Eminentoes
Truth and Heresy
Another Kennedy flaunts her liberal Catholicism.
What faithful, practicing Catholic does not cringe when he hears the Kennedys referred to as “one of the United States’ most prominent Roman Catholic families”? Why not single out say, the family of U. S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, a faithful Catholic with a brood of nine children, one of whom is a priest who, as his father quips, “took one for the team.” Justice Scalia is a man who is not ashamed to defend his faith:
To believe in traditional Christianity is something else. For the son of God to be born of a virgin? I mean, really. To believe that he rose from the dead and bodily ascended into heaven? How utterly ridiculous. To believe in miracles? Or that those who obey God will rise from the dead and those who do not will burn in hell? God assumed from the beginning that the wise of the world would view Christians as fools…and he has not been disappointed. Have the courage to have your wisdom regarded as stupidity. Be fools for Christ. And have the courage to suffer the contempt of the sophisticated world.
But the Kennedys? After all, it was their most favorite son, JFK who first suggested that political interests should come before Church teaching, when he famously said he would always act “in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates.”
This feeling that “religious dictates” are outside a person rather than inside, sums up the plight of many American Catholics. They have lost the interior disposition necessary to properly practice the faith. The name Catholic is nothing more than a brand for these folks; in some ways a brand of dishonor, feeling as they do that it represents a repressive group of religious fanatics. But they can call themselves whatever they like; they certainly are not practicing Catholics.
And yet, it is this group that is always sought after by the media when they need quotes or polling data that contradicts Church teaching. And when the heretic bears the name of Kennedy, it doesn’t get any better than that. So it was no surprise that Newsweek eagerly published a hit piece by the slain president’s niece, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, in which she sees fit to lecture Mother Church in the person of the Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
As its title implies — “Without A Doubt: Why Barack Obama represents American Catholics better than the pope does” — it is a mostly rambling and predictable litany of the accusations against the Church by one who is obviously outside of it. So clueless in regards to Church teaching is Ms. Townsend, that she refers to those who actually follow it as “vocal bishops and pro-life activists.”
But she does have a point. Those like her have created their own Church, one that blows with the winds of change and popular opinion. It is no surprise that a member of the most liberal family in America should choose to make her points by citing of polls of her like-minded “Catholics.” Now polling is no way to run a country and it is most certainly not the way the Church operates. She may have missed this in Catechism class, but the Church derives its authority from its founder, Jesus Christ, who guaranteed that the Gates of Hell — let alone opinion polls — would not prevail against her.
Speaking on behalf of her fellows in heresy and citing their views on homosexuality and condom use, Townsend writes: “American Catholics do not want to be told by the Vatican how to think.” No, one would assume they’d rather get their opinions right from the New York Times. She goes on to claim, “Meanwhile, against all scientific evidence and protestations from clergy on the ground, the pope claims that condoms aggravate the spread of AIDS.” I don’t know if a Kennedy recognizes a Harvard researcher’s findings as “scientific evidence,” but according to Edward C. Green, director of the AIDS Prevention Research Project at the Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies:
The pope is correct. Or to put it a better way, the best evidence we have supports the pope’s comments…I also noticed that the pope said ‘monogamy’ was the best single answer to African AIDS, rather than ‘abstinence.’ The best and latest empirical evidence indeed shows that reduction in multiple and concurrent sexual partners is the most important single behavior change associated with reduction in HIV-infection rates.
Then, in an incredible burst of unintentional self-incrimination, she writes that the Church cannot “acknowledge that the self-satisfied edifice constructed around sex and gender has been grievously wrong.” Speaking for myself, I cannot imagine a more accurate indictment of the Democratic Party.
Near the end of her heretical piece, Ms. Townsend accuses the Vatican of employing “rhetoric” when speaking of love and truth. Now, I’m forced by her writing style to assume that she attaches the modern definition to the word, as to mean “insincere” or “pretentious.” But were she employing the word as applied to Plato, Aristotle or St. Augustine, she and her true spiritual leader, Barack Obama, might learn something about truth and love as so beautifully laid out by Pope Benedict in his latest encyclical:
Without truth, charity degenerates into sentimentality. Love becomes an empty shell, to be filled in an arbitrary way. In a culture without truth, this is the fatal risk facing love. It falls prey to contingent subjective emotions and opinions, the word “love” is abused and distorted, to the point where it comes to mean the opposite. Truth frees charity from the constraints of an emotionalism that deprives it of relational and social content, and of a fideism that deprives it of human and universal breathing-space. In the truth, charity reflects the personal yet public dimension of faith in the God of the Bible, who is both Agápe and Lógos: Charity and Truth, Love and Word.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (48) | Leave a comment
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El Rey| 7.22.09 @ 6:54AM
Like so many on the Left, the Kennedys' true religion is liberalism where Big Brother has replace Christ, abortion & homosexuality are the new sacraments, and political correctness is the creed.
