The Catholic Life Of Federal Judge John Roll -Killed In Arizona

As I mentioned today I am going to get into several parts of the incredible tragedy we saw in Arizona. I wanted to focus on Federal John Judge Roll today.

There have been some parts of the media coverage that I have questioned as to these events. It seems that often Federal John Roll has been an afterthought.

That is in part because he was NOT the target of the assassination. He was a Judge that after going to Mass just happened to stop by. However watching the early hours of this saga when his death was announced it was not clear WHY HE WAS THERE. It was mentioned and they quickly moved on to Giffords for 90 percent of the hour. Even now his death is sort of like media filler at least to the National press.

Though I suspect in the AZ press this is quite different.

In a sense I think this is because for whatever reason the public and indeed the national media have lost the importance of this third branch of Government. For both of us the Govt is often the President and the Congress with the Judiciary making rare appearances. However if one has ever entered a Federal Courtroom one is struck by the awe, power, and majesty of the United States. It has always been impressive to me.

In a sense I wonder if the Judge had been the target and was killed would people be moving on from this story. I only throw that out there because it worries me we are losing a sense that this is not some minor junior branch of Government or something akin to the Post Office. I only bring that up because I have sensed that people think that for a while and this story brings that feeling into clearer focus.

In other words the murder of a Fed Judge even 30 years ago would be more shocking than it is today. However for Lawyers it is still very much like losing an Congressman.

That being said I am glad that Archbishop Chaput wrote a wonderful piece on the Catholic life of Judge Roll. See Archbishop Chaput remembers deep Catholic faith of judge killed in Ariz. shooting