John Roberts' Catholic Connections

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John Roberts apparently has always taken his Catholic faith seriously. As a high school student, he was a sacristan, assisting with sacristy upkeep and care of the sacred vessels used in the mass. His parents took him to mass faithfully and sent him to

, an all-male Catholic prep school. There, according to the Washington Post, he excelled at theology among other topics. "Assigned to prepare a 15-minute oral report for theology class, Roberts plowed through seven books, then lectured his fellow students for three consecutive days of class," the Post reported.

Jane Roberts was also steeped in Catholicism. She grew up in an Irish Catholic family in New York City, attended an all-girl Catholic high school, and then went to Holy Cross College, where she remains a trustee.

"They are devout Catholics," the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, Holy Cross College president, has said to reporters.

While John Roberts' public pro-life record seems restricted to one brief against Roe v. Wade written during his tenure as a lawyer in the Reagan administration, Jane Roberts has been a diligent and open pro-life advocate, providing legal assistance to

. She is also active in the

, an organization that encourages Catholic lawyers (she is a partner in a Washington, D.C. law firm) to practice their profession according to high moral standards. Monsignor Vaghi is chaplain to the group.

The Robertses' reputation is one of modesty-the press have reported that friends can't recall Jane Roberts ever swearing-and a low-key but conscientious adherence to the tenets of their faith. Writing in the Washington Post's Style Section last Friday, Hanna Rosin suggested that the couple's decision to adopt their two children stemmed in part from a fidelity to Catholic teaching that prohibits many forms of fertility treatment.

John Roberts, it would appear, isn't a cafeteria Catholic, picking and choosing which teachings of his religion to accept. Former Justice Department lawyer Shannen W. Coffin, a friend of John Roberts, was quoted in The New York Times saying that this should reassure rather than dismay observers, as it means he will approach his job without arrogance.

"John's faith is his faith, and his approach to the law is a separate issue," says Coffin. "If it has any effect, it is in the sense of restraint. the role of the judge is not to be the center of the universe. It stems from the sort of humility of a faithful person," Coffin said-a commendation appropriate to Little Flower's most famous parishioner.