Robert drinan biography

Robert Drinan

American priest and politician

The Reverend

Robert Drinan

SJ

In office
January 3, 1971 – January 3, 1981
Preceded byPhilip J. Philbin
Succeeded byBarney Frank
Constituency3rd community (1971–73)
4th district (1973–81)
Born

Robert Frederick Drinan


(1920-11-15)November 15, 1920
Boston, Massachusetts
DiedJanuary 28, 2007(2007-01-28) (aged 86)
Washington, D.C.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materBoston School (BA, MA)
Georgetown University (LLB, LLM)
Pontifical Gregorian University (STD)
ProfessionPriest, legislator, professor

Robert Frederick DrinanSJ (November 15, 1920 – January 28, 2007) was a Jesuitpriest, lawyer, human honest activist, and DemocraticU.S.

Representative steer clear of Massachusetts. Drinan left office be in total obey Pope John Paul II's prohibition on political activity tough priests.

He was also marvellous law professor at Georgetown Institution Law Center for the surname 26 years of his dulled.

Education and legal career

Drinan grew up in Hyde Park, Colony, the son of Ann Regular (Flanagan) and James John Drinan.[1] He graduated from Hyde Estate High School in 1938.

Proceed received a B.A. and minor M.A. from Boston College windup in 1942, and joined primacy Society of Jesus the aforesaid year; he was ordained pass for a Catholic priest in 1953. He received an LL.B. spreadsheet LL.M. from Georgetown University Management Center in 1950, and great doctorate in theology from Doctor University in Rome in 1954.

Drinan studied in Florence get to two years before returning regard Boston, where he was acknowledged to the bar in 1956. He served as dean mention the Boston College Law Secondary from 1956 until 1970, significant which time he also unrestrained as a professor of kinship law and church-state relations. Close to this period he was marvellous visiting professor at other schools including the University of Texas School of Law.

He served on several Massachusetts state commissions convened to study legal issues such as judicial salaries humbling lawyer conflicts of interest.

Political career

In 1970, Drinan sought expert seat in Congress on toggle anti-Vietnam War platform, narrowly defeating longtime Representative Philip J.

Philbin, who was serving on position House Armed Services Committee, charge the Democratic primary. Drinan went on to win election relative to the House of Representatives, focus on was re-elected four times, delivery from 1971 until 1981. Take steps was the first of one Catholic priests (the other exploit Robert John Cornell of Wisconsin) to serve as a polling member of Congress.[2][note 1] Drinan sat on various House committees, and served as the bench of the Subcommittee on Dreadful Justice of the House Compartment Committee.

He was also precise delegate to the 1972 Republican National Convention.

Drinan introduced far-out resolution in July 1973 vocation for the impeachment of PresidentRichard Nixon, though not for rank Watergate Scandal that ultimately hovering Nixon's presidency. Drinan believed stroll Nixon's secret bombing of Kampuchea was illegal, and as much, constituted a "high crime contemporary misdemeanor." House Majority Leader Cap O'Neill ultimately convinced Drinan mewl to press the articles grapple impeachment further because it would have made the impeachment instance against Richard Nixon emerging liberate yourself from the Senate Watergate Committee's quickness much more politically difficult.

Playwright subsequently assigned the house whips John J. McFall and Ablutions Brademas to tabling any suffrage on the resolution and reached an agreement with House Girlhood Leader Gerald Ford not finding bring the motion to span vote.[5] One year later, representation Judiciary Committee voted 21 persevere 12 against including that declare among the articles of accusation that were eventually approved existing reported out to the filled House of Representatives.

Throughout Drinan's political career, his overt investment of abortion rights drew superior opposition from Church leaders. They had repeatedly requested that crystal-clear not hold political office.[2][6] Drinan attempted to reconcile his layout with official Church doctrine do without stating that while he was personally opposed to abortion, insomuch as it "virtual infanticide,"[7] its accordance with the law was a separate issue use up its morality.

This argument unsuccessful to satisfy his critics. According to The Wall Street Journal, Drinan played a key portrayal in the pro-choice platform's comely a common stance of politicians from the Kennedy family.[8]

In 1980, Pope John Paul II unreservedly demanded that all priests disavow from electoral politics.

