JFK Funeral, a Postscript

I received an email today from a friend who had read yesterday's post. He asked if I could pass along the words of one of the hymns our Naval Academy Catholic Choir sang on the White House lawn during JFK's funeral. He was particularly interested in the hymn, Above the Hills of Time the Cross Is Gleaming, which is sung to the tune of Londonderry Air. Londonderry Air is perhaps more widely recognized as the music of Danny Boy. 

[An interesting note, though: the words to Danny Boy, considered by many of us who are of Irish descent to be a true Irish ballad, was actually written in Bath, England by Frederic Weatherly, an English lawyer. And even more disheartening to us Catholics with roots in the Republic of Ireland, the tune -- Londonderry Air -- originated in County Londonderry now in Northern Ireland and is often played as the victory anthem of Northern Ireland. The tune has a rather complex history and is used as the music for the lyrics of well over a dozen songs.]

Anyway, here are the requested lyrics to the hymn we sung at the request of Mrs. Kennedy:

Above the hills of time the cross is gleaming,
Fair as the sun when night has turned to day;
And from it love’s pure light is richly streaming,
To cleanse the heart and banish sin away.
To this dear cross the eyes of men are turning,
Today as in the ages lost to sight;
And for Thee, O Christ, men’s hearts are yearning,
As shipwrecked seamen yearn for morning light.

The cross, O Christ, Thy wondrous love revealing,
Awakes our hearts as with the light of morn,
And pardon o’er our sinful spirits stealing,
Tells us that we, in Thee, have been reborn.
Like echoes to sweet temple bells replying
Our hearts, O Lord, make answer to Thy love;
And we will love Thee with a love undying,
Till we are gathered to Thy home above.

These beautiful lyrics were written by Thomas Tiplady, an English Methodist minister who was also a prolific writer of hymns. Born in 1882, he served as a chaplain in the trenches during the worst days of World War One and died many years later in 1967.

While I'm at it, I might as well include the lyrics to another hymn we sang that day. It happens to be one of my favorites, the Navy Hymn, or Eternal Father, Strong to Save. As I recall, because of time constraints, we sang only the first verse, but I might well have forgotten some of the details of that morning. It was, after all, over 50 years ago. As a naval aviator, I have always appreciated the third verse I've included below:

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd'st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea! 

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger's hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe'er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.

Lord, guard and guide the men who fly
Through the great spaces in the sky.
Be with them always in the air,
In darkening storms or sunlight fair;
Oh, hear us when we lift our prayer,
For those in peril in the air!  

Here's a video of the Naval Academy Men's Glee Club, singing Eternal Father during a 2008 concert in San Antonio, Texas.I, too, was a member of the Glee Club, although several decades earlier.

 

As I said yesterday, that day in 1963 was a sad day for the entire nation, and a day I will never forget.

God's peace...

JFK Funeral

I didn't know why this came to mind today, but it just did, unbidden. I think perhaps it has something to do with aging and old memories that seem to arrive without notice. This particular memory is very vivid.

Over 50 years ago, on Monday, November 25, 1963, the entire nation -- Democrats, Republicans, and citizens of every other political stripe -- mourned the tragic loss of our young 35th president and watched his funeral on their televisions. At the time I was a lowly 19-year-old plebe (aka, freshman) at the United States Naval Academy and was also a member of the academy's Catholic Choir.

As it turned out, Jacquiline Kennedy, the president's widow, requested that our Catholic Choir take part in the funeral by singing several hymns at the White House North Portico shortly before the funeral procession began its long march to the cathedral and then to Arlington National Cemetery. The three requested hymns were:  Above the Hills of Time the Cross Is Gleaming (Londonderry Air); Eternal Father, Strong to Save;  and Dona Nobis Pacem.

JFK's funeral procession leaves the White House

Despite the sadness of the event, it was a remarkable experience. As we stood solemnly on the lawn late that morning waiting for our cue to begin singing, we couldn't help but notice the notables who had gathered there with Mrs. Kennedy and the entire Kennedy clan. I remember seeing Haile Selassi, the Emperor of Ethiopia, who at 5 feet 4 inches looked very small indeed standing not far from President Charles de Gaulle of France who at 6 feet 5 inches towered over everyone. Some others I spotted included Golda Meier of Israel, Willy Brandt, then the mayor of West Berlin, and Prince Philip and Harold Wilson of the UK.  It was quite a crowd, and included dozens of other dignitaries from around the globe, none of whom I recognized. But they certainly looked very impressive.

It was an honor to be a member of that choir and pay a tribute to a fallen president. JFK had actually paid a visit to the Naval Academy just a few months earlier. Indeed, the visit took place during our Plebe Summer, which is the innocuous name given to the grueling first few months to which new midshipmen are subjected. During the course of his remarks to our Class of 1967, he used his power as Commander in Chief to grant us a form of immunity from the punishment-generating demerits we had accumulated. It was very well received.

