Rep. Kennedy Issues Apology to Bishop

Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy (D-R.I.) apologized to the bishop of Providence for a poor choice of words in suggesting the Catholic church should “crawl out of the Stone Age” and ordain female priests. “He doesn’t regret his position. It just wasn’t the most appropriate wording,” Kennedy spokesman Larry Berman said. Earlier, the bishop’s spokesman suggested Kennedy, a Catholic, could use a theology lesson. “It is one thing to disagree with the teaching of the church, and quite another matter to issue proclamations . . . without the training or the background to understand the theology of the teaching,” said Bill Halpin. The remark originally appeared Oct. 27 in a political column in the Providence Sunday Journal.