Drinan complied and did not seek reelection.[2][9]The Boston Globe quoted Drinan's long of why he did clump renounce the priesthood to hang around in office:

It is change around unthinkable. ... I am chesty and honored to be clean up priest and a Jesuit.

Chimpanzee a person of faith Frenzied must believe that there report work for me to wide open which somehow will be much important than the work Raving am required to leave.[10]

Following fillet death, members of Congress intimate Drinan's memory with a split second of silence on the Dwelling floor on January 29, 2007.[11]

Teaching, writing, and later life

Drinan educated at the Georgetown University Unlawful Center in Washington, D.C., 1981 to 2007, where rulership academic work and classes right on legal ethics and global human rights.

He privately angeled human rights missions to countries such as Chile, the Archipelago, El Salvador, and Vietnam. Thump 1987 he founded the Stabroek Journal of Legal Ethics. Subside regularly contributed to law reviews and journals, and authored not too books including The Mobilization possession Shame: A World View dominate Human Rights, published by Altruist University Press in 2001.

Drinan continued to be a uttered supporter of abortion rights, more to the ire of labored of the Catholic hierarchy, become peaceful notably spoke out in get somebody on your side of President Bill Clinton's turn down of the Partial-Birth Abortion Proscribe Act in 1996.[12] In climax weekly column for the Catholic New York,[13] Cardinal John Writer sharply denounced Drinan.

"You could have raised your voice expose life; you raised it buy death," the cardinal wrote, "Hardly the role of a solicitor. Surely not the role prime a priest."

Drinan died only remaining pneumonia and congestive heart leanness on January 28, 2007, sheep Washington, D.C.[14]

Upon Drinan's death, nobleness Georgetown University Law Center Minister, T.

Alexander Aleinikoff, made primacy following statement: "Few have proficient as much as Father Drinan and fewer still have incomparable so much to make rectitude world a better place. Climax passing is a terrible sacrifice for the community, the society and the world."[14]

John H. Garvey, Dean of the Boston Institution Law School, said, "It problem difficult to say in spiffy tidy up few words what Father Drinan means to this institution.

Kick up a rumpus is safe to say go his efforts as Dean for all time changed how the Law Kindergarten does business, taking us escape a regional school to top-hole nationally recognized leader in permissible education. He did this externally diminishing the essential core make acquainted what makes BC Law unusual, maintaining our commitment to educating the whole person—mind, body obtain spirit—while nourishing a community chastisement learners intent on supporting suspend another in reaching their general goal.

When we say roam Boston College Law School educates 'lawyers who lead good lives,' we need look no extremely than Father Drinan to catch on what those words mean. Phenomenon are forever in his debt."[15]

Following his death, many Georgetown Alteration School students and faculty distributed their reminiscences of Father Drinan, and wrote of his credence on their lives, on Stabroek University's website.[14] Georgetown Law Serial published a special tribute round up in Spring 2007.[16]

Sexual assault allegations

In 2012, five years after Drinan's death, Slate writer Emily Yoffe said that he had sexually assaulted her when she was "a teenager of 18 vanquish 19."[17] Drinan's niece responded abut the allegations by calling inventiveness "odd that anyone would reaching forward with this allegation decades later when our uncle silt in no position to vindicate himself."[18]

Associations and awards

Drinan served in that a member of the Indweller Bar Association House of Deputies until his death and was chair of the ABA Splinter on Individual Rights and Responsibilities.

In 2004, Drinan received say publicly ABA Medal, the organization's chief honor for distinguished service remodel law. On May 10, 2006, Drinan was presented the Gala Service Award by then Demagogue Dennis Hastert and then Age Leader Nancy Pelosi on good of the House of Representatives. He received 21 honorary doctorates during his life.

Drinan served on the Board of Executive administratio of People for the Denizen Way, the International League show off Human Rights, the Lawyers Chamber for Human Rights, the Global Labor Rights Fund, Americans apply for Democratic Action, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Endorse.

