O'Malley to preside at Kennedy funeral

Boston.com ^ | August 28, 2009 | Michael Paulson

[NYer]

Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston will preside at the funeral of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy tomorrow at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (the Mission Church). The Rev. J. Donald Monan, a Jesuit priest who was the longtime president of Boston College and is now the chancellor, will be the principal celebrant. And the Rev. Mark R. Hession, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, will deliver the homily.

PROGRAM DETAILS:

First Reading: Curran Raclin, stepson
Responsorial: Kara Kennedy Allen, daughter
Second Reading: Caroline Raclin, stepdaughter
Homily: Rev. Mark Hession
Intercessory Prayers: Kennedy's four grandchildren, and the youngest grandchild of each of his siblings, will read quotes from his speeches. (The family chose to honor the youngest children because Kennedy was the youngest in his family.)
Offertory: Grandchildren
Music by Yo-Yo Ma
Communion
Music by Placido Domingo accompanied by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus
"Ave Maria" by Susan Graham of the Metropolitan Opera
Tribute: Edward M. Kennedy Jr. and US Representative Patrick J. Kennedy (sons)
Eulogy: President Obama
Song: America the Beautiful

ANALYSIS:

The family and church officials have essentially chosen to split the roles three ways. Cardinal O'Malley, because of his role as the archbishop of Boston, will technically preside over the funeral, but Fathers Monan and Hession, who had closer relationships with Senator Kennedy, will be far more visible to casual viewers of the liturgy. Monan will celebrate the Mass, which will include presiding over the congregation and reciting the prayers of the Mass and being at the center of the altar during the Eucharist. Hession will deliver the homily, and his task will be to take the readings of the day and apply them to the moment.

[Northern Yankee]

I am speechless at this whole thing.

[trisham]

I know how you feel.

[Alex Murphy]

What people are omitting, however, is not only the fact that Kennedy is getting a big splashy funeral of the type that implies approval, but that Obama is being permitted to speak from a leading position in front of the Church...even though eulogies are not permitted at a Catholic funeral and homilies by someone who is not a priest or not Catholic are not permitted. Furthermore, the one somewhat ambiguous permission for brief remarks by a family member (only at the vigil, IIRC) certainly doesn’t apply to Obama, who is not a family member and will not be brief.

There might be some excuse for Kennedy getting a Church funeral, but there’s much less excuse for his getting a big formal Church funeral, and NO excuse at all for letting someone like Obama speak at it.

I think you summed it up pretty well.

[tioga]

It is long overdue for our beloved Pope Benedict XVI to recall O’Malley to the Vatican and an obscure position and replace him with a conservative man of faith. The faithful in Boston are on the wrong path by their Bishop’s example.

[tioga]

Correction Cardinal’s example.......rme

[rollo tomasi]

Grew up RCC, took part in many Confessions. Priest were Spiritual in nature and part of my repentance were more verbs and not just a bunch of Hail Marys, Our Fathers, and Acts of Contrition. I actually had to publicly denounce, work off, and make restitution towards other people I have wronged. Kennedy knew the sands of time were running out, yet used his time to craft more corruption. "Priest will do the forgiving, my corruption is too much fun to repent from now" at least that is what his actions implied.

Kennedy knew the rules from his childhood. During adulthood, shunned those rules but still used the Church for personal/annulment/"vote for me, I am a strong Catholic" gain.

Did I condemn the man? This is about the reaction from the RCC. If the Church must give him this public display of Spiritual righteousness, as a political LEADER who rejected core teachings of the Church, his confession should have been more forthcoming to amend his sins that effects a broad range of individuals, number 1.

Number 2, How we are to judge actions from another professed Christian/ RCC apparently not doing it's job?

Number 3, How Clergy are ordered to hold leaders more accountable?

Number, 4 How God judges leaders/Professed “Christians” more harshly?

Number 5 by default we are all sinners, duh, do we go through life sinning and BELIEVING but is it wrong thinking, “When I am dying I will just regurgitate my actions knowing Jesus will forgive me. Heck, I can have no regrets and still get in, right?”

