'Disconcerted' Kennedy bites back [CN-USA]

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Rhode Island Rep. Patrick Kennedy has described comments by Providence Bishop ThomasTobin questioning the congressman’s faith because of his stance onabortion and health care reform as “very disconcerting.”

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I should hope he is “troubled!”

The bishop is actually having the gall to suggest that what Kennedy professes on Sunday mornings should actually play a role in how he makes moral decisions in the REST of his life. For somebody with the voting record of Kennedy, such an idea would indeed be troubling!
 
manualman, exactly! I would hope there are other anti life ‘catholics’ on the public stage who are ‘disconcerted’ & fearing thier bishop may follow this wonderful bisops lead.
Bishop Tobin’s letter should be printed out and used as a reference for those of us who struggle to be faithful to Christ and His church.
 
I agree with the two previous posts. Bishop Tobin was well within his rights and responsibilities as a Bishop to respond to Mr. Kennedy in the way he did. The protest will be raised that Mr. Kennedy doesn’t represent the Catholic Church in his role as a representative of Rhode Island and he shouldn’t be expected to “rubber stamp” the Church’s views on social issues such as abortion. But Mr. Kennedy defines himself as a Catholic, and it is not unreasonable to expect a person who defines himself as such to reflect those values and beliefs that are so much a part of our identity as Catholics. Such a protest is more accurately an insidious way of telling Catholics that they have no role to play in the decision making process of the U.S. Government and that we should butt out. Catholics should be very wary of such an argument, often used by “Catholic” politicians themselves in order to excuse themselves from taking unpopular stands in their districts which may imperile their seats in Congress. Mr. Kennedy, if he wishes to define himself as Catholic, should at least have the courage to define himself as a poor one instead of getting into arguments with the Bishop who is merely exercising the office which Christ himself has called him to. I’ll grant that Mr. Kennedy is a Catholic, but he certainly is no Thomas More.
 
Well poor Patrick the Bishop’s remarks are disconcerting! BOO HOO!
 
The man clearly doesn’t recognize that he is causing scandal, and his Bishop must act. Kennedy probably has no idea that “scandal” isn’t merely bad behaviour, but behaviour that can lead others to sin. And supporting the murder of the unborn is certainly sinful. So is distorting what is involved in being a faithful Catholic.

If an unknown individual does wrong, discretion is certainly called for in setting him right. But Kennedy is a public figure, making very public utterances, from a position where people may think he should be emulated.

I have only one concern about the Bishop in question. In North America, there seems to be far too few with his strength and courage.

Blessings,

Gerry
 
I agree with the late Dominick Dunne’s assessment of this disgrace to our Faith,but forum rules preclude me from quoting his accurate,and scatalogical summation.
 
I can’t help it. I chuckle every time I see the word “scatological.” I suppose that says something about me…😃
 
Gerry_Hunter said:
The man clearly doesn’t recognize that he is causing scandal, and his Bishop must act. Kennedy probably has no idea that “scandal” isn’t merely bad behaviour, but behaviour that can lead others to sin. And supporting the murder of the unborn is certainly sinful. So is distorting what is involved in being a faithful Catholic.

If an unknown individual does wrong, discretion is certainly called for in setting him right. But Kennedy is a public figure, making very public utterances, from a position where people may think he should be emulated.

I have only one concern about the Bishop in question. In North America, there seems to be far too few with his strength and courage.

Blessings,

Gerry
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This , I believe, is exactly the problem. Those , so-called Catholics who pick and choose what they want to believe and practise from what the Church teaches, do not realize that they are in fact causing scandal and leading others into sin through bad example. I pray for their conversion. May we all come to know God’s mercy and love through his Son, Our Lord Jesus Christ and His earthly bride Mother Church.
 
Soutane said:
I agree with the late Dominick Dunne’s assessment of this disgrace to our Faith,but forum rules preclude me from quoting his accurate,and scatalogical summation.
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Soutane,

You da man!👍👍
 
The problem was created by Mr. Kennedy himself. He decided to take the bishops to task in the press, because of their position on abortion and healthcare reform. The moment you take your disagreement into the public forum, you’re going to get back a public response.

Had Mr. Kennedy voiced his concerns in the privacy of his home, the parish or even the bishop’s office, the bishop would not have responded in public. He could’t. He’s not allowed to do so.

But Mr. Kennedy opened up Pandora’s Box by making a public statement about the bishops. Now he has to bite the bullet.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
JReducation said:
The problem was created by Mr. Kennedy himself. He decided to take the bishops to task in the press, because of their position on abortion and healthcare reform. The moment you take your disagreement into the public forum, you’re going to get back a public response.