Here's a 10-minte YouTube video that includes our singing during the last two minutes and even a brief glimpse of our choir just before the video ends. I'm in there somewhere. It's the only video of the funeral I could find in which our choir can be heard and seen.

Archbishop Chaput: The Politics of Abortion

In the brief video I've posted below, Archbishop Charles Chaput of Philadelphia shares his thoughts on the politics of abortion, particularly as they relate to American Catholics.

It must be remembered that the transition of the Democrat Party from a once pro-life party to today's rabid pro-abortion party began when a group of dissident Catholic theologians and liberal politicians met in the summer of 1964 at the Kennedy's Hyannis Port compound on Cape Cod. At this meeting the party's more progressive and enlightened approach to abortion was developed, an approach designed to enable Catholic politicians to neutralize Church teaching. And by constant repetition of the bad theology that Catholics could, in conscience, support abortion in certain circumstances, the Kennedys and their colleagues were highly successful in their effort.

To read more about this meeting, its roots, and its aftermath, visit these sites:

Fr. Drinan and the Kennedys

The Kennedys vs. the Church

Pray for our political leadership, and especially for those Catholic politicians who have abandoned the Gospel and the teachings of the Church simply to gain worldly power which does not last. And pray, too, for all Americans, that their voting decisions may be guided by God's will and not the will of sinful men. 

"Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom, there is no help" [Ps 146:3].

Kennedys, Rhode Island, Massachusetts...Ugh

Every so often I experience one of those increasingly frequent senior moments and forget why I left the great Commonwealth of Massachusetts for sunnier and decidedly warmer Florida. And then one of the Kennedys opens his or her mouth...

Now before I continue, I have to say that Sean Cardinal O'Malley is my favorite bishop; after all, he ordained me. And I also realize that Cardinal Sean believes that Ted Kennedy, and presumably the Kennedy clan in general, espoused many policies and programs to the benefit of millions. The cardinal believes that these programs were motivated by, or at least reflect, Catholic social teaching. And this fact was apparently enough to offset the late senator's dismal 100% pro-abortion voting record and lead the cardinal to take part in Senator Kennedy's funeral. Although I'm not a moral theologian, I would think abortion might fall somewhere under the banner of "Catholic social teaching" and that the millions who were helped by all those programs pale in comparison to the millions who lost their lives though abortion. But, as I say, I'm no moral theologian and I trust that Cardinal Sean weighed all this in making his decision, a pastoral decision I fully respect even though I don't fully understand it. And I certainly don't object to the cardinal taking part in the funeral. My objection centers more on the nature of the funeral itself. It seemed more like a campaign event than a Catholic funeral. But hey, what do I know? Cardinal Sean's an archbishop...and I'm just a deacon, and not a particularly smart one either.

All that, of course, is in the past. The late senator has received his reward and for the first time in decades no member of the Kennedy clan holds elected office in Massachusetts. But a Kennedy still serves the people, and although he does so in neighboring Rhode Island, Representative Patrick Kennedy is the political clone of his father, and also votes solidly pro-abortion.

Apparently this voting record hasn't hurt Rep. Kennedy politically even though the state's population includes the highest percentage of Catholics in the nation. Indeed, I can't recall hearing that his bishop ever openly criticized him for his support of abortion...until now. (If I'm wrong here, my apologies to Bishop Tobin.)

It would also seem that the real catalyst for the current dispute between Patrick Kennedy and his bishop was not the representative's voting record but his public comments criticizing the US bishops for not supporting the Democrats' health care legislation. Kennedy charged that in their opposition to any health-care reform that included abortion funding the American bishops were only fanning the "flames of dissent and discord." He went on to say, "I can't understand for the life of me how the Catholic Church could be against the biggest social justice issue of our time..." I've included the video (below) of Rep. Kennedy's full interview with Catholic News Service in which he made these comments.



The fact that Representative Kennedy doesn't understand the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion is no surprise given his voting record and his family's virtually solid pro-abortion views. It's also an interesting commentary on the quality of the Catholic education he received at Providence College. I worked at PC for a few years and know that the core undergraduate curriculum includes at least six hours of theology...so it makes me wonder what was taught in those courses, or whether the future US representative slept through them and simply rode the curve to a comfortable C.

And so, as a result of Kennedy's uninformed comments, Providence Bishop Thomas Tobin took him to task: “Congressman Patrick Kennedy’s statement about the Catholic Church’s position on health care reform is irresponsible and ignorant of the facts. As I wrote to Congressman Kennedy and other members of the Rhode Island Congressional Delegation recently, the Bishops of the United States are indeed in favor of comprehensive health care reform and have been for many years. But we are adamantly opposed to health care legislation that threatens the life of unborn children, requires taxpayers to pay for abortion, rations health care, or compromises the conscience of individuals."  Bishop Tobin then let loose with all his guns and added, "Congressman Kennedy continues to be a disappointment to the Catholic Church and to the citizens of the State of Rhode Island. I believe the Congressman owes us an apology for his irresponsible comments. It is my fervent hope and prayer that he will find a way to provide more effective and morally responsible leadership for our state.”

