Priest/Editor of Kennedy's Diocesan Paper: Scandal of Kennedy Funeral "Totally Avoidable"

FALL RIVER, MA, September 16, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Father Roger J. Landry, editor at The Anchor, the official newspaper of the Diocese of Fall River (the diocese where the late Senator Edward Kennedy resided), has written extensively on the passing of Senator Kennedy and his funeral. Fr. Landry himself was ordained by Cardinal Sean O'Malley, the presider at Kennedy's funeral.

In his latest column, to be published in the September 18 edition of The Anchor, Fr. Landry writes that the funeral with all of its extravagances created a "controversy that was totally avoidable."

"The overall tone of the funeral liturgy - from the three eulogies, to the prayers of the faithful, to the homily, to the celebrity musicians, to the guest list, and to the nationally-televised gushing color commentaries - seemed to communicate that it was more a public, political apotheosis of Senator Kennedy than a humble, insistent prayer of the Church his mother for the forgiveness of his sins and the repose of his soul," writes Fr. Landry.

"This last controversy was totally avoidable; all that was necessary was to adhere to the letter and spirit of the Catholic funeral rite."

Fr. Landry also reflects in detail on "one of the most important lessons that pastors in the United States need to draw from the history of the Church's interactions with Senator Kennedy for its future engagement of other pro-abortion Catholic politicians." The lesson is that the "education-only" strategy employed by most pastors has "failed."

"Kennedy's example was so injurious to the Church," said Fr. Landry, "because the pastors of the Church, for the most part, made the imprudent call to do little or nothing about it beyond general teaching statements that they hoped offending politicians would apply to themselves."

He added: "There were no real consequences, and as a result, Senator Kennedy, scores of other Catholic politicians, and millions of American Catholic lay people concluded that the Church's teachings in defense of human life cannot be that important if those who publicly and repeatedly act in violation of it do so with impunity."

In another editorial on the subject, Fr. Landry stressed the point. "To say that (the education-only approach) hasn't succeeded, however, is really not strong enough."

He names nineteen Catholic pro-abortion politicians, "to name just a handful," and asks if the strategy has worked with any one of them. "Over the last three and a half decades, can we point to even one success story?" he asks.

He questions further: "Even if they haven't experienced a total conversion, have they moved closer toward limiting abortions or toward making abortions easier to access?"

Using examples from the past, Landry observes, "The facts show that the vast majority of personally opposed, publicly pro-choice Catholic legislators have become far less personally opposed and far more publicly in favor over the duration of the strategy."

Fr. Landry observes: "Even though the U.S. bishops have taught with one voice that pro-choice Catholic legislators should not present themselves to receive Holy Communion, if they pay no heed to that teaching and present themselves anyway, they have observed that in practice they will almost never be denied."

"With Senator Kennedy's funeral, they have now grasped that even a 100% pro-abortion voting record will not only not prevent them from having a Catholic funeral, but will not even stop them from receiving possibly one of the most publicly panegyrical Catholic funerals in U.S. history. "

Fr. Landry's conclusion applies the teaching of Christ to the matter, showing that pastoral concern includes discipline for the good of the sinner:

"Jesus spoke of a different way in the Gospel (Mt 18:15-18). It involves not merely general educational statements that we hope offenders will apply to themselves in conscience, but the type of one-on-one instruction traditionally called fraternal correction. If that fails, and fails repeatedly, Jesus enjoined us to regard the offender as someone who no longer belongs to the community, who is no longer a member in good standing.

"This may seem harsh, but we should remember that Jesus always seeks nothing but the best for his Church and for individual sinners, even obstinate sinners. Implied in Jesus' strategy is that education involves not just information, but formation, and that you can't form disciples without discipline. This is a lesson that, after four decades of the undeniable failure of another approach, we need to consider anew."

Not bad. In spite of his accolades on earth, upon his entrance into Heaven, or wherever he may go, he will be notable for how ordinary he is.

The same for any one of us.

"showing that pastoral concern includes discipline for the good of the sinner"

The people in the pews: as long as many of them are vocally 'pro-choice', pastoral concern for politicians is a complete waste of time and more idiocy. I know high school students who have a better understanding than the clergy of the situation with Catholic lay people and pro-life politics. I, myself, could write a book about this topic. I do not agree that the article or Fr. Landry are much help.

