Father Ted
From penguinrandomhouse.com
Fr. Bill Miscamble’s American Priest tells a different story from the sunny portraits of Fr. Ted Hesburgh, C.S.C., longtime president of the University of Notre Dame. Most of those appeared during his lifetime; his own memoirs and personal charisma influenced them strongly. Miscamble, who interviewed Hesburgh at length in the 1990s, wants to avoid the “hagiography” of earlier books. Any figure involved in mid-20th century American political and church life is bound to be, like the era, complicated.
Miscamble’s preface appreciates Hesburgh but proffers laconic, diplomatic barbs. “He revealed an insightful sense of his extensive activities…” “Fr. Ted deserves a serious and critical assessment.” “…a very American priest.” These are not compliments.
Maybe inevitably, after the preface I turned to the final chapter, its last section called “The Final Lap and a Moving Farewell, 2010-2015.” I got to live a little of this history, as a last-semester senior when Fr. Hesburgh died on Feb. 26, 2015. (Incidentally, 8 years ago this week.)
In its own way, it was thrilling. Professors assured us we were witnessing something historic. Overnight, banners appeared bearing Hesburgh’s face and “1917-2015” — given that no one could know when he’d die, one suspects the banner lay in wait in a warehouse somewhere, annually updated with a new possible year of death.
Members of the Liturgical Choir were among the few students able to attend the funeral. Then-vice president Joe Biden was in the congregation. Barack Obama made a surprise video for the memorial celebration — the crowd audibly gasped when he appeared onscreen.
Yet the Hesburgh legacy is, as Miscamble says, conflicted. His cultivated connections came with baggage. For instance, there were two cardinals at Fr. Hesburgh’s funeral. One was LA’s Roger Mahony, relieved of his duties in retirement because of new papers revealing his role in sexual abuse cover-up. Paying homage to “Fr. Ted” was also the now-famous “Uncle Ted,” Theodore McCarrick, now notorious and completely disgraced. At Hesburgh’s memorial, he spoke with elegant charm.