Had Mr. Kennedy voiced his concerns in the privacy of his home, the parish or even the bishop’s office, the bishop would not have responded in public. He could’t. He’s not allowed to do so.

But Mr. Kennedy opened up Pandora’s Box by making a public statement about the bishops. Now he has to bite the bullet.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
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You’re absolutely right, JR, and what bothers me about Mr. Kennedy’s public disagreement with the Bishop is the cynicism it reflects about his view of the Church. Mr. Kennedy went public for a political reason and was less concerned with the religious reasons behind the Church’s stance regarding abortion. As you said, he now has to bite the bullet, but the Bishop now has wade through the mess that this public disagreement has dredged up.
 
Tsuwano said:
You’re absolutely right, JR, and what bothers me about Mr. Kennedy’s public disagreement with the Bishop is the cynicism it reflects about his view of the Church. Mr. Kennedy went public for a political reason and was less concerned with the religious reasons behind the Church’s stance regarding abortion. As you said, he now has to bite the bullet, but the Bishop now has wade through the mess that this public disagreement has dredged up.
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I think that anyone with an ounce of common sense will understand that Mr. Kennedy set himself up for this. Those who do not see this are not worth paying attention to. As my son said to me. “Only 2% of Americans read newspapers. Therefore, only those who go looking for a scandal are going to find it. Are they really worth the heachache?” I thought it was a rather simplistic response, at first. The more that I though about it, the more sense that it made. Most people do not read and most do not even know about this conflict between Mr. Kennedy and the bishop. In the end, the bishop can sleep in peace at night.

Mr. Kennedy put himself in a tough spot and didn’t like the response that he got. The bishop also invited Mr. Kennedy for a talk. This was to be last Thursday. Mr. Kennedy’s office asked for a postponement of the meeting. When asked, the bishop’s office said that the bishop had left his afternoon open for Mr. Kennedy, if he still wanted to use it.

The ball is in Mr. Kennedy’s court. As to Mr. Kennedy’s place in the Church, the bishop was quite clear. Mr. Kennedy cannot be a good Catholic and publicly challenge the bishops, no one can. Whether you agree with the bishops or not, the rule is very clear. Catholics cannot challenge bishops. Bishops retain the authority over the Church and over the laity. They can exercise that authority without permission from anyone. The only Catholics who are not subject to the bishops are male religious when acting or speaking within their territory. As long as they are within their religious territory, they are exempt from the bishop. They answer to their major superiors. But we may not challenge our major superiors, even if we believe they are wrong. That’s a big no no.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
It sounds like the days of the Kennedy dynasty protraying themselves as Catholic and acting like pagans might be coming to an end…they have given scandal for years

Of course there have also been marvelous Catholics in that family like Rose and Eunice…I don’t know what happened to the others…:confused:
 
redrosetea said:
It sounds like the days of the Kennedy dynasty protraying themselves as Catholic and acting like pagans might be coming to an end…they have given scandal for years

Of course there have also been marvelous Catholics in that family like Rose and Eunice…I don’t know what happened to the others…:confused:
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It’s not our place to pass judgment on the Kennedys or anyone for that matter. But when a person publicly calls out the bishops as Mr. Kennedy did, then he is throwing himself in front of a bus and should not complain if the bus hits him.

It is one thing to have your opinion about something and quite another to malign someone’s good name. If Mr. Kennedy has a personal opinion about abortion, but does not malign the good name of the bishops, then his opinion can be dealt with in a private conversation between his bishop and him. But he did not do this. He made a statement that called into question the moral character of the bishops. Therefore, he set himself up for a response.

I don’t believe that the Church is out to bring down the Kennedy Dynasty or any other dynasty. That’s not what we’re about. The Kennedys deserve our pastoral care as much as the next person. At the same time, the Kennedys have to respect the good name of others as much as the next person.

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
I didn’t mean to imply the church was bringing them down…They are doing a good job of doing it to themselves

Poor Rose would be turning in her grave if she knew they things they have said and done contrary to faith and morals…They didn’t just discuss it with a friend they put it out there on TV and in the press, and voted for things that will cause suffering and death to the unborn…I am glad the Bishop spoke up…
 
Not only Kennedy, but all of the alleged Catholic representatives and senators, should find their actions disconcerting when measured by the Church’s teaching. It is painfully obvious that they either do not know what it is, or just do not care.
 
Perhaps this whole situation will make kennedy stop and think and let the Holy Spirit touch him, we can pray for that!
 
Call me naive; but I’m still trying to figure out what Congressman Kennedy thought he was going to get as a response when he made the statement that he made to the press. Why the surprise?

Fraternally,

Br. JR, OSF 🙂
 
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