Excerpts of Kennedy letter to pope and response

Newsvine ^ | August 29, 2009

[wagglebee]

This section could certainly be called an "account" of something much more detailed:

His Holiness prays that in the days ahead you may be sustained in faith and hope, and granted the precious grace of joyful surrender to the will of God, our merciful Father.

[Alamo-Girl]

My disappointment stems from the excerpt of Kennedy's letter which reads like a list of self-commendations. To me, that screams of someone needing assurance and guidance on how to prepare for physical death.

And indeed, that phrase packs a lot of meaning. Perhaps that is all the Pope cared to say to the man, i.e. if he can't figure it out, tough luck.

Would the Church be that dismissive with any man?

If someone close to you, someone you loved dearly, was dying, sought you out with a list of his accomplishments in this life - what would you say?

[anton]

What a scam. He pulled the Pope’s pants down with this one. No chance the Pope would eulogize this dirtball, so they send a private letter and then have some stooge priest read parts of the reply. Geez. You’d think the Vatican could have figured that one out.

[wagglebee]

My disappointment stems from the excerpt of Kennedy's letter which reads like a list of self-commendations. To me, that screams of someone needing assurance and guidance on how to prepare for physical death.

My take is that Kennedy wanted to be given assurance and instead was told that he need to surrender to the will of God and NOBODY, in the private meditations of their heart, can conclude that God's will is to take innocent life.

I do think that the actual letter to Kennedy was more personal and direct.

[P-Marlowe]

The man was a fake Catholic his whole life. There are billions of men who have been good Catholics their whole lives who would have given their eye teeth for a personal audience with the Pope and will go to their graves without such an opportunity. Yet sleazy pro-abortion scum like Kennedy and Obama and Pelosi waive their magic political clout and the Pope welcomes them into his office for a personal chat any time they find themselves in Rome.

If Ted Kennedy confessed ALL of his sins and asked for forgiveness merely because he knew he was hours from death, his confession and request would be as phony as his taking of communion when he knew damned well he was working day and night to destroy the Catholic faith and to ensure that as many babies as possible went to their graves before they had a chance to take their first breath.

IMHO if Ted Kennedy decided to make a confession on his death bed, that confession fell on deaf ears because it was not a conversion of the heart, but a conversion of the lips.

If he were a Muslim and turned to Christ at the last second, he would most likely end up in Heaven. But Ted Kennedy claimed to be a good Catholic his whole life, yet he lived a life that only a hedonistic atheist could take pride in.

He's in God's hands now. If God is just, he is rotting in Hell. But God is merciful to the merciful. Only god knows if he is going to grant him the mercy he denied to 50 million babies; an entire generation of American children, a number matched only by the genocide of Nazi Germany and Stalinst Russia.

[wagglebee]

I agree with what you are saying. However, I do believe that it is POSSIBLE that the death of Eunice and the knowledge of her years of prayer for him could have resulted in a true conversion of the heart.

[P-Marlowe]

I agree with what you are saying. However, I do believe that it is POSSIBLE that the death of Eunice and the knowledge of her years of prayer for him could have resulted in a true conversion of the heart.

He was pro abortion to his last breath. There was no evidence, other than this letter to the Pope (which contains no acknowledgment of his debauchery) that he had any conversion to Christ. If anything he was simply trying to convince himself that he was WORTHY of heaven because he took so many dollars from people who worked and gave them to his political allies.

Ted Kennedy's legacy will be that he did for America what he did for Mary Jo Kopechne. He drove the ship of state off a bridge and then left the scene to let us drown.

[Campion]

If someone close to you, someone you loved dearly, was dying, sought you out with a list of his accomplishments in this life - what would you say?

"Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven"

"It profits a man nothing to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul."

[Fantasywriter]

I can’t bring myself to read the letters. Can you tell me if the Pope urged Kennedy to repent of his pro partial-birth activism? Thank you.

[wagglebee]

As I said, I agree with you and I am fairly certain you are right. I was simply speculating that the death of his sister (which occurred after he wrote his letter to the Pope) COULD have had a positive effect on him.

[NYer]

There are millions of Catholics, and many are on death’s door. None of them would ever expect they could get an envoy to take a letter for them to the Pope, much less get an answer.

My thoughts exactly. See my post #27.

[P-Marlowe]

I think there are a lot of other sinners whose salvation is in question that we could be worrying about other than spending so much time speculating about whether or not Ted Kennedy secretly repented before God called him to judgment.

To be honest, just as he didn't care about the fate of the unborn, I don't care about his. He's in God's hands now and no amount of speculating about whether he had some deathbed confession that saved his soul is going to change anything.

[Alamo-Girl]

Perfect Scriptures, dear Campion! Thank you!

[Alamo-Girl]

Thank you all for sharing your insights, dear brothers in Christ!

[wagglebee]

I agree COMPLETELY!

[mware]

Tell it to God, Teddy, tell it to God.

[greyfoxx39]

He drove the ship of state off a bridge and then left the scene to let us drown.

Great comment...mind if I borrow it for a tagline?

[P-Marlowe]

It’s all yours.

[greyfoxx39]

Thanks Marlowe.

[franky8]

“I have opposed the death penalty” Really !?!? What about abortion?

“This has been the political cause of my life” Really!?!?

Everything in life was political with him!!!