The Archbishop of Boston may have counciled Ted Kennedy privately, as Bishop Tobib did for Patrick Kennedy.
When Patrick Kennedy went public, only then did the Bishop go public to set the record straight.
If either his confessor or the bishop counseled him not to be pro-abortion and he didn't obey, then I guess the blame would fall on Kennedy. My own personal view is that if he believed he was absolved, then he was absolved, but not if he disobyed the counsel he professed to have faith in.
Nonetheless, I'm not trying to judge the deceased--just bringing all this up for other reasons.