Debate Over Kennedy Funeral Publicizes Catholic Schism Over Treatment of Politicians Who Support Abortion Rights, Time Reports

November 6, 2009 — A debate over whether the late Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) was entitled to a Catholic funeral has "brought into the open" longstanding tensions between church moderates and hard-liners over the treatment of politicians who support abortion rights, Time reports. Two central figures in the debate are Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley, who presided over Kennedy's funeral mass, and Rome-based Archbishop Raymond Burke, who has accused O'Malley of being under Satan's influence because of his acceptance of Catholic abortion-rights supporters. In Burke's view, "a Catholic's position on abortion trumps all other teachings," which has prompted clashes with O'Malley and others "who take a more holistic view of the faith," Time reports.

Burke drew attention in 2004 when he became the first Catholic leader to deny Holy Communion to then-presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.), and he has since unsuccessfully led a push to withhold Communion from all politicians who support abortion rights. In June 2008, Burke was transferred to the Vatican -- a move "widely interpreted as a way to put some distance" between him and the U.S. election -- though he continues to inject himself into U.S. politics, Time reports. Earlier this year, he said the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops was responsible for President Obama's victory because it endorsed a position that allowed Catholics to consider issues other than abortion when voting. He has also called HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, who supports abortion rights, a "source of deepest embarrassment to Catholics."

O'Malley, who "shuns politics" and is well-liked in Boston, is a conservative on many matters of Catholic doctrine, but he "did not hesitate to push back against the uproar that surrounded the Kennedy funeral," Time reports. In his blog, O'Malley wrote that the church "will not change hearts by turning away from people in their time of need and when they are experiencing grief." However, according to Time, it "was inevitable that Burke would emerge to fire back." At a September dinner sponsored by conservative media outlet Inside Catholic, Burke said that neither Communion nor funeral rights should be given to politicians who support abortion-rights. He received a standing ovation.

The feud between the two camps will likely widen later this month when USCCB holds its general meeting, Time reports. In the meantime, critics of Burke are waiting to see whether the Vatican will again try to silence him, as it has forced him to make apologies in the past. Pope Benedict XVI's silence on the issue seems to have widened the debate. According to Time, "A minority faction of bishops had hoped (Benedict) would lead the way in punishing those who dissent from church teaching," but his "preference for avoiding the political fray has both frustrated them and emboldened them to act on their own" (Sullivan, Time, 11/5).