Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia was laid to rest in High Court on Saturday Feb 20. Scalia passed away last weekend at the age of 79. The very vocal conservative Justice’s death has added further contention to an already heated election season, with Democrats and Republicans at odds over the next nomination.
Antonin Scalia’s son, Father Paul Scalia, delivered his father’s funeral Mass service, saying (via CNN):
"God blessed Dad, as it's well known, with a love for his country. He knew well what a close-run thing the founding of our nation was. And he saw in that founding, as did the founders themselves, a blessing. A blessing quickly lost when faith is banned from the public square or when we refuse to bring it there."
Paul’s commemoration also discussed his father’s religious views and how they coincide with his legal interpretations:
"He understood that there is no conflict between loving God and loving one's country, between one's faith and one's public service. Dad understood that the deeper he went in his Catholic faith, the better a citizen and public servant he became."
Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz attended the funeral service and spoke with reporters about his views on a replacement:
"It has been 80 years since the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court nominee who was nominated during an election year and we should not start now. We have an election in just a few months and I think the American people should be able to choose the direction of this court."
