Former President Bill Clinton, left to right, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, former President George W. Bush, President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle wait for the Roman Catholic Funeral Mass for Sen. Edward Kennedy at Our Lady of Perpetual Hope Basilica in Boston, Saturday, Aug., 29, 2009.
Timesonline and newswires
Presidents and members of America’s most famous family paid final tribute Saturday to Edward M Kennedy, mourning the loss of a senator who was a political force for over 47 years in Congress and of the man who carried the Kennedy clan through tragedy and triumph.
President Barack Obama was delivering the eulogy to cap a two-hour Roman Catholic funeral Mass for Kennedy. The service drew to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Basilica three of the four living former presidents, dozens of Kennedy relatives, pews full of current and former members of
Congress and hundreds of others affected by the senator in ways large and small. Kennedy died late Tuesday night at age 77, after battling brain cancer for more than a year.
No fewer than seven priests, 11 pallbearers and 29 honorary pallbearers took part. Kennedy’s flag-draped casket - carried by eight servicemen - was wrapped tightly in plastic to guard against a steady, unseasonably cold rain as it was removed from his brother’s presidential library and put into a hearse for the drive to the church. His widow, Victoria, closed her eyes slowly and appeared to choke back tears as she watched under cover of an umbrella. The family had held a brief and private prayer service at the library in the morning.
The route to the church was lined with people, some holding “Kennedy-Thanks; signs and one person waving a lone red heart.
A military honor guard carried Kennedy’s casket up the church steps. “We welcome the body of our friend,” said a priest.
Under the soaring ceilings of the basilica, a church Kennedy had frequented almost daily while his daughter, Kara, battled cancer at a nearby hospital, over a dozen Kennedy family members accompanied the casket down the church aisle, each straining to touch a piece of the cloth covering it.
Kara Kennedy was the first family member to speak at the service, reading Psalm 72.
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