Mattei Radu -- RIP

Those MOJ readers and visitors to Villanova  who had the privilege of knowing Mattei Radu, a 2006 graduate of Villanova Law, will share our sadness that Mattei died on Friday (of natural causes).   Mattei attended nearly every CST conference, Scarpa conference, and the like, and he made a point of meeting and engaging as many speakers as possible.  Mattei enjoyed good debate on the weightier matters of the law.  A fine student at Villanova (including in my seminar on sovereign immunity), he then went on to further graduate studies at the LSE and, this year, NYU.  Mattei had also started publishing, including recently in the Villanova Law Review, on topics related to Catholic social doctrine.  Mattei was an ardent and tireless pro-life advocate, a young man (not yet thirty years old) possessed of striking joi de vivre all around.  A tireless traveler, he used to send me postcards from churches and shrines all around the world, ones he knew I would find especially beautiful or meaningful.  A first obituary, which offers a little more of a portrait, is here.  Mattei had been working toward being a law professor, but, as much as I relish my work as a law professor, I'll go out on a limb and speculate that Mattei has better work now.  Every death, though, and perhaps especially one of a young man so alive with the faith and with good works, reminds us why Jesus wept at Lazarus' death.