Our Cardinal Archbishop, Sean Patrick O'Malley has been receiving a lot of flack over ministering to the grieving. IOW, his presence at Ted Kennedy's funeral has been criticized severely in the most vituperating language.
And this is exactly why he went. The tone between the pro-life people and the pro-abortion people is very divisive. To say it's not helpful is too mild a description. His presence is a plea "for greater civility among Catholics when discussing divisive issues....these attitudes and practices do irreparable damage to the communion of the Church."
"Our ability to change people's hearts and help them to grasp the dignity of each and every life, from the first moment of conception to the last moment of natural death, is directly related to our ability to increase love and unity in the church, for our proclamation of the truth is hindered when we are divided and fighting with each other."
If you agree, I suggest that you go to Cardinal Sean Patrick's blog and leave a positive comment of support, to balance off the critical judgements that are there.
2 comments:
This is the comment I left on the cardinal's blog. It is still awaiting moderation there:
Dear Cardinal O’Malley,
I have been pondering Pope Benedict’s words in his new encyclical “Charity in Truth”:
“To defend the truth, to articulate it with humility and conviction, and to bear witness to it in life are therefore exacting and indispensable forms of charity.”
To speak the truth is an indispensable form of charity, especially when that truth is unpopular. Our society does not want to hear that the unborn child must not be killed.
Despite whatever good he did, Senator Kennedy spent the better part of his long political career actively working for legislation that would favor abortion. That is not a judgment; it is part of the public record. He even voted in favor of partial-birth abortion, a horrendous procedure in which the baby’s brains are sucked out.
He did immense damage to the pro-life movement. Is that of any consequence in the eyes of the bishops?
While we pray in charity for his soul, it is indeed a deep scandal for the Church to imply that his record on abortion is of no consequence. I realize you were in a difficult position, but I am deeply disappointed that the overall impression given by the funeral was that it doesn’t really matter if a Catholic politician ardently supports abortion.
Who is speaking up for the millions of innocents who have been slaughtered and continue to die every day?
While Ted Kennedy had a magnificent funeral, these innocent children are thrown into dumpsters. And no one weeps.
“The death of Senator Kennedy,” the bishop observed, “has called forth at least an apparent rejection of mercy on the part of not a few Catholics. On the cross of Christ, God’s justice came into conflict with God’s mercy. God’s justice was fully satisfied, but mercy triumphed in the conflict, according to the teaching of Pope Benedict.” quote from Bishop Morlino
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