30 years ago, I knew a tough Irish nun who would have said the following to her bishop about this: "You are a total imbecile! That is real reason why you do not know what you are doing." - famous quote of Sr. Catherine Marie O'Donnell

Who is authorized to tell the bishop that he is an imbecile?

“Tis well that such seditious words were wrung only
by priests in the latin tounge “...Byron (paraphrased).
The whole thing (Kennedy’s scandalous ceremony )created an aposteriori . Alas a profound comment about todays American Catholic bishops failure to deal with the dicotomy within the church.

The Kennedy funeral demonstrated that Catholic articles of faith such as abortion which get publicly distained by the individual for which the ceremony is being offered will depend upon who you are in worldly standing , And those apostacys will get dished up as articles of choice cafeteria style .
http://www.theusmat.com/

Fr. Landry "gets" it. He totally gets it.

I have to say I'm amazed that this appeared in the official newspaper of Kennedy's own diocese. That's something of a miracle in itself for the land of St. Teddy. Maybe there is hope for Massachusetts after all.

Not only is Fr. Landry's piece right on the money, he also deserves praise for courageously sticking his neck out and actually publishing it. I don't imagine His Eminence "Cardinal Sean", amongst others, will be thrilled to read this superb deconstruction of the abortion circus.

Fr. Landry's conclusion applies the teaching of Christ to the matter, showing that pastoral concern includes discipline for the good of the sinner:

I know nothing about Fr. Landry but he comes accross to me as one of those "new" priests, arrogant and self- righteous in his "orthodoxy", with little or no parish experience. Who the h--- is he to decide people should be disciplined ? A real control freak who wants to be a bishop some day? Tell me if I am wrong.

This guy gets it. Teaching the truth of the Church without using discipline has resulted in many thinking the truth isn’t a big deal, obviously many bishops like this result.

Freegards

"pastoral concern includes discipline for the good of the sinner"

Does Fr. Landry get it that the sinners that need discipline are the parishioners? I'm sure he does, but I doubt that he knows much about the political process. If you spent much time with the pro-abortion lay people, you might wonder ... have they never heard the gospel or did they hear it and ignore it? If the homilies are silly and there is more talk about football and whatever ... a "guest preacher" would shake things up. Fr. Pavone cannot be everywhere on the same day and in many parishes such priests are persona non grata. Every knows all this already. When church folks are not living the Gospel, is there an approved term that is now being used? "... wretches and reprobates." Somebody could tell us the approved terminology.

Who the h--- is he to decide people should be disciplined ? A real control freak who wants to be a bishop some day? Tell me if I am wrong.

The issue is public scandal given by politicians who self-identify as "Catholic" but then spend every waking moment attempting to undermine the Church's teaching by their approach to public policy as it relates to abortion.

Fr. Landry observes that so far, the "educational" approach undertaken my bishops with regard to these politicians has met with minimal results. Therefore he suggests stronger measures may now be needed. That makes him a "control freak"? It seems like a perfectly logical progression to me and Father backs up his argument with the Scriptural quotation which prescribes shunning those who resist reasoned argument.

The aim here is not "control" but the salvation of souls, the cessation of scandal and an end to abortion.

If you have a better plan for reining in the Pelosis and Bidens of this world, we'd all love to hear it.

“In a significant moment of Francis’s conversion process he was praying in an abandoned church, ‘San Damiano,’ outside the walls of Assisi. As he prayed before the crucifix he heard a voice coming from the cross, telling him: “Francis, go and repair my house which, as you see, is falling into ruin.” Francis was a literalist and he immediately began to rebuild the church (building) ...”

“Tis well that such seditious words were wrung only by priests in the latin tounge “...Byron

I wonder if there is a Seditious Forum on here? Better that I post here than publish sedition in the real world. I have a pile of seditious articles written by whomever in a file marked 'Do Not Publish.'

"A DAY IN THE LIFE OF .... an American pro-lifer"

Estragon: Do you think he is going to come tomorrow?
Vladimir: Who? Godot?
Estragon: well, yes. Because I heard that Godot is a bishop.
Vladimir: oh, boy ... well, that explains why he hasn't come.
Estragon: We're going to be here a while? Is that why you brought that suitcase full of religious books?

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