverty-stricken, etc.– if your medical profession demands that you prescribe contraception, support or perform IVF, create test tube babies, approve surrogate mothers, freeze embryos, perform sterilization or prescribe or perform bodily mutilations of the sex organs– or any other bodily mutilations– or if the medical prifession demands that you support, promote, or perform abortions, or assist in them– etc.– you must tell them, “No.”
Just as in Adolph Hitler’s Germany– you must say “No” to Hitler’s killing of Jews, to his genocide of handicapped and sick children and adults, his genocide of gays, and of all “imperfect” people, unwanted by crazy, racist Hitler. Sacrifice your life, if you must! Do not kill. Protect the sacredness of life, from conception to natural death. Your first duty is always to obey the Lord– not flawed, wayward human beings. In the era of slavery, many fine people of all professions and of all religious denominations, tried to end slavery and help the Blacks– and they finally succeeded in ending slavery! Today, Christianity is outlawed in Communist and Islamic countries– but brave, devoted missionaries, Catholic and Protestant, go to these countries anyway, to preach Christ’s teachings, regardless. Many Christians, all denominations, clergy and laity, are regularly killed, in Communist and Islamic countries. In all historical eras, Christians are called to give their lives to Christ, and fight all Evils. You must not be a cowardly baby. You must be a full-grown adult Christian, in all historical eras, and stand for Christ, pray and resist Evil, fight for what is right. That is what a Red Mass, a White Mass, a Blue Mass, etc. must exist for– to stand for Christ, in all professions, to fight Evil and bring God’s Justice to all, especially the most helpless and vulnerable, the unborn children– God’s precious infants. You must never sell your soul to the Devil, and sin grievously, like Gov. Gavin Newsom, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Pres. Joe Biden, etc. and cause millions to unjustly suffer. The blood of millions of senselessly slaughtered, helpless unborn children, cries out to their Creator for Justice.
I think these white Masses and red Masses and blue Masses should be quietly discontinued. Why the medical, law and police professions? Why not construction workers (a brown Mass), or hospitality workers (a yellow Mass), or pilots (a yellow Mass)? You get the point.
Especially when these Masses give platforms and cover to politicians who contravene Catholic morality, why are we doing this?
They come from a time when Catholicism was in full force. Even today, such masses are important in developing relationships with the local community, and introducing more non-Catholics to the beauty of Catholicism. That’s the role it’s played in my city, at least. The Church should not be running away from its community-based role, because something worse will take its place.
The mass is not the problem; the people in control are.
And they need and deserve our prayers.
Once again, the music at the cathedral Mass was pretty bad.
Do we attempt to convert “people of various faith traditions” anymore? Or is that all passe now?
The Red Mass homilist, Jesuit Father Edward Siebert, Rector of the LMU Jesuit community, ought to apply the words of Jesus in St. Luke 12:48 to his Jesuit community and to LMU — an irresponsible, abysmal failure, before Almighty God.
I like her comment about protecting the Rights of the most vulnerable but I guess it does not include babies in the womb
25% of Democrats are pro-life.
A recent Gallup Poll indicated that in the U.S., about 26% of Democrats are Pro Life, and about 22% of Republicans are pro abortion. But among politicians, the two parties are very polarized. Almost all Democratic politicians support abortion, and almost all Republican politicians are pro life. Pro Life Democratic politicians are very few, and are actually a dying breed– nearly extinct. The Democratic Party Platform promotes contraceptives and abortion, and seeks to repeal the Hyde Amendment and all abortion restrictions and anti-abortion laws, and seeks to codify a woman’s “right” to obtain an abortion. Some Pro Life Democratic politicians are changing to the Republican Party, because of this.
Democrats support bad policies in just about every area, not just abortion. They are on the wrong side of almost everything. They ruin almost everything. Just look at what’s happening in and to Democrat controlled cities and states. Look at the schools. Look at the universities. The evidence is aplenty. If you’re still a Democrat, it’s either because you’re rich enough that you’re not impacted by foolish Democrat policies, or you get welfare assistance from Democrat programs. No reasonable, hardworking, sane American adult would be a Democrat.
“No reasonable, hardwaorking, sane American adult would be a Democrat.” Yes! Amen to that!
You can bet it means illegal aliens and gays.
Prolife attorneys aren’t welcome at any dioceses Red Masses
I suspect if a homilist got up and played the role of John the Baptist and called the abortion advocates a brood of vipers, that this Red Mass would be the final one.
I expect the Cathedral to hold a memorial Mass for the repose of the soul of actor Matthew Perry. He was a Friend to all of us. No one told him life was gonna be this way.
I love dark humor. Thank you.
Many Catholic students at Notre Dame Univ. in South Bend, Indiana, are very upset, because Notre Dame has authorized a big Drag Queen show and symposium next Friday, Nov. 3rd, and the University will give students a one-hour course credit for attendance. Where is the respect, devotion and honor to Our Lady, at Notre Dame?
Gay and trans are a social cancer. Notre Dame has become the PanderChurch.
Stop your hatred. How would you like to be called a cancer to society?
Anything attached to the mass is wrong. The mass is the Holy Sacrifice and only the Sacrifice. All these other titles is distortion.