WASHINGTON, DC — “Perhaps if more of us directed our thoughts in the ways of peace, we would discover and develop a more civil society and learn to live in harmony with our neighbors.” His Excellency, the Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, J.C.D., Archbishop for the Military Services, USA, preached that message to prominent legal professionals including U.S. Supreme Court Justices, Vice-President JD Vance, and others at the annual Red Mass on Sunday at the Cathedral of Saint Matthew the Apostle in the Nation’s Capital.
More than one-thousand congregants participated in the 9:00 a.m. Mass, sponsored annually by the John Carroll Society to mark the beginning of the Supreme Court’s new term on the first Monday of October. His Eminence Robert Cardinal McElroy of Washington was the principal celebrant while Archbishop Broglio preached the homily, reminding those gathered that charity is “the greatest of virtues” which “dominates all professions and becomes the currency by which we act in our world.” Noting the purpose of the occasion, he observed: “How appropriate that we gather at the traditional beginning of the judicial year to beg divine blessings on our human endeavors by invoking the guidance of the Holy Spirit and entrusting our cares to a loving God who brings consolation to us.”
Archbishop Broglio reflected further on the relationship between Christian love and the law:
“In the Gospel passage taken from the farewell discourse of Jesus to His disciples at the Last Supper, the Lord makes it clear that there is a link between love and respect for the commandments. We do not often think about that link, because so often a rule is interpreted as a restraint or a limit that somehow restricts my liberty. In the mouth of Jesus Christ, it becomes clear that my respect for the commandments is an expression of my response to the loving God who has given me these precepts to ensure my happiness or my respect for my neighbor.
“Essentially liberty in the Christian context is not from, but rather for. We have been redeemed, freed from sin, so that we might give witness to the Gospel, so that we might meet our neighbors’ needs, or so that we might respect his rights. Keeping the Lord’s word also means that the Triune God dwells with us and we draw on His presence to move forward. Gradually, we learn that we are not the center of existence.
“If we all took that to heart we probably would need fewer courts and smaller police forces. However, life is always a pilgrimage and we are always in the process of growing into our more perfect response to the divine grace held out to us….”
Archbishop Broglio recalled how the late Pope Francis once told him that honest dialogue, or “authentic synodal discussion, would be guided by the Holy Spirit and the result would be harmony….”
“I was thinking about that notion when we celebrated the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It was a national event, but with the exception of the descendants of those who welcomed Columbus, of the passengers of the Mayflower, and of the other early immigrants who were already here, few of our ancestors had yet arrived in this land. Certainly, mine were in some German dutchy and in Borgofranco d’Ivrea—probably all ignorant of the colonies in rebellion against Britain. Yet, we all celebrated last July, because this has become home and its history our history. The same is also true for those arriving today and at the end of the last century. All contribute to building up the nation.”
Read the full text of Archbishop Broglio’s homily here.
According to the John Carroll Society, the Red Mass traces its origins back centuries to Rome, Paris, and London. Its name exemplifies the scarlet robes worn by royal judges who attended the Mass hundreds of years ago. In the U.S., the Red Mass tradition began in 1928 at the old Saint Andrew’s Church in New York City and is now increasingly celebrated in communities nationwide.