Getty Alito, Breyer, Kagan, Scalia, and Thomas skip papal address to Congress

Less than half of the Supreme Court attended Pope Francis' historic address to Congress on Thursday morning, including three Catholic no-shows.

Cameras showed Chief Justice John Roberts joined by justices Anthony Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Roberts, Kennedy and Sotomayor are all Catholics, while Ginsburg is Jewish.


Notably absent were Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, all of whom are Catholic. Also absent were Stephen Breyer and Elena Kagan, who are Jewish.

A Supreme Court spokeswoman declined to comment on the justices' schedules.

However, Alito and Breyer were out of town Thursday for previously scheduled engagements, according to press reports and news releases.

Alito was teaching and speaking at the University of Kentucky, while Breyer was in Northern California speaking and promoting his new book, “The Court and the World.”

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