"Brilliant," "Influential" Harvard Law Professor Converts to Catholicism

Harvard law professor Adrian Vermeule was recently received into the Catholic Church, reports Princeton law professor Robert George, himself also Catholic, on Facebook.

Here’s George’s post:

Robert P. George, Facebook

The post says:

“One of our nation’s most brilliant and influential legal scholars, Professor Adrian Vermeule of Harvard Law School, has been received into the Catholic Church. How the Church, weakened and wounded as she is at this historical moment (with the worst of her wounds being self-inflicted), continues to attract such extraordinary men and women is, to me, well . . . a miracle.”

Vermeule is in the center of the picture, flanked by a few priests and another person. The priest on the far right was identified by Facebook commenters as Fr. Brian E. Daley, S.J., professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame. Another commenter said the location appeared to be “outside Corby Hall at Notre Dame.”

Vermeule earned his undergraduate degree at Harvard in 1990 and his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1993. He served as a clerk for Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, who passed away earlier this year and was public about his Catholic faith.

He then taught at the University of Chicago for a few years until joining the Harvard Law School faculty in 2006. And just earlier this year, he was named the Ralph S. Tyler, Jr. Professor of Constitutional Law at Harvard Law School.

Comments on George’s posts were very positive.

“Congratulations Prof. Adrian Vermeule! Welcome to the Catholic family, we share in your joy!” one commenter wrote. “I am speechless!” said another.

Here’s George’s post:

Say a prayer for Professor Vermeule!