The Pope's Response to Ted Kennedy's Letter: Pro Forma (Time laments traditionalist Catholic Church)

Time ^ | August 31, 2009 | JEFF ISRAELY

[NYer]

Many American Catholics followed the daylong funeral and burial rites for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy looking for signs of the ongoing struggle between the traditionalist and liberal wings of their Church. The passing of the most notable U.S. Catholic politician of his generation seemed to be a perfect catalyst for such ecclesiastical drama.

Some traditionalists hoped (in vain) that Kennedy, a longtime abortion rights and gay-marriage supporter, wouldn't even be allowed a Catholic funeral. Others hoped (also in vain) that Boston's Archbishop, Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who has declared that voting for pro-choice Catholic politicians "borders on scandal," would sit out the Saturday funeral. Though the main celebrant was former president of Boston College Rev. Donald Monan, a Jesuit and longtime Kennedy family friend, O'Malley was there to give the final commendation at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica.

But what has been one of the most discussed gestures of a tightly choreographed day came at the Arlington National Cemetery evening burial service. Retired Washington Archbishop Cardinal Theodore McCarrick read excerpts from a private letter Kennedy wrote to Pope Benedict XVI — hand-delivered in July by President Obama — and portions of the Vatican response to Kennedy two weeks later. After making no public comment nor authorizing an official communique after Kennedy's death, was the Pope publicly reaching out to this controversial Catholic politician? According to both Vatican and U.S.-based Church officials, the answer is no. (Read "After Kennedy's Death: Silence from the Pope.)

[NYer]

McCarrick himself noted at the brief final rite of committal and prayer that the reading was an idea he and Kennedy's widow Victoria had agreed to, apparently using a copy of Kennedy's letter that the senator had kept. The subsequent response from a papal aide offering Benedict's prayers for his health, according to a veteran ambassador to the Holy See, was likely of a pro forma nature. Such letters are typically handled either by the office of the sostituto, the No. 2 official in the Secretary of State's office or by the Pope's private secretary. "It's very rare to have a letter with the Pope's own signature," says the diplomatic source. In any case, coming in July, it was clearly not a response to Kennedy's death.

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list

[SMCC1]

I found this whole “Ted Kennedy writes the Pope” story kind of weird. It’s like he was campaigning to get through the Pearly Gates... “I was a faithful Catholic I swear!!”

[HiTech RedNeck]

DOG!

I’ve been at this too long. I thought it said that Time lamented the PASSING of the traditionalist Roman Catholic church. Ah, they might have done that 50 years ago. Now all they can do is hate what vestiges of it are left in America.

[A.A. Cunningham]

The swimmer was seeking absolution via mail.

[NYer]

I found this whole “Ted Kennedy writes the Pope” story kind of weird. It’s like he was campaigning to get through the Pearly Gates... “I was a faithful Catholic I swear!!”

Ditto. Something in his conscience was ticking. Who, as they approach death, suddenly decides to write the pope?!

[HiTech RedNeck]

And are they trying to imply that Pope Benedict didn’t actually mean it because he had it handled like most of his bulk responses? That is silly.

[HiTech RedNeck]

In all those years never confessed his wrong at Chappaquiddick? Sadly I could believe that. The Kennedys were known to treat all manner of people worse than doormats.

[hinckley buzzard]

It was weird. Reminds me though of when WC Fields was seen on his deathbed reading the Bible. His friend said “Hey! You never had any use for that religion stuff your whole life. What are you doing?” Fields looked up and said, “looking for loopholes...looking for loopholes.”

[Churchillspirit]

Could hardly believe my ears when Kennedy referred to The Kenyan in his letter as ....a man of deep faith

[m4629]

Uncle Ted McCarrick’s reading of the letters is really cheesy and offensive. He should be ashamed of himself.

[campaignPete R-CT]

The little people that Ted committed crimes against don’t have friends in high places. Of course, many of them know a man named Jesus and he remembers all of it.

Our beloved church leaders, if they had any wisdom, would have stayed far away from having anything to do with this funeral. Even if it were simply out of self-preservation. Too late now, my friends.

[HiTech RedNeck]

I suppose, like the startling number of people who listen to Obama, it shows how far evil has gone. You’d never think that a church was supposed to be more than a building in which a club meets, to see the spectacle. But it all happened so quick that there wasn’t even time for meaningful protest like when Obama got a Notre Dame honor. So what if it wasn’t the city’s biggest church.

[Uncle Hal]

I do not for a minute believe that is the letter Ted wrote to the pope. I am sure that it was written later to be read at his funeral. In the letter the main theme was health care and the nations need for a universal plan.

[Steelfish]

I listened intently to those final comments and what struck me was the reference to the fact that “excerpts” only of the Pope’s response were read.

[Miss Marple]

I think they had to use excerpts because the real letter from Ted to the Holy Father wasn’t the one read.

Even a Kennedy would not try to argue how good he had been to the Pope. It actually sounded more like something Victoria (the Love of His Life) Kennedy might have written, with help from Axelrod (especially that part about Obama being a man of deep faith).

[Convert from ECUSA]

"Ditto. Something in his conscience was ticking. Who, as they approach death, suddenly decides to write the pope?!"

Exactly, NYer! Something inside him was needling him. Seems very odd that he would write the Pope.