Faithful urged to pray against judicial activism

Washington D.C., May 18, 2005 / 22:00 pm

A Christian coalition is urging America’s church leaders and members to pray for an end to judicial activism and for Senators will stop misusing the filibuster rule.

The National Clergy Council and the Christian Defense Coalition want people to pray “that pro-abortion, anti-values forces will not be able to hold the federal courts--and especially the Supreme Court--hostage to their extremist views through pressing Senators to continue the misuse of the filibuster rule.”

“We now understand it was activist courts who ushered in abortion and ordered the removal of prayer from the public schools. It was activist judges who ordered the removal of Terri Schiavo’s feeding tube and demanded that ‘One Nation Under God’ be taken out of the Pledge of Allegiance. And, it is activist courts that are attempting to redefine marriage and family,” Rev. Patrick J. Mahoney, director of the Christian Defense Coalition. 

Yesterday, Fr. Frank Pavone, national director of Priests for Life, welcomed the Senate debate over circuit court nominee Judge Priscilla Owen.

“Once the debate has concluded, I fully expect that the Senate will fulfill its constitutional duty to provide advice and consent on her nomination. Failure to do so would be a breach of the public trust and will become an election issue,” said Fr. Apvone.

Judge Owen's confirmation has been held up for over four years. For the first time in history, Democrats have denied a judicial nominee with clear majority support.

Sen. Barbara Boxer's comments on the Senate floor yesterday completely miss the point on judicial filibusters, said Fr. Pavone. "She claimed that the president has had 95 percent of his judicial nominees approved. What she failed to mention, however, is that not a single judicial nominee who had enjoyed the support of a majority of Senators was denied a vote before this president's first administration," Pavone said. "The relevant numbers are not 208-10 but 10-0."