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Kennedy Catholicism
American Spectator ^ | August 31, 2009 | Daniel J. Flynn

Posted on 08/31/2009 6:03:38 AM PDT by GreatOne

"I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness," Ted Kennedy wrote to Pope Benedict XVI, in a letter dramatically read by Theodore Cardinal McCarrick at the senator's burial, "and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings."

But it's not Senator Abortion's 11th hour effort to transform himself into Senator Catholic that has the media up in arms. "Why couldn't the pope have replied in his own name?" Sam Donaldson incredulously asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. "I was disappointed." Time magazine found it noteworthy that a shepherd with a flock of more than 1 billion would respond in "silence" to the senator from Massachusetts's missive.

From receiving communion at Mary Jo Kopechne's funeral, to procuring an annulment for a marriage of 25 years that had produced three grown children, to revelations during the William Kennedy Smith rape trial that the senator had woke his son and nephew on Good Friday to instigate the ill-fated carousing in Palm Beach's bars, Ted Kennedy hasn't exactly acted as a model Catholic. Many of Kennedy's political antagonists are outraged, not that the Church was silent, but that it so loudly honored a man who fought to undermine church teaching.

"No rational person can reasonably be expected to take seriously Catholic opposition to abortion when a champion of the Culture of Death, who repeatedly betrayed the Faith of his baptism, is lauded and extolled by priests and prelates in a Marian basilica," C.J. Doyle, executive director of the Catholic Action League of Massachusetts, explained on Saturday. "This morning's spectacle is evidence of the corruption which pervades the Catholic Church in the United States."

(Excerpt) Read more at spectator.org ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: catholic; church; kennedy
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I know there are a lot of Catholic-haters at this site, but I can completely understand the portion of their ire relating to the Church's hierarchy in America that allows a--holes like Kennedy (any one of them), Kerry, Pelosi, Biden, Dodd, Daschle, ad nauseum, to still be active members of their congregations while completely flauting Church teaching. Irritates the Hell out of me, too. I ascribe this to the fact that the men in the upper levels of the Catholic Church in America today are 60's radicals (like in other areas of life). But soon, they'll be gone. Underneath them are a whole generation of priests devoted to the Church's teaching, and who are much less tolerant of these miscreants. People like Biship Bruskewitz will soon be the leaders, and hopefully a renewal will follow.

For those anti-Catholics here, never forget that without the American Catholic Church, homosexual behavior would probably be not only be fully legalized, but legitimized in mainstream culture. And there most likely would not be the growing opposition to the evil of abortion. Since the Republcian Party is devoid of any leadership, it's the only organization capable of withstanding these obscene behaviors.

1 posted on 08/31/2009 6:03:38 AM PDT by GreatOne
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To: GreatOne

Last week, President Barack Obama released a proclamation declaring June 2009 “Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Pride Month” in the United States of America. This marks the first occaision that the White House has officially commemorated Gay Pride since the Clinton administration.

We salute President Obama’s efforts to further civil rights gains for BGLT persons internationally as well as within the United States. We hope sincerely that he works closely with Congress to keep his promises

June 4, 2009 – President Barack Obama promised the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) activist movement before the election that he would openly and aggressively support their objectives. During the Democratic National Convention, Michelle Obama spoke to a group of gay, lesbian and transgender activists and promised to enact their goals.

President Obama and First Lady Michelle are keeping his promise to them.


2 posted on 08/31/2009 6:08:12 AM PDT by DontTreadOnMe2009 (So stop treading on me already!)
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To: DontTreadOnMe2009

Kennedy Catholicism is the belief that you can get to heaven by presenting yourself as a caring public servant to the great unwashed.


3 posted on 08/31/2009 6:10:49 AM PDT by Sig Sauer P220 ("Peace" is that brief, glorious moment in history when everybody stands around reloading - Anonymous)
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To: Sig Sauer P220

Boy that Kennedy clan sure looked comfortable at Mass. If you’re going to fake it, at least use the book.


4 posted on 08/31/2009 6:17:28 AM PDT by massgopguy (I owe everything to George Bailey)
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To: All
Ted's letter seems to be a confession of sorts. He needed to reinforce his Catholic bona fides for the specific purpose of obtaining "the intercession of the church" upon his death.

Of course, Ted has to answer for Mary Jo, and the 40 million lives he indirectly ended through his support for abortion. That judgement is left to God......not the church.

=========================================

Now this is NOT a defense of Teddy. Just one respone as to why he received a Catholic burial.......and all those blessings.

According to church teachings, the blessings were for his immortal soul........not approval of the man and his deeds.

The church does not judge the man.......the church teaches that the judgement of the man is left to God.

A Catholic ceremony for the deceased is the church interceding for the soul of the deceased......it's one of the benefits of being a Catholic that the church will intercede for the soul since the deceased person cannot.

The church teaches that a soul consigned to the fires of hell forever is the worst fate to befall a person. That is why they intercede........even for the worst sinners.

