[Heartofsong83]

Also, isn't Alito a strong Catholic, and the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the death penalty?

[jveritas]

Thomas is a Catholic, Roberts is a Catholic, and Scalia is a Catholic? This has nothing to do with being Catholic, it is about Alito needing more time to decide, since he has been on the Supreme Court for just few hours!

[highball]

Also, isn't Alito a strong Catholic, and the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the death penalty?

Yes, and yes.

But that shouldn't have anything to do with it.

I don't care what his faith says about any issue, only what the Constitution says on it. The Church can dislike the death penalty all it likes, but there's no basis in the Constitution to prohibit it, and therefore Justice Alito's religious beliefs are not material.

Only the Constitution of the United States is the issue. If he lets his faith decide these cases, then he's an activist judge.

[caffe]

Too bad it was'nt Teddy Kennedy under appeal. I do believe Alito would have gone with the minority!

Actually, I don't believe this tells us anything about Alito.

[wally-balls]

"Also, isn't Alito a strong Catholic, and the Catholic Church is strongly opposed to the death penalty?"

So if he's being guided by his faith in this instance then we should be encouraged the next time an abortion case comes before the court