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First US bishop to decry the "scandal" of the Kennedy funeral

Bishop Rene Henry Gracida, retired Roman Catholic Bishop of Corpus Christi, Texas has denounced the "scandal" of the Kennedy funeral. Writing on his blog, Bishop Gracida said, "There was so much wrong with the funeral liturgy celebrated in Boston last Saturday for Senator Edward Moore Kennedy that I hardly know where to begin," reports John-Henry Westen, LifeSiteNews.com.

He added: "Aside from the impropriety of such a grandiose celebration for one of the country's most notorious dissident Catholics, the 'celebration' was filled with liturgical errors and transgressions against the General Instruction of the Roman Missal which governs every celebration of the Church's liturgy."

Rather than going into specifics about the abuses himself, Bishop Gracida posted commentaries by lay and clerical pro-life leaders who identified the gravity of the scandal. "I am afraid that if I, a bishop, were to go into the details of the scandal it would only add to the scandal and so I will let the laity speak to it," he said.

Bishop Gracida reposted several commentaries from lay leaders in the pro-life movement in various posts. He, however, gave special attention to the commentary by Phil Lawler of Catholic World News. Said Bishop Gracida: "It is not unreasonable to suggest that the 'buck' for the scandal of the secular extravaganza which obscured the sacred liturgical nature of the Kennedy funeral should stop at the desk of the Cardinal Archbishop of Boston. Again, since I do not want to directly criticize another bishop, I leave it to the laity to analyze the true nature of that celebration. I give the final word to a layman for whom I have a great deal of respect: Phillip Lawler."

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TAGS: USA Bishop Rene Henry Gracida Kennedy funeral pro-life leaders Senator Edward Moore Kennedy

[09/10/2009]

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