Catholic attorney draws on faith during judicial nomination process

Published: 2004-08-10

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (CNS) -- Catholic attorney Leon Holmes did not expect his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas would hinge on what he co-wrote for a "church newspaper" six years ago. "I was surprised. I was, yes," he said in an interview with the Arkansas Catholic, Little Rock diocesan newspaper. Holmes submitted samples of his published writings to the Senate Judiciary Committee after his January 2003 nomination to the federal appeals court. Among the samples was a column by him and his wife, Susan, that appeared in the Arkansas Catholic in 1997. Susan Holmes, who had conducted a Bible study about using gender-neutral language in Scripture, was the primary writer of the article titled "Gender-Neutral Language: Destroying an Essential Element of Our Faith," but Leon Holmes helped write portions of it and edited the piece. In it, the Holmeses wrote, "The use of male and female to symbolize the relationship between Christ and the church is pervasive." In the spring of 2003, the column drew a lot of attention from U.S. senators and members of organizations working to keep abortion legal who felt Holmes did not support equality for women. By a narrow margin July 6, Holmes was approved by the Senate to become a federal judge. He said his faith and family helped him throughout the nomination process.

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