Melvin| 7.22.09 @ 7:15AM
The Kennedy's don't need the Catholic religion, they are by the very nature of their name their own religion.
Darin| 7.22.09 @ 7:32AM
Like too many self-proclaimed Christians, the Kennedy's view their Catholicism like a social club. Although I don't know their hearts, my guess is that they will one day stand before their maker and here, "Depart from me, I never knew you."
Appleby| 7.22.09 @ 8:41AM
A great proportion of the Mob are Roman Catholic in the same way as the Kennedys are -- although their make a much better display of their putative Catholicism in the community.
It is well past time that the Pope and the Bishops, and the parish priests, started weeding out the putative Catholics from the practicing Catholics. A small but devout and practicing community would be infinitely better than a mob of binkie-twiddling, latte-sipping smart alecks who, if pressed, would not be able to properly explain why they were even there.
Mike| 7.22.09 @ 9:07AM
To all my judgmental, sanctimonious brothers and sisters in Christ: May I humbly suggest you read Henri Nouwen's The Return of the Prodigal Son.
Joellen| 7.22.09 @ 9:23AM
Mike, why is it when those of us who profess the true faith we are called "sanctimonious brothers and sisters, yet when those like the Kennedy's espouse their "objection" of the Catholic doctrine it is to be politely accepted. Mike, if St. John the Baptist,were alive today he would call on the Kennedy's and those like him to renounce Satin and all his "false idols and truths". Would you call him sanctimonious? If so, just remember what Jesus Christ called him "the greatest man who ever lived". I think I'll stick with the truth and if that makes me sanctimonious in your eyes (or the Kennedy's) than I wear it as a badge of courage.
Mike| 7.22.09 @ 9:44AM
Joellen,
Jesus had quite a lot to say about the people in his day who "professed the true faith." He was especially critical of the ones who did so loudly and publicly. Be His reckoning, these were the people who were looking for the speck in their brother's eye while remaining blithely unaware of the mote in their own. Whose job is it to judge?
Jerry| 7.22.09 @ 9:46AM
Mike,
True, many tend to be judgmental & sanctimonious at times, but the admonishment not to "judge, lest ye be judged" in no way relieves us of the ability, nay the obligation, to judge ACTIONS rather than INTENT. God alone knows what's in one's heart, and the level of culpability for each person's sins; however, as faithful Christitians, we must oppose to the face those who publicly cause scandal by cynically misrepresenting Church doctrine in the public arena, and point out the error of their position. People may find justification for abhorrent behavior (homosexuality, abortion, etc.) and believe they are following their conscience, but that's just glaring evidence that a poorly-formed conscience is dangerous to one's soul. However, it's quite another issue when somebody (say, Ms. Pelosi) is repeatedly corrected by legitimate Church authority, yet persists in her proclamation that "as a serious, devoted Catholic who has studied this issue extensively, I can say that there is still debate within the Church about when life begins." WHAT!!??!! Should we not judge that statement as a cynical attempt to manipulate public & political opinion?
Yes, we must pray for their conversion. Yes, we must continue to work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Yes, we must especially pray for the leaders of the Church whose actions or inaction may appear to be inadequate or too slow, and we must trust that the Holy Spirit will guide them. And yes, we must pray that this Prodigal Nation will return to honoring God's law, especially by protecting human life in all its stages.
Tony in Central PA| 7.22.09 @ 9:47AM
What we are seeing in America today is in large part the bad fruit of the bad catechism so prevalent in the 60's and 70's. It still doesn't explain why so many people who identify themselves as " ProChoice Catholics " don't leave the Church in a country where religious freedom certainly doesn't compel anybody to be Catholic. I have had a few discussions over the years with people in this camp and they invariably degenerate into nonsensical, adolescent foot - stomping about, " Why I'm a Catholic but think abortion, etc. is OK". I think the quote from the Pope's latest encyclical in the article above about the separation of charity from truth summarizes the incoherent beliefs of many American Catholics these days.
