The Pope’s response to Kennedy is thought provoking.
1. It is not written by the Pope, but is instead written by an underling.
2. It is a form letter. You can imagine zillions of these things going out with the addressee being the only change.
If a parishoner empties their heart to me in a letter, and I get someone else to reply, that is an effort to get some degree of separation from that person.
If my response is “Dear ________(fill in blank), So sorry. Pastor’s sorry for you. Get Better. Signed (electronically) The Pastor’s Main Man.
The Pope dissed Teddy.
I am inclined to believe that there were more personal portions of both letters which have not been published and it would be highly inappropriate for the Church to release such portions.
We do not know if Kennedy confessed ALL of his sins and repented before his death, but I sincerely hope that he did. However, I also hope that his confessor DOES NOT break the confessional seal simply to satisfy our curiosity. I do know that Eunice and Sargent Shriver had worked over the years to get Kennedy to renounce his pro-death position and it is possible that as he was dying he took his late sister’s wishes to heart.
The Vatican has been VERY deliberate and circumspect in their dealings with Obama and I am confident that there have been messages to Obama and possibly Kennedy that we know nothing about.
***The Pope dissed Teddy.***
Not really. I think that the perspective of Kennedy as treated by the Church was on point and very effective.
1. No funeral at the Cathedral.
2. No celebration by the Archbishop.
3. An unemotional and stony Archbishop sitting in the second row.
4. A wish from the Pope that each man surrender himself to Jesus.
I think that the treatment by the Church was right on point and a reminder to Kennedy about his place in God’s Creation, rather than God’s place in Kennedy’s creation.