…is running scared from his Bishop decided not to meet with him today:
Kennedy said he was “not going to dignify with an answer” Tobin’s assertions that he could not be a good Catholic and support abortion rights, adding that he found it “very disconcerting” that Tobin won’t agree to keep discussions of his faith private, the Providence Journal reported Wednesday.
The Bishop however is not at a loss for words:
What makes Kennedy think he’s Catholic? “Your baptism as an infant? Your family ties? Your cultural heritage?”
Being Catholic involves much more, he said, including acceptance of essential church teachings on matters of faith and morals, belonging to a parish community, weekly attendance at Mass and regular reception of the sacraments.
And support for abortion rights is not in the same category of those who struggle with sins of anger, pride, greed, impurity or dishonesty and then fail, the bishop declared.
“Your rejection of the Church’s teaching on abortion falls into a different category — it’s a deliberate and obstinate act of the will, a conscious decision that you’ve reaffirmed on many occasions.
“Sorry, you can’t chalk it up to ‘an imperfect humanity.’ Your position is unacceptable to the Church and scandalous to many of our members. It absolutely diminishes your communion with the church….
“I write these words not to embarrass you or to judge the state of your conscience or soul. That’s ultimately between you and God.
“But your description of your relationship with the Church is now a matter of public record and it needs to be challenged. I invite you, as your bishop and brother in Christ, to enter into a sincere process of discernment, conversion and repentance. It’s not too late to repair your relationship with the church, redeem your public image and emerge as an authentic ‘profile in courage,’ especially by defending the sanctity of human life for all people, including unborn children.”
The full letter is here.
Kennedy might not recognize it but he is much luckier than Ted. He has a bishop who is willing to call him out publicly in an attempt to save his soul. The Bishop knows that he will be be pilloried nationally because of it, yet the soul of this man was a prize worth fighting for. Tobin his a profile in courage. It looks like we can’t say the same about Kennedy.
If Kennedy wants to profess himself as a Catholic Pol then he needs to get himself right with the church. If he doesn’t want to I’m sure the media will celebrate him as they did Ted and he will be respected by them for the rest of his life…
…after that he’s on his own.