Letter to the Editor: STM Society Responds

Published: September 13, 2007

To the Editor:

It appears from recent comments about the St. Thomas More Society’s Award decisions (The Georgia Bulletin, Sept. 6) that some may misunderstand the nature of our society and the purpose of its award.

Our Society is an association of Catholic lawyers that is independent of the Archdiocese. It receives no sponsorship or funding from the church. We formed the society in 1993 as a means to share our Roman Catholic faith, and to deepen and develop our intellectual and professional lives. Since 1995, we have sponsored the Red Mass, in which we pray for the Holy Spirit’s blessings and gifts upon the judiciary, the legal profession and others who administer justice.

The STMS’s awards luncheon follows the Mass. It is a separate, invitation-only event sponsored by various law firms, not the Archdiocese. We invite judges—the overwhelming majority of whom are non-Catholics—and attorneys and other guests of various faiths.

At the luncheon, we present the St. Thomas More Award to one or more judges, lawyers or other persons to recognize clearly defined, very specific acts, without regard to the recipient’s political or religious persuasions. Most of the judges and officials attending (including award recipients) are non-Catholics. Last year we recognized for specific actions a Protestant Republican and Jewish Democrat. Former Gov. Barnes happens to be a Democrat and a Southern Baptist. We have no reason to expect that he—or any other judge or other non-Catholic luncheon guest—subscribes to every aspect of the church’s teachings.

In honoring Gov. Barnes, our board focused on two distinct decisions. The first was his decision to remove from Georgia’s flag the Confederate battle flag, which had been added in 1956 to signify the State’s defiant rejection of federal desegregation efforts. The Confederate emblem’s adoption and frequent display by racist organizations, ranging from the KKK to the American Nazi Party, had transformed it into an unmistakable mark of oppression, racism and white supremacy for at least 40 percent of Georgia’s citizens. The firestorm erupting when former Gov. Zell Miller had tried to change the flag made Barnes well aware that his decision could cost him re-election (which it did).

Second, upon leaving office after his 2002 defeat, Gov. Barnes eschewed a lucrative partnership in a prominent law firm. He chose, instead, to serve the needy, first working without pay at Atlanta Legal Aid, and then by opening a consumer protection law firm. We believe that both our non-Catholic judicial guests and our Catholic attorney-members view these actions as worthy of recognition.

This award celebrates specific acts. It is not a lifetime achievement award. Nor does it attempt to pass judgment on any other action of the recipient. For that reason, we did not consider whether persons who are not members of our society might object, based on their characterizations of this retired public official’s position on abortion (which was mixed) more than five years ago. Nor did we seek approval from anyone at the Archdiocese before deciding on this award. That this Protestant may not share all of our moral and theological convictions does not disqualify him from recognition.

As faithful, practicing Catholics, we believe in the Catholic teaching that because human life begins at conception, its sacred nature compels our protection from that moment. We are firmly committed to protecting human life at all stages. We try to manifest this belief in our daily personal, professional and political lives. As the society’s directors, however, we do not apply a litmus test of Roman Catholic orthodoxy to our award recipients. Our decision should not be mischaracterized or misinterpreted as anyone’s compromise on “pro-life” issues, or as an endorsement of a “pro-choice” or other agenda. This award simply recognizes two actions that this assembly of judges and lawyers consider worth recognizing. We would rather lead through the example of our lives, placing our trust and hope in the quiet but inexorable grace of the Holy Spirit to move hearts and minds.

St. Thomas More was a practical man, and a reluctant martyr. At this year’s Red Mass, we expect to see a majority of the justices of the Georgia Supreme Court, and dozens of other trial and appellate court judges. Some will be present to receive the Holy Spirit specifically because of Gov. Barnes. Most are non-Catholic; but all, God willing, will be touched in some way.

The Holy Spirit will do the rest.

Michael A. Caldwell
Co-founder and board member, St. Thomas More Society