Doctors at Massachusetts General Hospital reported Tuesday that Senator Ted Kennedy has been diagnosed with a treatable condition that underlies the seizure he suffered last Saturday at his home in Hyannisport on Cape Cod. "Preliminary results from a biopsy of the brain identified the cause of the seizure as a malignant glioma in the left parietal lobe,'" said Drs. Lee Schwamm and Larry Ronan in a statement. About 9000 Americans per year suffer malignant glioma, which is treated with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.

Senator Kennedy remained in good spirits, surrounded by his family and greeting people as he walked around the hospital. Senator Kennedy turned 76 in February, and has kept up one of the busiest schedules on Capitol Hill.

Senator Barack Obama had released a statement over the weekend, saying, "Senator Kennedy is a giant in American political history. He has done more for the healthcare of others than just about anybody in history. So we are going to be rooting for him." Senator McCain was also quoted in the press, "Senator Kennedy's role in the U.S. Senate cannot be overstated. He is a legendary lawmaker, and I have the highest respect for him. When we have worked together, he has been a skillful, fair and generous partner. I consider it a great privilege to call him my friend. Cindy and I are praying for our friend, his wife, Vicki and the Kennedy family."

Senator Kennedy is a tireless champion in public life for Catholic values. Since joining the Senate 46 years ago, he has played a pivotal role in virtually every major piece of social legislation passed in Congress--playing perhaps the most critical role of any US senator in advocating for broader access to good healthcare. He stood virtually alone among his Senate colleagues in his passionate opposition to the contrived case for war in Iraq when it was first proposed in 2002, and his predictions of disaster there now seem prescient. Little known has been his advocacy for constructive measures to decrease the incidence of abortion across the US, in legislation that has been quietly advancing for the past two years. The Catholic Democrats commend him and his family to their prayers at this difficult time.