Thousands Pour in For Antonin Scalia's Funeral Mass Led by His Son
-President Obama Will Not Attend Procession as He Reviews Possible Supreme Court Nominees
Daily Mail UK, 20 February 2016
Washington is capping two days of official mourning for Antonin Scalia with a funeral Mass for the Supreme Court justice, with thousands expected to pay their respects.
One of Scalia's nine children, the Reverend Paul Scalia, will lead the Mass on Saturday at the nation's largest Roman Catholic church, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.
Among those expected to attend to Mass was Vice President Joe Biden, along with the eight Supreme Court justices. Antonin Scalia, 79, died last weekend at a remote Texas ranch. He had spent nearly three decades on the high court.
Burial plans have not been announced. President Barack Obama will not attend as the White House Press secretary says he will spend a significant portion of his weekend reviewing possible Supreme Court nominees.
Family members follow behind the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia as his casket is brought into the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on Saturday morning
Thousands are expected to pay their respects at a funeral mass for Antonin Scalia on the second day of mourning led by the Supreme Court justice's son, Reverend Paul Scalia
The mass is lead by his son, Reverend Paul Scalia (foreground, far right), who is just one of the late Supreme Court justice's nine children
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, left, and Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas (upper right) take their seats at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception on Saturday
No eulogy is expected. Pictured, US Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz, center, with Cheney in the upper left hand corner
Supreme Court justices Anthony Kennedy (top) and Clarence Thomas attended the service. Thomas, a fellow Catholic whose views aligned most closely with Scalia's, read a passage from the book of Romans
Scalia's colleagues on the Supreme Court, justices Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and best friend Ruth Bader Ginsburg paid their respects
Fellow Catholic, justice Clarence Thomas, read Romans 5:5-11 before Reverend Scalia thanked people on behalf of his family for offering prayers and words of consolation.
He said: 'Many have recounted what Dad did for them- but today we recount what God did for Dad. How he blessed him.'
He went on to acknowledge his mother Maureen, and his father's '55 years of marriage to the woman he loved'.
He said: 'God blessed Dad with a deep Catholic faith. Dad understood that the deeper he went in his Catholic faith, the better a public servant he became.'
Reverend Scalia also praised his father's intellect, but pointed out that more importantly, Antonin Scalia was a family man.
His voice quivered when he said: 'God blessed Dad with a love for his family.'
But he made room for laughs when he revealed: 'Sure, he forgot our names at times or mixed them up, but there are nine of us. He loved us and sought to show that love.
'To have each other for support - that's the greatest wealth parents can bestow. And right now we are particularly grateful for it.
Antonin Scalia, 79, died last weekend at a remote Texas ranch. He had spent nearly three decades on the high court. Burial plans have not been announced.
In addition to the eight justices sitting on the Supreme Court, retired justice John Paul Stevens attended the service with David H. Souter expected to appear as well.
Sandra Day O'Connor, 85, is currently in frail health and did not make it to Saturday's mass.
Arrivals included former Vice President Dick Cheney and his daughter Liz and Republican Sens. John Cornyn of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah.
Several federal judges who are considered possible replacements for Scalia also were at the Mass, including Judges Sri Srinivasan and Patricia Millett and Chief Judge Merrick Garland, all of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
President Barack Obama will not attend, despite criticism from some Republicans. He and first lady Michelle Obama were among the more than 6,000 people who paid tribute to Scalia at the Supreme Court on Friday.
Josh Earnest, Obama's White House Press Secretary, said the president will spend a significant portion of his weekend reviewing individuals who 'may be worthy of consideration'.
He added: 'I would expect the president will spend a significant portion of his weekend digging into those materials'.
Scalia's flag-draped casket rested on a funeral bier that first held President Abraham Lincoln's casket after his assassination.
White House spokesman Josh Earnest pointed to Biden's personal relationship with Scalia's family and said Obama's decision about the Mass was a "respectful arrangement" that took into account his large security detail.
Scalia's casket remained at the Supreme Court until it was brought to the basilica on Saturday morning. In a court tradition, groups of his former law clerks took turns standing vigil.
GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz planned to interrupt his campaign ahead of Saturday's South Carolina primary to attend the Mass.
The Texas senator has been among those urging the Senate not to consider replacing Scalia until after the November election. Obama has insisted that he will nominate a successor.
Scheduled to give opening remarks at the Mass was Washington Archbishop Donald Cardinal Wuerl.
Leonard Leo, executive director of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal group, was to read a passage from the Old Testament, while Justice Clarence Thomas planned to read from the New Testament.
Never before has a funeral for a Supreme Court justice been held at the basilica.
Three popes have visited the basilica: Pope John Paul II in 1979, Pope Benedict XVI in 2008 and Pope Francis last year.