 The first Catholic plurality on the Court occurred in 2005 , when Chief Justice Rehnquist was succeeded in office by Chief Justice John Roberts , who became the fourth sitting Catholic justice . On January 31 , 2006 , Samuel Alito became the fifth sitting Catholic justice , and on August 6 , 2009 , Sonia Sotomayor became the sixth . By contrast , there has been only one Catholic U.S. President , John F. Kennedy ( unrelated to Justice Kennedy ) , and one Catholic U.S. Vice President , Joe Biden , and there has never been a Jewish U.S. President or Vice President . 