Kennedy's soul is where Christ deems worthy to be. As those still in our temporal bodies, we must make sure Godly institutions that praise men do it righteously.

[Antoninus]

This is a scandal.

What are the chances that any of these priests will say one word about the role Kennedy played advancing the Culture of Death during his life?

I'd say 0%.

[John W]

On a thread last night it was said the family wanted this held in the Cathedral and the Church turned them down. I know that doesn’t make this today right, but, its something.

[m4629]

I am watching the funeral. Just caught something very disappointing.

All 3 persons — Kennedy’s daughter and step children, who walked to and from the pulpit from the pew, did not stop to genuflect or even bow at the Tabernacle.

This goes to show just how much their parents taught them about the Mass.

[Mrs. Don-o]

As I understand it, the canons say the homily must be given only by a priest or deacon, and that it must be centered on the readings (three principal readings: Old Testament Lesson, Gospel and Epistle: The Word) at the Funeral Mass. Although the homily will of course allude to the deceased, it is not supposed to be a "eulogy" (reminiscence and words of praise) so much as a lesson recalling the Chrstian understanding of death, judgment, eternity.

Many churches deal with this canon by allowing a family member to give a eulogy, not at the pulpit located in the sanctuary,, which is reserved for the priest, but at a lectern, at the end of (or after) the Mass. I gave a eulogy in this way for my father after his Funeral Mass.

It seems clear that Obama will be giving a full-fledged oration. This is overt political exploitation and a travesty.

[Uri’el-2012]

Absolutely shameful display of Catholic hypocracy. Kennedy supported abortion, infidelity, rape, cowardice, fornication, and drunkenness.

And that was just in his personal life.
That did not cover all the sins that he promoted as a politician.

shalom b'SHEM Yah'shua HaMashiach

[AliVeritas]

The running away of Vatican II.

Now you see the socialist infiltration.

It’s no longer care for the poor (because we’ll always have them with us), train one to do for one’s self (even as an orphan you learned a trade back then), now it’s radical change in some of these factions.

Shows the difference in where Ted went with his faith and Eunice with hers.

May God have mercy.

[rollo tomasi]

"...we must make sure Godly institutions that praise men do it righteously."

Let me add, which is why the hierarchy of the American RCC turns me off. Honoring corrupt men of power while getting pissed on makes for a weak Church. The autonomy of American Catholic dioceses needs to be reigned in big time. RCC'rs have full fledged approval to vote for leaders like Kennedy, who through his actions, used the Church as a urinal instituted by his policies and presumably "generous donations" in order to establish Spiritual "credibility".

It starts with Churches comprised of strong convictions who show tough love that educates and lead. All we get here is corruption due to a weak Church, ignoring the bad while praising dependency of social justice through a noxious earthly bureaucracy.

And deathbed confession usually leak out. Read multiple examples and indeed if Kennedy had actually repented will be with Christ. Question, as a leader with great influence, should one make his repentance of policies that were at war with God public? Any proper Priest would urge him to do so as part of the repentance process (Even on his/hers deathbed through some type of correspondence), being a law maker and all.

[AliVeritas]

Amen.

[AliVeritas]

He had a death bed confession and Last Rites.

[AliVeritas]

Just think of the opportunity if one of the presiders gave the homily on amending lives and repentance...

What an opportunity.

[AliVeritas]

Excellent point.

[The Great RJ]

I knew Kennedy would get buried with an Arch Bishop or Cardinal presiding at his funeral. What a travesty for one of the staunchest abortion advocates to have a Cardinal presiding over his funeral.

[Mrs. Don-o]

We can still pray for that.

[A.A. Cunningham]

Kennedy and Reggie were married in a civil ceremony in his home in McLean, Virgina not in the Church.

At least the church balked and refused to annul the marriage of Joseph Kennedy JR, RFK’s oldest.

The Archdiocese of Boston granted the annulment of the marriage of Joseph P. Kennedy II and Sheila Rauch but it was later reversed by the Vatican.