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This is a list of all American Roman Catholics who have served as Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States. The first Roman Catholic Supreme Court Justice was Roger B. Taney. It was almost 60 years before another Roman Catholic justice was appointed.

Religion has historically been a factor in the appointment and confirmation of nominees to the United States Supreme Court. To be sure, the impact of religion, race, and gender on appointments to the U.S. Supreme Court. Their impact as a factor in presidential decisions is controversial. To understand them, political and historical contexts need to be explored. Therefore, pundits have attempted to analyze, by groups or as members of groups, appointments of Catholics, Jews, blacks and women. Ostensibly, this is to explore "a history of decision-making based on the recognition of specific groups." Interviews with seven Court members address the question of whether "representative" factors should play a role in nominating justices.

Such analyses have been subject to criticism. Indeed, there is real disagreement as to what, if any, effect religious affiliation has on judicial performance.

There are those who strongly believe that demographic considerations should be no consideration at all in the selection process.

That there have been thirteen Catholics as members of the Supreme Court in its more than 200 year history is a fact. Historically, only one Catholic was on the court at a time (with the exception of White/McKenna): there was a "tradition" of a so-called "Catholic seat."

In contrast to historical patterns, we have gone from a "Catholic seat" to a "Catholic court." The reasons for that are subject to debate, and are a matter of intense public scrutiny.

More interestingly, that the majority of the Court is now Catholic, and that appointments of Catholics has become accepted (and preferred) in the past two decades, represents an historical 'sea change.' Indeed, it has fostered accusations that the court has become "a Catholic boys club" (particularly as the Catholics chosen tend to be politically conservative) and a wish that non-Catholics be nominated.

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N.B., Justice Minton converted to Catholicism after his retirement. James F. Byrnes was raised as Catholic, but converted to Episcopalianism before his confirmation as a Supreme Court Justice.