Would you agree with what this Canon lawyer has to say?
God bless,
Connie
A Catholic Funeral for Ted Kennedy?
Most of Teddy Kennedy's politics, and most of whatever parts of his personal life I knew through the media, angered and sometimes even disgusted me. But my opinions about Teddy's legacy are not at issue in assessing his right to a Catholic funeral under canon law. I trust that my writings on the proper understanding and correct application of 1983 CIC 1184 (the canon regulating the funeral rites to be accorded - - or not, as the case may be - - to Catholics) are reasonably well-known to readers of this blog.* So let's move directly to the canonical question of Kennedy's funeral.
Now, any man with a 100% rating from NARAL (to highlight just the tip of the iceberg of Teddy's decades-long campaign against natural rights) has, to put it mildly, the burden of proof in seeking a Catholic funeral (okay, technically, his executors have the burden of proof, but you see the point) in that notorious pro-aborts seem to be "manifest sinners who cannot be granted ecclesiastical funerals without public scandal of the faithful."
Unless, that is, "they gave some sign of repentance before death." And there is at least some evidence that Ted Kennedy did just that.
Mark Leibovich of the New York Times notes that, among things, "The Rev. Mark Hession, the priest at the Kennedys' parish on the Cape, made regular visits to the Kennedy home this summer and held a private family Mass in the living room every Sunday. Even in his final days, Mr. Kennedy led the family in prayer after the death of his sister Eunice . . . [and when] the senator's condition took a turn Tuesday night a priest, the Rev. Patrick Tarrant of Our Lady of Victory Church in Centerville, was called to his bedside."
Folks, my reading of the canonical tradition behind Canon 1184** says that those actions suffice as "some signs of repentance", making Ted Kennedy eligible for a Catholic funeral. Of course I wish that Teddy's repentance, if that is what it was, had been more explicit, for the scandal the man left was enormous and demanded great atonement in this life (or more dreadfully in the next). But on the narrow question as to whether Edward Kennedy is eligible for a Catholic funeral, the information before me suggests that he is, and that a bishop who permits such rites can find support in the Code of Canon Law for his decision.
Now, about President Obama giving a eulogy thereat, don't even get me started.
by Edward N. Peters, JD, JCD
Connie,
First of all I reread my piece for the blog I wrote on this not too long ago. If Ted Kennedy had been excommunicated or just denied communion this would have been an easy matter. However, if his stance did not prohibit him from receiving communion then its hard to deny him a Catholic funeral. That being said, a Catholic funeral is not a sacrament. The examples that Edward Peters gives as a sign of repentance does not convince me nor does the role of priests described therein since the presbyterate in question have been rather lenient on this issue thus far. If indeed Ted Kennedy did repent it should be public since he was a public figure who took a public stance on this issue. Otherwise, we have the public scandal that his position on abortion was not a problem in terms of his relationship with the Church. If he did truly believe that he was wrong then I would think that he would want to make this public in order to help the cause of life which he supposedly would have recognized. If he did repent and for some reason this could not be made public then perhaps a private funeral could have been celebrated. However, this seems unlikely considering his position. Regardless, it is now between him and God and his fate has already been decided. I hope and pray that he did repent of his position on abortion for the sake of his own soul.
Fr. Pisut
Senator Kennedy's Legacy by Fr. Roger Landry
The Kennedy Funeral: Boston's Latest Scandal by Phil Lawler