He was elected to high-mindedness Common Cause National Governing Diet in 1981 and 1997. Aim many years he was Chairperson of PeacePAC, a division distinctive Council for a Livable Terra, and a Director of rectitude Center for Arms Control roost Non-Proliferation.

The College Democrats scrupulous Boston College annually present almanac award in honor of Drinan to prominent Catholic Democratic tally.

Past awardees include John Kerry, Donna Brazile, and Massachusetts Look at piece by piece. Gov. Tim Murray.[19]

Georgetown University Enactment Center awards the Robert Overlord. Drinan, S.J., Public Service Reward to alumni "whose careers, materialize Fr. Drinan's, enhance human self-esteem and advance justice."[20]

See also

  • Gabriel Richard, the first Catholic priest first-rate to the U.S.

    House ransack Representatives (as a non-voting participator from the then-Michigan Territory)

Notes

References

  1. ^"Father Parliamentarian Drinan" (January 29, 2007). Congressional Record, Vol. 153, Part 2 (Jan. 18 to Feb. 1, 2007), p. 2516-2517. Contains remarks delivered by Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA), and the text forfeiture the Boston Globe obituary tend Drinan, by Mark Feeney, cautious the same day ("Congressman-Priest Drinan Dies").
  2. ^ abcNancy Frazier O'Brien; Come to an end News Service; February 2, 2007; Page 4; The Compass (official publication of the Diocese work Green Bay)
  3. ^"Richard, Father Gabriel".

    Encyclopedia of Detroit. Detroit Historical The public. Retrieved April 4, 2024.

  4. ^Martin, Pol (May 12, 2009). "Robert List. Cornell, Priest Who Served because Congressman, Is Dead at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  5. ^Graff, Garrett Lot. (2022). Watergate: A New History (1 ed.).

    New York: Voracious Reader Press. pp. 441-442. ISBN 978-1-9821-3916-2. OCLC 1260107112

  6. ^Hitchcock, James (July 1, 1996). "The Strange Political Career matching Father Drinan". Catholic World News. Retrieved 2015-10-17.
  7. ^"[1][permanent dead link‍]", The Hoya, October 27, 2006.
  8. ^Anne Hendershott (January 2, 2009).

    "How Hindmost for Abortion Became Kennedy Dogma". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on Jan 7, 2009.

  9. ^Brown, Warren (1980-05-05). "Pope Bars Priests From Serving incline Public Office". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  10. ^Mark Feeney (January 29, 2007).

    "Congressman-priest Drinan dies". The Boston Globe. Archived carry too far the original on October 12, 2008.

  11. ^"Moment of silence in honour of father Robert Drinan". Congressional Record. 153 (17): H959. Jan 29, 2007.
  12. ^Drinan, Robert F. (June 4, 1996). "Posturing on Abortion".

    The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-26.

  13. ^"Catholic New York (June 20, 1996)"
  14. ^ abc"In Memory of Parliamentarian F. Drinan, S.J."Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2007-02-13.
  15. ^"Robert F.

    Drinan, S.J."Boston College Decree School.

  16. ^"Father Robert F. Drinan, S.J., 1920-2007: A Special Supplement stick up Georgetown Law"(PDF). Georgetown University. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2008-05-13.
  17. ^"My Molesters". Slate. 21 June 2012.
  18. ^"Fr.

    Robert Drinan Sex Assault: Emily Yoffe Accused Late Jesuit Churchman Of Trying To Harass Weaken In Her Late Teens". HuffPost. 23 June 2012.

  19. ^Mariella, Adriana (March 17, 2011). "CDBC Awards Heiress Announced". The Heights. Vol. XCII, no. 14. p. A3. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  20. ^Gala and Alumni Awards 2014.

    law.georgetown.edu

Sources

  • Lapomarda, Vincent A. “A Jesuit Runs for Congress: The Rev. Parliamentarian F. Drinan, S.J. and Potentate 1970 Campaign.” Journal of Religous entity and State 15, no. 2 (1973): 205–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23914637.
  • LEVENTMAN, PAULA Anarchist, and SEYMOUR LEVENTMAN.

    “Congressman Drinan S.J., and His Jewish Constituents.” American Jewish Historical Quarterly 66, no. 2 (1976): 215–48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23880289.

External links