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UPDATED: Pro-Life Leaders to Cardinal O'Malley: Do Not Honor Pro-Abortion Kennedy with Public Catholic Funeral

Calls on pro-life Catholics to pray for Church amid scandal

By Kathleen Gilbert

7:30 p.m. addition to story below - The Boston  Globe reported today that "Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley of Boston will preside and deliver the final commendation at the funeral of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy tomorrow at the Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. The Rev. J. Donald Monan, a Jesuit priest who was the longtime president of Boston College and is now the chancellor, will be the principal celebrant. And the Rev. Mark R. Hession, pastor of Our Lady of Victory Parish in Centerville, will deliver the homily."

WASHINGTON, D.C., August 28, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The director of the pro-life group Citizens for a Pro-Life Society (CPLS) is calling on pro-lifers across America to respectfully urge Cardinal Sean O'Malley of the Boston Archdiocese not to allow the passing of notorious pro-abortion advocate Sen. Ted Kennedy to be honored with a public Catholic funeral.

Following the death of Sen. Ted Kennedy of brain cancer Tuesday night, a funeral mass has been scheduled for Saturday morning at Boston's Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, where President Obama is expected to deliver the eulogy.

Pro-life Catholic leaders say that, since Kennedy may have disavowed his abortion advocacy before his death, a private Catholic funeral would be appropriate.  However, they argue, in the absence of Kennedy's public repentance, a public Catholic funeral would heap scandal upon the Catholic Church and its pro-life teachings.

American Life League president Judie Brown published her letter to Cardinal O'Malley calling on him to "stop the travesty" of the upcoming funeral. 

"If this funeral Mass proceeds as planned, Senator Edward Kennedy will have spit one more time on Christ, this time from a casket," wrote Brown.

Citizens for a Pro-Life Society director Monica Miller sent an email blast this week to rally pro-lifers to protest the arrangement.

"What's the issue here ultimately? If someone like Ted Kennedy - who advanced and facilitated the murders of innocent human beings - can be granted a funeral Mass, then this sends the message that the killing of the innocent just doesn't matter," said Miller.

Miller urged Catholics to contact Cardinal O'Malley to protest the funeral in the hours leading up to the event, and to "pray for the Church."

"Cardinal Sean O'Malley, Archbishop of Boston, needs to hear from thousands of people," she said. "The phones at the Boston Archdiocese should ring off the hook today!"

Rev. Ray Collins, pastor (This is the only number that appears to be being answered and taking comments at the moment)
Basilica of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
phone: 617 445-2600 
fax: 617 445-1857

To respectfully contact Cardinal O'Malley with concerns:

phone: 617 782-2544 
email: sdiago@rcab.org 

See Effective Communications in Response to LifeSiteNews Reports

Archdiocese of Boston:
phone: 617 254-0100
fax:  617 746-5762

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