In Catholic theology I suspect, Kennedy will not find grace until he confesses, as to his crime (more likely than not, murder in the second degree). Maybe in Catholic theology, that can be done privately, and maybe he has. However, in Torie "theology," it should be on the floor of the Senate. Absent that, if Torie were God, Kennedy would have a bleak future in the hereafter. I am a hardass. I admit it. Public confession is required for public figures. It is kind of the yang for the ying of the law regarding defamation of public figures. Public crimes require public confession, to balance the books.
And there you have it.
I suspect Kennedy has confessed his sins to his priest. I also suspect that Kennedy deeply regrets his moment of extreme cowardice. I hope he has gotten himself right with the Lord but he has never gotten himself right with Caesar. Moreover, his support of killing babies on the way out renders him an apostate Catholic so I doubt he has gotten himself right with the Lord.
Everybody makes mistakes, bad mistakes sometimes. Kennedys worst mistake is donning the mantle of moralist while wearing the mark of a coward who did the wrong thing when nobody was watching.
His problem is everybody knows he did the wrong thing and he has never ackowledged it. Like you said Torie, until he rectifies that, he deserves what he gets.