5 posted on 08/31/2009 6:20:16 AM PDT by Liz (When people fear govt, we have tyranny; when govt fears the people, we have freedom.)
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To: Sig Sauer P220

Great point. That’s one of the things that always bothered me about liberals. In the “The West Wing,” there was a highly acclaimed episode where Pres. Bartlett is in the National Cathedral and is railing against God because of his recent troubles. In his ranting, he asks why he is being punished - just look at all of the jobs he has created. Perfect example of their failure to get the big picture.


6 posted on 08/31/2009 6:21:42 AM PDT by GreatOne (You will bow down before me, Son of Jor-el!)
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To: GreatOne

The Catholic church loses all credibility when it looks the other way at the likes of Kennedy, Kerry, Pelosi, etc.


7 posted on 08/31/2009 6:22:58 AM PDT by tips up
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To: GreatOne
"I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness"

As in tried and failed? What sanctimonious claptrap is this? There is no such thing as "try". You're either a Catholic or you're not.

8 posted on 08/31/2009 6:23:20 AM PDT by pray4liberty (http://aroodawakening.tv)
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To: GreatOne

I love this line.

“Here in Rome, Ted Kennedy is nobody,”

In my house the same can be said


9 posted on 08/31/2009 6:25:36 AM PDT by reefdiver (So how's that HOPE & CHANGE working out for ya ?)
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To: DontTreadOnMe2009

What a bunch of self serving hogwash.


10 posted on 08/31/2009 6:25:50 AM PDT by Welcome2thejungle
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To: Liz
Yes. Everyone who proclaims themself Catholic and who is not excommunicated gets a Catholic burial for their soul. We're all sinners. Presuming that Kennedy went to confession and received the Last Rites, then he was in good standing with the Church at the end (for that purpose).

It's too bad that the Catholic Church in Massachusetts, for political purposes, didn't try to impose its will on Kennedy earlier in his life. If the Democrat Party would simply oppose the norming of homosexual behavior and the destruction of innocent human life, they would probably run this country (with all of its other ruinous policies) for the next millenium. They'd get their tax increases, socialized medicine, etc. But it's more important to them to allow immoral behavior.

11 posted on 08/31/2009 6:28:51 AM PDT by GreatOne (You will bow down before me, Son of Jor-el!)
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To: GreatOne

We have to ask - was Kennedy a true believer in his liberal causes? Or was he a political whore who did and said whatever was needed to get elected by the Mass. electorate even if it went against his own views?


12 posted on 08/31/2009 6:33:33 AM PDT by Nikas777 (En touto nika, "In this, be victorious")
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To: tips up
If this bothers us there is one way we can set the record straight..bombard the Pope with emails and ask why these people get a pass and other normal people are sinners..I know God will forgive but to do something over and over..Lets write the Pope.. I think Ted Kennedy and the rest of them will have a big surprise when it is time to meet their maker..
13 posted on 08/31/2009 6:33:52 AM PDT by PLD
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To: GreatOne

Kennedy Catholics worship the Kennedys, not God.

If they have to choose between the Pope and a Kennedy, or even Jesus and a Kennedy, the Kennedy will always win.


14 posted on 08/31/2009 6:34:38 AM PDT by Westbrook (Having more children does not divide your love, it multiplies it.)
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To: GreatOne
It's too bad that the Catholic Church in Massachusetts, for political purposes, didn't try to impose its will on Kennedy earlier in his life.

Why risk his wrath, when Kennedy blood money paid the bills?

15 posted on 08/31/2009 6:36:03 AM PDT by pray4liberty (http://aroodawakening.tv)
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To: massgopguy
It's called "religion".

"So then, you will know them by their fruits." - Jesus

16 posted on 08/31/2009 6:37:14 AM PDT by flying_bullet (El Conservo tribe member)
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To: GreatOne

I think it rather amusing that the press believes that the Pope should have dropped everything and run to Kennedy’s bedside, or at least have started canonization proceedings for him before he was even dead.

They don’t realize how insignificant Kennedy was outside of DC and Massachusetts; even in the US, the MSM is now grumbling that they wasted all that air time on coverage of Kennedy’s funeral and other events...and virtually nobody watched it. In one time slot, it came in behind two reruns!

Aside from that, though, they neglect to mention that McCarrick also read the full response from the Pope’s office (not personally from him), which was virtually a form letter, wishing Kennedy a nice day, a good death and hoping that he used the time for reflection.


17 posted on 08/31/2009 6:38:54 AM PDT by livius
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To: Liz

The “Church does not judge the man...” Really? Can a suicide be buried in consecrated ground?


18 posted on 08/31/2009 6:39:08 AM PDT by Melchior
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To: GreatOne
"Why couldn't the pope have replied in his own name?" Sam Donaldson incredulously asked on This Week with George Stephanopoulos. "I was disappointed."

My answer to that is nobody pushes the Vicar of Christ around. Silence is golden.

19 posted on 08/31/2009 6:39:17 AM PDT by pray4liberty (http://aroodawakening.tv)
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To: GreatOne

All true, and Joseph Farah revealed on Aug. 31 that EMK enjoyed “joking” about Chappaquiddick. For the poor Kopechenes, the nightmare, not “the dream” lived on, but Democrat loyalty is as thick as oil.


20 posted on 08/31/2009 6:39:21 AM PDT by Theodore R.
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