Ron Vaughan| 7.22.09 @ 10:03AM
Who cares what they think or do?
Old Texican| 7.22.09 @ 10:32AM
I'm a Christian
Grew up Baptist. I'm one of the guys, who, when approaching the Pearly gates, must hear Jesus Christ sigh...and say"Let Him In, Father, he's one of mine."
Jerry| 7.22.09 @ 11:24AM
'American Catholic Church' is an oxymoron. 'Catholic Church in America' is more accurate, with most of the flock believing that the Church is a democratically-influenced institution.
Tony, poor catechesis unfortunately spans more than those two decades; to paraphrase Archbishop Vigneron, "if catechesis was so good prior to Vatican II, how did everything collapse so quickly after Vatican II?". Unfortunately, being members of an institution that thinks in centuries, we will have to endure (and pray for!) a collective generation or two of radicalized and/or poorly catechised priests, along with their sloppy doctrine. There is always hope, though, as we are seeing a resurgence of devout young priests and religious, and those faithful, orthodox orders are enjoying growth while many major seminaries are limping along, ordaining anemic numbers of priests. His Holiness Benedict XVI said, "pruned, it will grow"--it looks like that's already in progress.
Appleby| 7.22.09 @ 12:18PM
Mike, may I suggest you read the New Testament? READ it, I mean; not just google various verses and quote them out of context.
And as far as that speck/plank thing goes, I believe Jesus would agree that one could simultaneously labour to remove the plank from one's own eye and help one's brother with the speck in his. Otherwise, if only perfect people can assist their sinful brothers and sisters, nobody will ever be saved.
Anneke| 7.22.09 @ 12:41PM
"American Catholics do not want to be told by the Vatican how to think."
Kathleen: Americans don't want to be told by the the imperial cult of the Kennedys how to think and how to live their lives. This article is a testament to the hubris and the conceit of this family of frauds.
Joe| 7.22.09 @ 12:52PM
The catholic Church is not the answer. Jesus and the Bible are. We don't need a Pope and his hipocritical bishops, etc. tell us what God has told us through his word. The arrogance and hipocracy has been the down fall some of Christanity.
Michael Tomlinson| 7.22.09 @ 1:12PM
I wonder if Ted Kennedy's god thinks murdering your mistress and unborn child is justified for political reasons or acceptable just, because your name is Kennedy? How does the Kennedy god view sandwiching a poor waitresses -- fat old Senators having fun or two fat old pervs having fun? Since the Kennedy god favors abortions what does he think about lobotomizing your daughter? Is it incest if two brothers share the same mistress? What if the mistress commits suicide do the brothers bear any responsibility? How does the Kennedy god view lying -- Ok for Democrats, an absolute political necessity for Democrats or justified when your nephew is a serial rapist? Is it murder only when a Kennedy or their spawn kills with a golf club? Is Barack Obama Ted Kennedy and Christopher Dodd's love child or just the creation of their twisted politics? Should Ted Kennedy receive so much expensive medical care considering his age or should he do as Barack suggests and just take a pain pill and die? Won't it be nice when the liberal media replaces its rapture with the Kennedy "royalty" with the Obama "caliph?" Who's dumber Kathleen or Barack?
Irish Spectre| 7.22.09 @ 1:30PM
This calls to mind what I've been pondering for the last several years, particularly since the announcement of the Senator's cancer, which is how he will be buried. To what pressures will Boston's Cardinal Sean O'Malley be subjected when comes that day, while Ted is simultaneously being canonized to the highest of neo-pagan heights by the ragingly liberal secular society that has been the Senator's sandbox?
May that occasion not be one of scandal for the Church, or, better yet, may the Senator himself take the question off the table by returning to the fold, after the fashion of the Prodigal Son.
carolinem| 7.22.09 @ 2:05PM
Oh, please, does anyone in America take the Catholic Church seriously, anymore? From the incomprehensible academic babble pouring out of statements at bishops conferences to bland general statements about peace and justice from the pope, the Church has lost any connection to its people. If Fabrizio worries about heresy, can she explain the acceptance by the Church of divorce and remarriage? While she argues for purity of teaching, she might ask the hierarchy how it took nearly 10 years to process the appeal of the annulment granted by the Church to former Congressman Joseph Kennedy, who dumped Sheila Rauch Kennedy for a hot young aide. Rudolph Giuliani, John Kerry ad Newt Gingrich also took full advantage of the Church’s liberalism to trade their wives for a new model, all with the Church’s blessing. Funny how the vast majority of annulments granted keep up with secular divorce rates.
