Group wants bust of first Catholic chief justice gone from City Hall

Published: 2007-08-16

BALTIMORE (CNS) -- A bust of the first Catholic chief justice of the United States may be removed from its prominent perch in front of Frederick's City Hall if a group of civil rights activists gets its way. Pointing to Chief Justice Roger Taney's role in writing the Dred Scott v. Sanford decision that declared blacks to be noncitizens and that made slavery legal in all territories, members of the Frederick chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People are calling on city leaders to take down the bust. The movement has drawn a mixed response from the Catholic community, with some leaders arguing that it is wrong to remove a piece of art honoring a historic figure while others said the move could promote a sense of healing. Guy Djoken, head of the NAACP in Frederick, did not return numerous calls and e-mails from The Catholic Review, Baltimore archdiocesan newspaper, requesting comment about the controversy. "We can look back and say the decision was a mistake and contrary to the teachings of the church, but he still was an important historic figure of the time," said Msgr. Martin Feild, pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Taneytown.

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