One-and-a-half cheers for Bishop Tobin. Since then he has sent a letter to  the congressman asking for a meeting so he can explain the church's "clear and consistent" support for health care reform. I would rather he asked for a meeting to discuss Representative Kennedy's abysmal record on abortion and other issues.  But maybe the subject will come up during their conversation.

...meanwhile they keep killing the innocents.

Pray for life and peace.

NARAL Press Release on Sen. Kennedy's Death

Here's one I missed the other day, NARAL's press release on Senator Ted Kennedy's death:

Washington, D.C. -- Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, and Andrea Miller, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, issued the following joint statement paying tribute to Sen. Edward Kennedy's legacy of service.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family today. They have lost a devoted father, husband, grandfather, and uncle, and the people of the commonwealth of Massachusetts and all Americans have lost a great statesman and champion for progressive values.

"Throughout his career, Sen. Edward Kennedy set a new standard as a voice for the powerless and inspired generations of Americans to strengthen their country by contributing through public service. He was a tireless advocate for women's equality and an eloquent guardian of the values of freedom and privacy, most notably as a leader on health care and judicial nominations.

"Sen. Kennedy never wavered in his pursuit to do what was right for the American people. At a time when our country faces such significant challenges, we must pay tribute to Sen. Kennedy's legacy by following his example of moving forward, even against great odds and relentless opposition from opponents of progress."

I guess progress, then, is the same as death. And apparently the senator, along with NARAL and their fellow travelers, don't include the unborn among the powerless.

And isn't it interesting that the National Abortion Rights Action League doesn't mention abortion at all in their press release, preferring instead to use such misleading euphemisms as "freedom" and "privacy" and "progress"? It's all so very strange, isn't it?

Catholic Funeral for Ted Kennedy?

I hadn't intended to write anything more about Senator Kennedy's death than the few words I had already written, but I've seen a lot of comments and heard a lot of talk in recent days about his "eligibility" for a Catholic funeral. I'm no canon lawyer, so I won't presume to offer any comments on the issue. I'll refer you instead to Dr. Edward Peters, a respected canon lawyer, whose blog, "In the Light of the Law", is always interesting and thought-provoking.

In a recent entry Dr. Peters offers his take on whether the senator should have received a Catholic funeral. Click here to read what he has to say.

As for the funeral itself, I didn't watch it since I was busy all day teaching a course on the Eucharist. But Dr. Peters also gives us his thoughts on the funeral Mass and homily, in his words, "some non-canonical reflections on Kennedy's funeral." Click here to read his comments.

Edward Kennedy, R.I.P.

I didn't know Senator Kennedy personally, and met him only once, very briefly and many years ago. And so I won't say too much about his death. I know his family is grieving, as any family grieves when it has lost one of its own; and so my prayers go out to them. And I will pray for the repose of Ted Kennedy's soul, and trust I will be joined in this by all Catholics of good will.

In the days to come we will hear the senator both praised and condemned. Some will lionize him as the last knight of Camelot, applaud him as the Senate's liberal icon, and canonize him as the saintly reformer who thought only of the "little guy." I will not join them. His political views and mine are far from coincident. Others, of course, will focus on what they believe to be the senator's personal sins. And I won't join them either. Whatever personal sins he committed are between him and the Lord, and have no doubt already been addressed in their recent meeting. Anyway, I have my own collection of sins and, like the senator, I will work on overcoming them without a lot of interference by others.

In truth, it's the senator's public sins -- if I may call them that -- that concern me. Anyone who knows me also knows that I disagreed with Senator Kennedy on most issues, and certainly on the key issue of abortion. I've always thought it remarkably sad that the senator, a practicing Catholic, should have changed positions virtually overnight, switching from being pro-life to being pro-abortion, apparently strictly for political reasons. His subsequent votes on this and similar moral issues gave a lot of cover to other Catholic lawmakers who needed only the slightest excuse to jump ship and go against Church teaching by making that tired old claim, "Yes, I'm personally against abortion, but..." Of course the more than 40 million innocent lives that have been brutally killed during his tenure in the Senate are reason enough to withhold my praise.

I expect, however, that we will hear the senator praised to the rooftops in the coming days; and the eulogists will doubtless wax eloquently about his many legislative accomplishments. But I'm also pretty sure we will never hear the word "abortion" mentioned by one of these same eulogists. And it's that word that will always color my memory of Senator Edward Moore Kennedy.

Requiescat in pace.