Moving on to the child molestation scandals that cost the Church hundreds of millions of dollars in legal settlements, where does the Church teach the validity of covering up and hiding child rapist priests, moving them around to various parishes and lying to the people when questions come up? Why did it take a secular media and secular outcry to bring attention to this issue? Why did the pope ignore the victims through the years, only reluctantly agreeing to meet with them after the secular press kept on the issue? Why are the bishops who covered up and protected these rapists still in protected positions in the hierarchy? Does all of this fall within Church teaching?
The secrecy and arrogance of the hierarchy doesn’t seem to bother Fabrizio, but a dissenting opinion about a Church teaching causes wild protests. If Fabrizio would remember that these are mere men, and not objects of worship, perhaps she could lead the charge for accountability.
Tony in Central PA| 7.22.09 @ 3:09PM
Carolinem, one of the many things that keeps me Catholic is the desire not to see the kind of human failures you mentioned succeed in ruining the Church. I don't want to see the abusers, faithless and toady bureaucrats defining what Christ left us. I'm just one person, but it adds up.
Dave in Dallas| 7.22.09 @ 3:15PM
Mike,
Henri Newoun's Prodigal Son is an excellent meditation on the parable. One of the most poignant scenes in the story is the moment when the young man, having squandered everything on earthly pleasures and finding himself with no hope and realizing the value of what he lost (the love of a father), "Turns toward home". It is one of the most powerful messages in the Gospel, God will not chase us, but He will accept us back with open arms and no questions if we (us, me, I) "turn back" to Him and return home.
As JPII said, the Church does not command, it suggests. We all have a free will and can choose to follow God and the Church's suggestions, or not. If not, we cannot know salvation and everything else "is vanity". Nothing is taken away, we give it up freely. The Church and Christ take nothing away, we reject the gifts that they give. Ex-communication is not something that the Church proscribes or imposes. When we separate ourselves from God by rejecting His teaching, commands and His love, we "Catholics" separate ourselves from Him and His Church.
Based on her public actions and statements (not these recent ones which were relatively mindless and silly) but her other public statements and positions on life and other issues, Kathleen Townsend, and others in her family, has ex-communicated herself from the Catholic Church. She is no more a member of the Church than the local atheist. For her to be held as a public Catholic figure of importance regarding her views on the Pope merely reflects the sad state of affairs and training of our main stream media, most of whom would not recognize a faithful Catholic if one appeared in their office with a bouquet of roses and an imprint of the Blessed Virgin Mary on their tunic.
By their actions, the Kennedy family gave up their Christianity long ago. This is not a judgment or an opinion or a condemnation. It is merely a statement of fact, based on observation of their life styles and actions ("By their actions, you will know them"). It is sad, as they could be a major voice for Truth in Love and Love in Truth in this country. But Christ did not choose the rich and famous to be the teachers of the faith. Many other prominent Catholics and Christians of other denominations have gained the power, prestige and love of the world, but at the risk of their souls.
We, as human beings created by God with a free will, choose our destiny every day. We are blessed that God has given, and continues to give, voices to us providing His "suggestions" on how we should lead our lives (the Old Testament prophets, Jesus's teaching in the Gospel, the writings of Peter, John, James and Paul, the writings of the Saints, the Church, etc.). The Kennedy's, and others with similar perspectives, want to follow a faith that gives into their desires to create a heaven on earth. They are not looking for the way to get to Heaven if it contradicts with this life mission. If we choose what pleases us, we lose. If we give ourselves over to God and Christ and follow his ways, we may not be powerful, or rich or famous or governors or presidents, but we will find eternity much better.
