Steve Waldman: August 2009 Archives

Ted Kennedy wrote a letter to Pope Benedict asking for his prayers. The Holy Father wrote back in part:

The Holy Father has read the letter which you entrusted to President Barack Obama, who kindly presented it to him during their recent meeting.

He was saddened to know of your illness, and has asked me to assure you of his concern and his spiritual closeness. He is particularly grateful for your promise of prayers for him and for the needs of the universal Church.

"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. He invokes upon you the consolation and peace promised by the risen Savior to all who share in his sufferings and trust in his promise of eternal life.

Commending you and the members of you family to the loving intervention of the blessed Virgin Mary, The Holy Father cordially imparts his apostolic blessing as a pledge of wisdom, comfort and strength in the Lord."

This came in response to a letter Kennedy had written to the Pope, delivered by President Obama:

"I am writing with deep humility to ask that you pray for me as my own health declines. I was diagnosed with brain cancer more than a year ago, and, although I continue treatment, the disease is taking its toll on me. I am 77 years old and preparing for the next passage of life.

"I have been blessed to be a part of a wonderful family, and both of my parents, particularly my mother, kept our Catholic faith at the center of our lives. That gift of faith has sustained, nurtured and provided solace to me in the darkest hours. I know that I have been an imperfect human being, but with the help of my faith, I have tried to right my path.

"I want you to know, Your Holiness, that in my nearly 50 years of elective office, I have done my best to champion the rights of the poor and open doors of economic opportunity. I've worked to welcome the immigrant, fight discrimination and expand access to health care and education. I have opposed the death penalty and fought to end war. Those are the issues that have motivated me and been the focus of my work as a United States Senator.

"I also want you to know that even though I am ill, I am committed to do everything I can to achieve access to health care for everyone in my country. This has been the political cause of my life.

"I believe in a conscience protection for Catholics in the health care field and will continue to advocate for it as my colleagues in the Senate and I work to develop an overall national health policy that guarantees health care for everyone.

"I have always tried to be a faithful Catholic, Your Holiness, and though I have fallen short through human failings, I have never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings.

"I continue to pray for God's blessings on you and our Church and would be most thankful for your prayers for me.''

Here is Cardinal McCarrick reading the Benedict letter as well as the letter from Kennedy to the Pope.

Cardinal Sean O'Malley presided over Ted Kennedy's funeral. Cardinal McCarrick presided over the burial ceremony, reading the prayers that were offered Kennedy by Pope Benedict XVI. But Kennedy's death illustrates once again a split in the Catholic church, which is not between those who are pro-choice and pro-life (priests are all anti-abortion). It's between those who feel that virtually the entirety of being a good Catholic is one's position on Roe v. Wade and those who don't.

In the first camp would be Father Tom Euteneuer, president of Human Life International, who said there should not have had a public funeral:

"Ted Kennedy's positions on a variety of issues have been a grave scandal for decades, and to honor this 'Catholic' champion of the culture of death with a Catholic funeral is unjust to those who have actually paid the price of fidelity. There was very little about Ted Kennedy's life that deserves admiration from a spiritual or moral point of view. He was probably the worst example of a Catholic statesman that one can think of. When all is said and done, he has distorted the concept of what it means to be a Catholic in public life more than anyone else in leadership today.

"He did nothing to advance true justice as the Church sees it or to advance the peace of Christ in this world.... He will not be missed by the unborn who he betrayed time and time again, nor by the rest of us who are laboring to undo the scandalous example of Catholicism that he gave to three generations of Americans."

For an alternative view, here is the eulogy from Kennedy's priest, Mark Hessian.

Mrs. Kennedy, Kara, Edward, Patrick, Curran, Caroline, members of the Kennedy family, distinguished guests, and fellow citizens:

Today we say goodbye to the youngest child of Rose and Joseph Kennedy. The world will long remember their son Edward as the heir to a weighty legacy; a champion for those who had none; the soul of the Democratic Party; and the lion of the U.S. Senate -- a man whose name graces nearly one thousand laws, and who penned more than three hundred himself.

The New York Times had a lovely piece about Ted Kennedy's desire to have a "good ending" to his life. A priest led Mass each week and there was much prayer, and repitition of some of the simple wordly pleasures:

"As recently as a few days ago, Mr. Kennedy was still digging into big bowls of mocha chip and butter crunch ice creams, all smushed together (as he liked it). He and his wife, Vicki, had been watching every James Bond movie and episode of "24" on DVD."

He began each morning with a sacred rite of reading his newspapers, drinking coffee and scratching the bellies of his beloved Portuguese water dogs, Sunny and Splash, on the front porch of his Cape Cod house overlooking Nantucket Sound.

If he was feeling up to it, he would end his evenings with family dinner parties around the same mahogany table where he used to eat lobster with his brothers.

At the very end, we'll want peace, prayer and the love of family. But fore that? My wife Amy wants to watch "Days of Heaven," "Our Vines Have Tender Grapes," and other favorite classic movies, plus some early Andy Griffith shows. Then she wants carefully selected folk and classical music and spiritual chants. Finally, she says, "warm blackberry cobbler with ice cream also important."

Other than being surrounded by family, I think I'd want to watch home movies of the kids growing up and classic Simpsons episodes, perhaps Burns running for Governor and the marriage retreat episode. I'll probably drive myself crazy trying to record final thoughts (Kennedy was obsessed with finishing his memoir). Not sure about the music I'll want. Kennedy's idea about ice cream isn't a bad one (though he should have chosen Vanilla Swiss Almond).

What would be the components of a "good ending" for you?

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