Kerry Kennedy was in San Francisco Wednesday to talk about her bestselling book, "Being Catholic Now: Prominent Americans Talk About Change in the Church and the Quest for Meaning."Before Kennedy spoke at the Commonwealth Club, she came to a small gathering hosted by Jennifer Caldwell, who heads up the foundation Hope to Action, a women-led nonprofit dedicated to raising awareness about global warming.
Kennedy, the daughter of Robert F. and Ethel Kennedy, grew up in an extremely religious household. Every day she and her 10 siblings would pray upon rising and before going to bed and again at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kennedy still attends mass every Sunday, as do most of her siblings.
As much as she loves Catholicism, Kennedy has wrestled with aspects of the church and she explores the connection between faith, spirituality and questioning in the book. Being Catholic Now features 37 interviews with prominent Catholics, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Anna Qunidlen, Susan Sarandon, and the writer Andrew Sullivan.
The book grapples with some hard questions, including the Church's reaction to the widespread pedophilia scandal.
The book has just been out for three weeks and it is already a New York Times bestseller.
Kennedy has also been stumping for Barack Obama. Just last week she went to Lackawanna County in Pennsylvania, where she went from some Catholic house party to small Catholic house party talking about the Democratic nominee. Kennedy was set to talk at the Commonwealth Club at 6 pm, smack at the beginning of the vice-presidential debate, and it was clear that she had mixed feelings about not watching the debate live.
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