None of us is perfect, but those who have positions in society of influence over others will be held to a higher standard than those who do not. Christ was always willing to teach and accept the common sinners, but the Pharisees who were not willing to listen and change and were looking for justification for their lifestyles, were repeatedly condemned by Christ. The Kennedy's, Biden's, Pelosi's and Selebus's, and others like them, are the Pharisees of our time and will suffer similar fates. They won on earth and crucified Jesus for challenging their power and prestige and implying (rather directly) that they were in error. However, He won in the end. Their power, prestige and lifestyles crashed and burned (literally) within a generation. His Way continues on in triumph.
Kathleen Townsend probably does not know any better. But I would guess that there are plenty of signs and messages around her that she is lost. If she recognizes her predicament and all that she has lost, "turns toward home" and comes back to the Church, she will be welcomed with open arms.
David T.| 7.22.09 @ 3:26PM
Another insightful piece on religion by Ms. Fabrizio. In response to carolinem above, I would simply say that, after 2000 years, "purity of teaching" in the Church remains: divorce is still wrong. So are covering up scandal and lying. And so is Ms. Townsend's heresy. God forgives our sins as we repent and confess. Even so, Ms. Townsend will not escape responsibility for the moral deformity of her words and their effect on the faithful.
Richard Baker| 7.22.09 @ 4:06PM
Joe:
Leave the Papist nonsense alone. If you want to worship God in your way then shut up and allow me to worship Him in my way. God will tell us one day who did it properly and you aren't Him. By the way, a spelling course is in order for you. Misspelling blunts your message, don't you know? At least, try a dictionary.
jr| 7.22.09 @ 5:53PM
For the know-all see-all Catholics, what does it take for a Catholic church, Bishop, or the Vatican to say -- get out heathen? Why are the Kennedys still some of their best they have to offer? Isn't Chappaquiddick good enough?
ds80| 7.22.09 @ 8:38PM
If you think Kathleen or Ted Kennedy, pedophile priests, schismatics and heretics represent the institution founded by Christ - his bride the Catholic Church - you're mistaken.
To expect perfection here on earth in an institution managed by fallible men and women is naive ... but it's pretty good authority that tells us the gates of hell shall not prevail against the Holy Roman Catholic Church.
I'll take the Holy Spirit over what any mere human says, any day.
Don L| 7.23.09 @ 6:47AM
Lisa has become one of my all time favorite writers (a euphamism for thinkers) This piece in defense of the faith and truth, exposes those who would destroy Catholicism from within - were they there. Pope Paul, finally, saw these weeds growing when he stated that "the smoke of Satan has entered the tabernacle."
Catholics didn't support a pro-infanticide embryo trashing president - those that did, have no idea what it means to be Catholic, and worse, no desire to be Catholic, in spite of their stated religious pseudonoymns.
Terri| 7.23.09 @ 9:24AM
I'm not Catholic but I am beginning to believe that as believers in Christ's teachings, we must come together against the liberalness of any religion. His truths are not subject to man's disputes. They stand immovable and correct, 2,000 years of being correct and in my particular religion actually since Adam and Eve.
ds80| 7.23.09 @ 10:39AM
Don L, you are so right: there are far too many who, firmly planted in and of this world - at best merely ignorant or poorly catechized, at worst reveling insidiously in defiance and sin - affix the label "Catholic" to themselves as a bumper sticker.
Doctor Right| 7.23.09 @ 12:13PM
Kathleen Kennedy Townsend is emblematic of the problem facing the entire Kennedy Clan with the imminent demise of Teddy...
...The End.
Not of their lives, however...But their political capital.
That's because the 3rd generation of Kennedys has proven themselves to be mostly stupid, and utterly uninspiring (with some exceptions, notably the late John Jr., who seemed likeable and possessed of a sincere humility).
In any event, the Keneddy's know that Uncle Ted's death spells the end of the dynasty. The clout just isn't there without Ted and his connection to JFK, Jackie, and Camelot.
The list of 3rd-generation Kennedy-idiots is long and distinctly undistinguished, from Robert Jr's embrace of radical environmentalism to Patrick's drunken vehicular ramblings through D.C. and public bullying of TSA personnel at airport security check-points to Kathleen's failed attempt at Maryland's Governorship a few years back, time and time again the 3rd generation has proven they just don't have the power of their parents and grandparents.
Recent history provides a stunning example of the Kennedy's loss of clout with the smack-down of Caroline by New York Governor David Patterson when she arrogantly assumed the open Senate Seat would be hers for the asking.
So in summation...Who really gives a damn what these fools think? I never have...And in a few short years, not many others will, either.
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