Although there's been much discussion on this page regarding the funeral of Ted Kennedy (and the funeral of his sister, Eunice, two weeks ago), I'm grateful that the conversation here has centered on liturgical concerns and has not devolved, as it has in many places, into a discussion on whether or not the Senator had a "right" to a Catholic funeral and whether or not Cardinal O'Malley should have participated.To counter what has been very strong criticism, Cardinal Sean has a mid-week post on his blog to respond to the critics. (The cardinal's blog usually features a new post on Friday nights only.)
(If you're interested in reading a sampling of the strong criticism, see Michael Paulson's post on the cardinal's statement - and the comments that follow Paulson's post.)
Image: Cardinal Sean O'Malley in the sacristy at Mission Church for the Kennedy funeral
-ConcordPastor
Very beautifully expressed...he took the hatred out of this and acted as Jesus would have. Only God knows the depth of each of our hearts, for that I am grateful!
ReplyDeleteI thought that what he wrote was great - very moving.
ReplyDeleteJudgment is easy, mercy - much more challenging. And I think that it is mercy that we are invited to.
Fran (at work not signed in as me!)
It's simple. We have to assume he repented and thus was allowed a Catholic funeral. But the cameras, president, YoYo Ma etc should have been excluded. The Mass should have said...foregiveness...but should have been kept private for the Kennedy family only in order to make solemn the decades of public sin. Catholicism for decades now has been only about mercy and in this it does not resemble Christ who could be angry aside from being merciful.
ReplyDeleteConcord Pastor lists The Deacon's Bench among his links. If more information concerning "Who can have a Catholic Funeral?" is needed, Deacon Greg has a detailed entry on the subject.
ReplyDeleteBy the way - would Christ never be merciful to those He angered?
I referred readers to The Deacon's Bench for the Deacon's words on Catholic funerals. Well, the words I read earlier seem to have been replaced on the Bench by Cardinal O'Malley's within the last few hours! (Not that his are not of interest!)
ReplyDeleteSean Cardinal O'Malley:
ReplyDeleteI respectfully disagree with your musings regarding the Kennedy funeral. No responsible Catholic demanded Ted Kennedy be denied a Catholic funeral. Nor has any responsible Catholic judged Senator Kennedy's soul.
Responsible criticism was aimed at Kennedy as a public Catholic, and your role as protector of the Liturgy and teacher of the Faith. Your largely passive role at the funeral, while Senator Kennedy's secular political achievements were lauded from the pulpit, without any corresponding input from you about his utter dereliction and active participation in the Culture of Death, diminished your role as teacher and protector.
Many of the self-proclaimed "ardent, practicing Catholics", present in the pews, and watching on television, who twist Catholic social teaching to reflect their own political philosophies, and rationalize their participation in the Culture of Death, were emboldened by your passive presence.
However, so may pro-life, faithful Catholics, who do not hold public offices or have connections to powerful families, were diminished and felt abandoned by your role.
I had some reluctance about publishing the comment above since it's addressed to Cardinal O'Malley and might have been sent to his blog.
ReplyDeleteBut this view is not uncommon and there's a value in it being read here.
I have been pondering Pope Benedict’s words in his new encyclical “Charity in Truth”:
ReplyDelete“To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity.”
To speak the truth is an indispensable form of charity, especially when that truth is unpopular. Our society does not want to hear that the unborn child must not be killed.
Despite whatever good he did, Senator Kennedy spent the better part of his long political career actively working for legislation that would favor abortion. That is not a judgment; it is part of the public record. He even voted in favor of partial-birth abortion, a horrendous procedure in which the baby’s brains are sucked out.
He did immense damage to the pro-life movement. Is that of any consequence in the eyes of the bishops?
While we pray in charity for his soul, it is indeed a deep scandal for the Church to imply that his record on abortion is of no consequence. I realize that the cardinal was in a difficult position, but I am deeply disappointed that the overall impression given by the funeral was that it doesn’t really matter if a Catholic politician ardently supports abortion.
Who is speaking up for the millions of innocents who have been slaughtered and continue to die every day?
While Ted Kennedy had a magnificent funeral, these innocent children are thrown into dumpsters. And no one weeps.
