Posted on 09/01/2009 6:54:07 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Incredible how much the days since Ted Kennedy's death have been dominated by revelations about his apparently deeply felt Roman Catholicism—from a priest's account of the senator's final hours to the decision to hold his funeral at an out-of-the-way church where Kennedy sought healing to stories of how his faith begat his political passions.
At Kennedy's burial on Saturday came another revelation, as Washington, D.C., Archbishop Emeritus Theodore McCarrick read from a poignant letter that President Obama delivered from Kennedy to Pope Benedict XVI last month, along with portions of the Vatican's reply.
Excerpts of Kennedy's letter to the pope:
Most Holy Father I asked President Obama to personally hand deliver this letter to you. As a man of deep faith himself, he understands how important my Roman Catholic faith is to me, and I am so deeply grateful to him. I hope this letter finds you in good health. I pray that you have all of God's blessings as you lead our church and inspire our world during these challenging times. I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines. I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago and although I continue treatment, the disease is taking its toll on me. I am 77 years old and preparing for the next passage of life. I have been blessed to be part of a wonderful family and both of my parents, particularly my mother, kept our Catholic faith at the center of our lives. That gift of faith has sustained and nurtured and provides solace to me in the darkest hours. I know that I have been an imperfect human being, but with the help of my faith I have tried to right my path. I want you to know Your Holiness that in my nearly 50 years of elective office I have done my best to champion the rights of the poor and open doors of economic opportunity. I have worked to welcome the immigrant, to fight discrimination and expand access to health care and education. I have opposed the death penalty and fought to end war. Those are the issues that have motivated me and have been the focus of my work as a United States senator. I also want you to know that even though I am ill, I am committed to do everything I can to achieve access to health care for everyone in my country. This has been the political cause of my life. I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health field and I will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone. I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness, and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings of my faith. I continue to pray for God's blessings on you and on our church and would be most thankful for your prayers for me.
Excerpts of the Vatican's response, delivered to Kennedy two weeks later: The Holy Father has the letter which you entrusted to President Barack Obama, who kindly presented it to him during their recent meeting. He was saddened to know of your illness, and asked me to assure you of his concern and his spiritual closeness. He is particularly grateful for your promise of prayers for him and for the needs of our universal church.
His Holiness prays that in the days ahead you may be sustained in faith and hope, and granted the precious grace of joyful surrender to the will of God, our merciful Father. He invokes upon you the consolation and peace promised by the Risen Savior to all who share in His sufferings and trust in His promise of eternal life.
Commending you and the members of your family to the loving intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of wisdom, comfort and strength in the Lord.
Sorry, no sale. Kennedy FOUGHT the church on the most important issue....life.
These people have no shame. No shame whatsoever.
p.s. His Holiness also wants you to know that the relatives of the young woman you killed had written before you, and that their prayers and intentions have also been addressed. His Holiness asked me to tell you you will not need a coat where you are going.
My thought exactly. I guess he just forgot to mention that while opposing the death penalty, he did not champion for life for all.
The biggest BS line that is frequently repeated. If you have some kind of critical health emergency, there's not an ER in this country that can turn you away. Everyone has access to a hospital - irrespective of your sex, race, religion or sexual preference. But, it's not my responsibility to pay your doctor's tab.
Sounds like a papal form letter to me.
“never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings of my faith”
Well, to Kennedy “abortion” “partial-birth abortion” “homosexual marriage” were never a part of the “fundamental” beliefs of Catholics.
I bet it was a confession concerning an Oldsmobile and certain woman...
It was alleged that Leonid Brezhnev, the General Party Secretary of the Soviet Union, having spent many years trying to extinguish religion from the officially atheist Soviet Union, while on his death bed said something to the effect of, “We must preserve communism in the world, or God will never forgive us.”
Sainthood in the future for a member of the Kennedy clan? ;-)
The rehabilitation of Edward Kennedy proceeds apace. In the final analysis, it will end in a whimper and a snarl.
It is not a Christian ethic to compel people to give money by threat of force.
In 2nd Corinthians 9:7, the Apostle Paul says, “Every man as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver.”
Paul must’ve forgotten the part where the collectivist state has to force people to give by threats of violence and then take 90% of the take for itself to defray “Administrative Costs”.
While a genuine Christian will feel compassion and gladly give when he sees a need that he can meet, only a THIEF and a CHARLATAN would want to extort people by guilt-tripping them and threatening them.
Nothing there about absolving Ted of his sins, but then Ted's letter was hardly a Confession. Ted was not a person I'd say set a good example of obedience, to God or the Catholic Church.
Like most politicians, an unrepentant liar right to the end.
Ted is in his eternal habitat. Whether it be heaven or hell, GOD only knows. No amount of prayer, no number of Masses … his fate is sealed.
Agree ... either that, or one of those letters that went around where you check the boxes.
Okaaaay....Now I find this creepy weird.
Well, Holy Father, you know the way it is. Judas Iscariot had a job to do and he did it. Same with me. Ease off and there’ll be some serious indulgence money in the Vatican poorbox. What the hell, Pope, can’t take it with me and don’t want to leave it to my pervert family either. My mother, Rose, will be pleased that I sent some seriously long green your way and had the common sense and dignity to send it in freshly printed and unmarked bills which are not in serial number order via a guy most would not tag as a courrier since he has good cover. Sorry he happened to be a..., but you can understand that I’m a little pressed for time right now, and chances are George W. Bush wouldn’t help me out discreetly in a matter such as this. He’s such a prig.
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