Wasn’t This Settled Years Ago? : Thomas’ past Catholicism has nothing to do with anything

He’s Catholic .

Those words once prompted serious questions about a presidential candidate. John F. Kennedy faced religious bigotry 30 years ago. During his campaign he was forced to dispel fears that he would answer to the Pope instead of to the American people.

Some would raise the same sort of doubt about Clarence Thomas, the appeals court judge who is President Bush’s choice to replace Thurgood Marshall on the U. S. Supreme Court. Thomas is no stranger to bigotry; he’s black. But the religious faith in which he was reared--Catholicism--has attracted too much attention in this case.

Many are speculating on how Thomas would rule on a revisit to Roe vs. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that permits legal abortion. Virginia’s Gov. Doug Wilder has said that because Thomas is a “devout Catholic,” he should indicate how he stands on abortion. That demand, which Wilder later apologized for, is reminiscent of the historical religious scorn directed at Catholics by other Americans.

Roughly 10% of black Americans are Catholic. Many trace that religious heritage to missionaries who converted slaves or recently freed men and women; there are strong black Catholic traditions in Louisiana, Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri.

Thomas, who now attends Episcopal services, acknowledges the influence of a devout grandfather and the nuns who taught at his all-black parochial school at a time when separate black parishes were common. Thomas also acknowledges the racial discrimination he suffered as the only black student at a Catholic boarding school; it influenced him to leave a seminary in Missouri.

There are legitimate questions about the qualifications of this Supreme Court nominee. Will he be open-minded, independent and judicious? Will he make decisions based on an understanding of the law and the Constitution?

But to suggest that a nominee’s religion, sex, race or ethnicity automatically makes him suspect is a form of bigotry.