Antonin Scalia, the longest serving justice on current the U.S. Supreme Court has died. Family sources confirm he passed away in his sleep overnight, during a hunting trip at a ranch resort in Texas. One official says the 79-year-old justice didn't feel well when he went to bed. When he did not show up for breakfast officials found Scalia unresponsive in his room.

Chief Justice John Roberts said the high court is saddened by the news. He said, "Scalia was an extraordinary man and jurist...and his passing is a great loss for the court and the nation."

Justice Scalia, the first Italian American to sit on the nation's highest court, was appointed in 1986 by President Ronald Reagan. Fearing his death will change the balance on the high court, republicans are calling for the next president to nominate his replacement.  President Barack Obama announced Saturday night that his will fulfill his constitutional responsibility and nominate a successor in due time, giving the Senate plenty of time to give that person a fair hearing and a timely vote.

The passing of Justice Scalia may well have an impact on the contraception mandate case involving the Catholic Dioceses of Erie and Pittsburgh. The case known as the Little Sisters of the Poor Home for the Aged v. Burwell, will be argued on March 23. Bishop Persico has called it, "an important and historic opportunity to defend our religious liberty." As scheduled now, the case is to be heard during holy week.

Observers say several pending cases before the high court were expected to result in 5 - 4 decisions. According to The Federalist website, without a full nine justices on the bench, decisions that are tied with a 4-4 vote, would have no binding precedent, meaning that the lower court ruling would be upheld.

Erie News Now reached out to Bishop Persico, who thanked us for our interest, but had no new information and could not comment on how the case involving the diocese may be affected by the change in the court.