"At times, even in the Church, zeal can lead people to issue harsh judgments and impute the worst motives to one another. These attitudes and practices do irreparable damage to the communion of the Church. If any cause is motivated by judgment, anger or vindictiveness, it will be doomed to marginalization and failure. Jesus’ words to us were that we must love one another as He loves us. Jesus loves us while we are still in sin. He loves each of us first, and He loves us to the end. Our ability to change people’s hearts and help them to grasp the dignity of each and every life, from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death, is directly related to our ability to increase love and unity in the Church, for our proclamation of the Truth is hindered when we are divided and fighting with each other."
ReplyDeleteIs anyone listening??!! Deaf ears?!!
With all due respect to Sr. Lorraine and others, I do not think the funeral of a politician who voted pro-abortion is the place for this teaching. It is a complex issue -- many will ask where are the families to adopt all the unwanted children, where are the programs for the poor? What about all the women who have died or will die because of back alley abortions? Could this at all be where Senator Kennedy was coming from? I am a Catholic woman who was of the belief that although abortion is not a personal choice I would ever make, there still needed to be a choice for other women for the above reasons. But Catholic teachings on this, given in a caring environment, changed my heart, so that my focus now includes a real gut understanding of the horror of all the babies lost. But I also see the need for real answers, solutions that help women in this situation. And beyond that changes that need to happen in our society's attitudes toward sex, the sacredness of our bodies and respect for all life, including the mother's and the existing families living in poverty. There IS the need for more teaching, people's hearts (including politician's) can be converted, but it can't be done in anger, or with rhetoric that damns those on the opposing side.
ReplyDeleteIn Michael Paulson's article printed in The Boston Globe he included the following:
ReplyDelete"But there was also praise. The Rev. James Martin, an associate editor at America magazine, wrote, "Cardinal O'Malley's decision to attend the funeral is large-hearted, compassionate, pastoral, sensitive and, above all, Christian."
I agree with Rev. Martin's assessment and think those very words can be applied to Cardinal Sean's decision to explain his actions on his blog.
Recently, I thought of an old joke about a new arrival to heaven. St. Peter was giving the new arrival a tour when they came to a high-walled enclosure. As they were passing by, the new arrival asked St. Peter what it was. St. Peter said to him, "Shhh..that's where the Catholics are. They don't think anyone else is up here."
A small, but very vocal minority of Catholics, has taken that joke to new realms. Trouble is, their joke is not funny.
Rosemary
Well, at least some LEADERSHIP is being shown in the Cardinal's response to the hate speech being spewed. I still wish he had shown LEADERSHIP when it came to the funeral liturgy.
ReplyDeleteThe quality of mercy is not strain'd,
ReplyDeleteIt droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven
Upon the place beneath: it is twice blest;
It blesseth him that gives and him that takes:
'Tis mightiest in the mightiest: it becomes
The throned monarch better than his crown;
His sceptre shows the force of temporal power,
The attribute to awe and majesty,
Wherein doth sit the dread and fear of kings;
But mercy is above this sceptred sway;
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings,
It is an attribute to God himself;
And earthly power doth then show likest God's
When mercy seasons justice. =================================
Shakespeare was not a Catholic theologian, and probably not a Catholic at all - but it does seem to me he understood mercy in what I would have thought was close to a Catholic way -
I just read the comments on Cardinal Sean's blog regarding his presence at Sen. Kennedy's funeral Mass. I am sorry I read them - too many seemed to be unmerciful to Cardinal Sean,let alone Sen. Kennedy! Who is our rightful Judge?
ReplyDeleteCardinal Sean's own words on his blog were beautiful to me.
I kept thinking about St. Francis -
Interesting exchange of comments. I, too read Cardinal O'Malley's comments, but strongly disagreed with them.
ReplyDeleteHowever,I was fascinated with the notion that strongly held positions, arise to "hate" and "hate speech", unless they reflect your own opinion. I saw some strongly worded comments, that were held, I assume ,as a matter of conscience.
Yes, if you search the fever swamps online, you can find every sort of extreme and vicious commentary. This was not the case on Cardinal Sean's blog. The uncharitable impulse, to brand anyone as a "hater" who disagrees with you, is a detriment to democratic discourse, but presents an even greater barrier to Christians trying to breach the ramparts that divide them.