Cardinal O'Malley Defends Role at Kennedy Rites

The Boston Globe ^ | September 3, 2009 | Michael Paulson

[TaxachusettsMan]

Cardinal O’Malley issued a forceful defense of his decision to participate in the funeral of Senator Kennedy; revealed the substance of a conversation he had with President Obama: Catholic bishops are “anxious to support a plan for universal health care, but we will not support a plan that will include a provision for abortion or could open the way to abortions in the future.’’

But the most impassioned part of the cardinal’s blog post is a de facto plea for greater civility among Catholics when discussing divisive issues. He warned against “harsh judgments’’ and attributing “the worst motives’’ to people with whom Catholics have disagreements, saying “these attitudes and practices do irreparable damage to the communion of the Church.’’

O’Malley said he regretted Kennedy’s support for abortion rights. But “As archbishop of Boston, I considered it appropriate to represent the church at this liturgy out of respect for the senator, his family, those who attended the Mass and all those who were praying for the senator and his family at this difficult time. We are people of faith and we believe in a loving and forgiving God from whom we seek mercy.’’

Raymond Arroyo at EWTN wrote: “The prayer intercessions, endless eulogies, image of the cardinal reading prayers, and finally Cardinal McCarrick interring the remains sent an uncontested message: One may defy church teaching, publicly lead others astray, deprive innocent lives of their rights, and still be seen a good Catholic, even an exemplary one.’’

Also praise. Rev. James Martin, 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.’’

[Ransomed]

Gee Cardinal, thanks for letting everyone know that baby butchery isn’t really that big a deal for you when it comes right down to it. Also thanks for enforcing that way of thinking amongst Catholics everywhere. Keep on trying to teach what the Church believes without ever using discipline to show you mean what you say, you seem to like the results of such efforts.

T.Man: I always thought this Arroyo guy was a stiff, he seemed like a bad used car salesman. I was wrong, he nails it. The lack of discipline from the church as concerns the issue of baby butchery is a scandal that will be looked back at as dwarfing the homosexualist priest scandal.

Freegards

[presently no screen name]

His mission in life is not to be popular but do the right thing which is unpopular. Strip off his fancy robes and he’s a ‘nothing’ but a PC politician. He stands for nothing biblical and everything secular.

[presently no screen name]

I don't think the Catholic hierarchy spoke out against slavery

And we can add the Holocaust to their 'do nothing' list.

[marbren]

All;
I was just curious, How many people on this thread think they are better, more righteous, than Ted Kennedy?

[RexBeach]

Apparently, you haven’t had much experience with bishops, archbishops and cardinals.

Remember this is Boston. And in Boston, everything is political.

[RexBeach]

Not me. I’m just a sinner trying to find my way through this life, and get to heaven by the Grace of God.

No kidding.

[frogjerk]

And we can add the Holocaust to their 'do nothing' list.

I see the Communist propaganda is alive and well.

[marbren]

You mean you are a beggar for grace? Sort of in God’s soup kitchen?

[frogjerk]

I was just curious, How many people on this thread think they are better, more righteous, than Ted Kennedy?

How many Catholics on this thread think they should be complicit in another's (O'Malley) sins ?

[marbren]

If there is one Christian denomination that is most well known and vocal about their opposition to abortion it is the Roman Catholic Church.

[presently no screen name]

I'm not addressing what 'is', I'm address what should be.

There is nothing worse than someone telling the church evil is OK - just accept it for the 'communion of the church'. It's so unbelievable. It's like Zero's 'common ground'. In other words, find some good in my evil so we can all get along.

[marbren]

What if O’Malley’s motivation was mercy?

[presently no screen name]

I totally agree but there is no follow-up. They come out against it but condone it - Notre Dame, Georgetown, O’Malley.

[frogjerk]

There is nothing worse than someone telling the church evil is OK - just accept it for the 'communion of the church'. It's so unbelievable. It's like Zero's 'common ground'. In other words, find some good in my evil so we can all get along.

Nine ways of being an accessory to another’s sin.

1.By Counsel
2.By Command
3.By Consent
4.By Concealment
5.By Defense of Evil Done
6.By Partaking
7.By Provocation
8.By Praise
9.By Silence

[marbren]

So the role of the church should be moral policemen for unbelievers?

[Kenny Bunk]

Of Course, Sean's presence at this Cinco de Mayo ... 4th of July ... St. Paddy's Day affair was scandalous. This funeral should have been held in a small monastery chapel with the attendees keeping their yaps shut and cameras away. Ted, after all, was the guy running around his Palm Beach lawn, drunk out of his mind and in his underwear, while his nephew raped a woman at his home. On Good Friday. Christ died for those sins and mine, He did not advise celebrating them.

Notice that no one has reported Ted receiving the sacraments before death, or reconciling with the church, unless one counts those mealy-mouthed and defensive "letters" as penance. The Cardinal is typical of many Catholic "Thinkers" (Like Bill O'Reilly, Tim Russert, even Chrissie) who see the Democrat Party as the embodiment of Christian Social Justice, which for them is Christian Socialism as practiced in Europe and which is what led to the EU. They combine this with fervent admiration of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Party.

This is 19th C thought. IOW, "Let's make all of those attractive communist social reforms for society, but with Christianity as the key, not the atheism of the real communists. That way, we'll keep those nasty real communist killers out of here and build a perfect society for Jesus! KOOMBAYAH" The real commies think they are fools ... and they have a point.

[frogjerk]

What if O’Malley’s motivation was mercy?

Mercy and Justice are not mutually exclusive. God is merciful AND just.

We can and should pray for Ted Kennedy's immortal soul. I pray to God he will be merciful. I don't want anyone to go to Hell but that is a reality for some. Hell is real and you can end up there.

We should not canonize notorious sinners nor afford them public spectacles. It scandalizes the Church, weakens believers faith among other things. That is not just nor merciful.

[Campion]

And we can add the Holocaust to their 'do nothing' list.

That's absolutely untrue, and is a lie invented by the East German secret police and the KGB.

[Antoninus]

Dear Cardinal O'Malley,

The message I got from the Kennedy Mass was simple.

Money talks.

May God have mercy on your soul.

etc.

[vox_freedom]

What if O’Malley’s motivation was mercy?

I didn't read the word "mercy" in any of his public pronouncements. Maybe I missed it. If he wanted to use the Kennedy funeral as a "teaching moment" he could have recounted the reasons for mercy and urge prayers for the repose of his soul. Instead we see attribution to what was a scandalous life by the eulogies presented in Kennedy's send-off.