Posted on 08/29/2009 4:48:47 AM PDT by 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.
(Excerpt) Read more at boston.com ...
Are you kidding? Now THIS is scandalous. I thought O’Malley had more sense than that.
Joan Kennedy had her 3rd miscarriage a month after Mary Jo Kopechne died
What a tragic figure she is. Yet the church annulled her marriage so Teddy could move on and marry a divorcee whose children will read at his funeral.
Twisted.
At least the church balked and refused to annul the marriage of Joseph Kennedy JR, RFK’s oldest. Interesting story there.
Words cannot express how disgusted I am...with the Church.
You’d expect no-class, political behavior from a Kennedy, even from beyond the grave, and of course rabble-rousing is Obama’s forte. But the Church is letting itself be used for a blatantly political event that is even acknowledged by its sponsors as such.
I concur ... scandalous.
This is so unfortunate.
Another person's excellent take on the situation:
“If Kennedy had the time to write a letter to the Massachusetts legislature about changing the rules to pick his successor he certainly had the time to pen a letter to the world confessing his numerous public sins and telling us how wrong and sorry he was for offending God. He didn't.”
Huge mistake by O’Malley. Fr. Euteneneur says it best on another thread.
I pointed out that there was no "Catholic social doctrine" more important than defending the lives of the innocent, and said that O'Malley was bringing shame and disgrace to the church by his actions.
On another thread, you said
Calm down. The Mass isn't being said by the archbishop or at the cathedral. That's standard protocol. He's being buried out of the mission run by the Redemptorists. It's not a full honors thing. The official Church isn't participating, at least not the archdiocese, or the Jesuits for that matter. And the circus isn't being directed by the Church either. In the Church's way, the stamp of disapproval was just applied. It was just done in actions, not words....Now that a Cardinal is presiding, does that change things?....Tradition is that public officials and police and fireman killed in the line of duty are buried from the cathedral with the bishop presiding. The official archdiocesan church is NOT participating in this funeral. O’Malley hasn’t put a seal of approval on this at all. We’ll know for sure if he shows up there tomorrow, but I doubt he will.
>>and telling us how wrong and sorry he was for offending God. He didn’t.<<
He didn’t have to tell US anything.
It’s between him and God.
That being said, I am not happy with the Cardinal Presiding. However, did anyone really expect it not to happen?
How naive are you? You do know what repentance (Again, he had plenty of time) is?
Also false confession, confessing but absolutely have no desire/want to change?
Actions speak louder than feint Spirituality and by holding this spectacle, the local Church/Cardinal is giving the keys of approval to Satan. There must be a stand taken, I don't publicly see it.
Best read Micah to get a little perspective on the situation.
However, that doesn't change my faith. I won't give up my faith and the Church because a single man made a choice I would not have. From various reports, it sounds like they were friends of a sort. His eminence may need to mourn.
Why is it that so many who criticize the Church do so because of MEN? Believe me, there've been many who've done worse. This is a pastoral institution, not a governing one.
I won't be surprised to see him standing behind the TOTUS POTUS as the eulogy is being delivered by Obamalot.
Leni
>>How naive are you?<<
I am not naive. I am a sinner. The Lord says ANY sinner can be forgiven.
Are you Catholic? Have you NEVER heard of deathbed confessions?
I’m not saying that Teddy did this. I’m sure not saying he had a fasttrack to Heaven, but YOU presume the Mind of The Lord saying that he is condemned.
You can go ahead and presume. I’m not and I will pray for his immortal soul.
********************
Maybe not, but I was hoping. It's probably a ridiculous thought, but I wish Pope Benedict would step in.
Well, I didn’t think O’Malley would preside, and I’m really disgusted.
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.
>>but I wish Pope Benedict would step in. <<
Me too!
Another black eye for the Catholic Church.
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