Robert and Ted -- in fact, the entire family -- represent the Vatican II, social justice tradition within Roman Catholicism, a tradition which is thoroughly Catholic, open and engaging with the world, and committed to the basic equality and human dignity of all. Ted Kennedy himself expressed this tradition in a speech at Liberty University some years ago:

I am an American and a Catholic; I love my country and treasure my faith. But I do not assume that my conception of patriotism or policy is invariably correct, or that my convictions about religion should command any greater respect than any other faith in this pluralistic society. I believe there surely is such a thing as truth, but who among us can claim a monopoly on it?

People of conscience should be careful how they deal in the word of their Lord. In our own history, religion has been falsely invoked to sanction prejudice -- even slavery -- to condemn labor unions and public spending for the poor. I believe that the prophecy, 'The poor you have always with you' is an indictment, not a commandment.

David Gibson, writing at Politics Daily, wonders if this social justice tradition ends with Ted's death. He concludes -- correctly -- that the answer is "no," but not before noting that some people, in the church, probably hope that the answer is "yes." Then Cardinal Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict, gave George Bush a boost with the American bishops in June of 2004 which, ultimately, probably cost John Kerry the election. He obviously figured: Better George Bush than a liberal Catholic.

For the last forty years, the hierarchy of the Roman church has continually whittled away at the Vatican II reforms. Right now, American nuns are being called on the carpet in two investigations because, basically, the hierarchy thinks they're too liberal -- too in the spirit of Vatican II. The conservative, more institutionally oriented Catholics, have cheered this retrenchment while the social justice wing has largely ignored it and kept on with what they were already doing.

What has been the result? American Catholics are more liberal than ever. Gibson notes a recent study in which American Catholics cited "helping the poor" and belief in the Resurrection as the two traditions of Catholicism that were most important to them. Purdue Prof. James Davidson says that 80% of American Catholics identify with Vatican II.

Surveys of young adult Catholics over recent years have shown that, in many respects, the younger generation resembles Kennedy's approach to faith and politics, with social justice and equality for women and gays as public markers of their religion, and devotion to the sacraments the lodestar of their private devotion.

This is true outside of America as well. Liberation theology continues to have influence in Latin America, for example, which is home to nearly half the Roman Catholics in the world. Catholic Spain now has gay civil unions, and even the staunchly-Catholic Poles think priests ought to be able to marry. Vatican II is not dead, not by a long shot. It is (still) the Catholicism of the future.