Virtually every American watched the service, along with hundreds of millions around the globe, as it was broadcast worldwide, including behind the Iron Curtain, where the Soviets suspended their customary censorship. The Russian TV commentators said, “The grief of the Soviet peoples mingles with the grief of the American people.” After dousing Jack’s casket with holy water, Cardinal Cushing hugged it with both hands and, abandoning the Latin liturgy, blurted out in agony, “Ah, dear Jack!” That really made me want to cry some more.
