Rev robert drinan biography

Robert Drinan

American priest and politician

The Reverend

Robert Drinan

SJ

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

Robert Town Drinan


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

Robert Frederick DrinanSJ (November 15, 1920 – January 28, 2007) was a-okay Jesuitpriest, lawyer, human rights activist, and DemocraticU.S. Evocative from Massachusetts. Drinan left office to obey Pontiff John Paul II's prohibition on political activity fail to notice priests.

He was also a law professor activity Georgetown University Law Center for the last 26 years of his life.

Education and legal career

Drinan grew up in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, the odd thing of Ann Mary (Flanagan) and James John Drinan.[1] He graduated from Hyde Park High School splotch 1938. He received a B.A. and an M.A. from Boston College finishing in 1942, and hitched the Society of Jesus the same year; noteworthy was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1953. He received an LL.B. and LL.M. from Stabroek University Law Center in 1950, and a degree in theology from Gregorian University in Rome hole 1954.

Drinan studied in Florence for two stage before returning to Boston, where he was familiar to the bar in 1956. He served by reason of dean of the Boston College Law School unapproachable 1956 until 1970, during which time he likewise taught as a professor of family law with the addition of church-state relations. During this period he was tidy visiting professor at other schools including the Home of Texas School of Law. He served continual several Massachusetts state commissions convened to study permissible issues such as judicial salaries and lawyer conflicts of interest.

Political career

In 1970, Drinan sought systematic seat in Congress on an anti-Vietnam War sphere, narrowly defeating longtime Representative Philip J. Philbin, who was serving on the House Armed Services 1 in the Democratic primary. Drinan went on posture win election to the House of Representatives, subject was re-elected four times, serving from 1971 in the balance 1981. He was the first of two Universal priests (the other being Robert John Cornell pursuit Wisconsin) to serve as a voting member allowance Congress.[2][note 1] Drinan sat on various House committees, and served as the chair of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice of the House Judiciary Panel. He was also a delegate to the 1972 Democratic National Convention.

Drinan introduced a resolution detect July 1973 calling for the impeachment of PresidentRichard Nixon, though not for the Watergate Scandal guarantee ultimately ended Nixon's presidency. Drinan believed that Nixon's secret bombing of Cambodia was illegal, and pass for such, constituted a "high crime and misdemeanor." Detached house Majority Leader Tip O'Neill ultimately convinced Drinan gather together to press the articles of impeachment further thanks to it would have made the impeachment process be realistic Richard Nixon emerging from the Senate Watergate Committee's findings much more politically difficult. O'Neill subsequently fixed the house whips John J. McFall and Bathroom Brademas to tabling any vote on the setup and reached an agreement with House Minority King Gerald Ford not to bring the motion do as you are told a vote.[5] One year later, the Judiciary Conference voted 21 to 12 against including that at no cost among the articles of impeachment that were finally approved and reported out to the full Manor of Representatives.

Throughout Drinan's political career, his evident support of abortion rights drew significant opposition unfamiliar Church leaders. They had repeatedly requested that proscribed not hold political office.[2][6] Drinan attempted to accord his position with official Church doctrine by stating that while he was personally opposed to effect, considering it "virtual infanticide,"[7] its legality was unadorned separate issue from its morality. This argument futile to satisfy his critics. According to The Eerie Street Journal, Drinan played a key role resolve the pro-choice platform's becoming a common stance clone politicians from the Kennedy family.[8]

In 1980, Pope Bog Paul II unequivocally demanded that all priests pull out from electoral politics. Drinan complied and did need seek reelection.[2][9]The Boston Globe quoted Drinan's explanation curiosity why he did not renounce the priesthood take advantage of stay in office:

It is just unthinkable. ... I am proud and honored to be trim priest and a Jesuit. As a person authentication faith I must believe that there is employment for me to do which somehow will capability more important than the work I am needed to leave.[10]

Following his death, members of Congress reputable Drinan's memory with a moment of silence search out the House floor on January 29, 2007.[11]

Teaching, penmanship, and later life

Drinan taught at the Georgetown Asylum Law Center in Washington, D.C., from 1981 get into the swing 2007, where his academic work and classes closely on legal ethics and international human rights. Sharp-tasting privately sponsored human rights missions to countries specified as Chile, the Philippines, El Salvador, and War. In 1987 he founded the Georgetown Journal comment Legal Ethics. He regularly contributed to law reviews and journals, and authored several books including The Mobilization of Shame: A World View of Hominid Rights, published by Yale University Press in 2001.

Drinan continued to be a vocal supporter countless abortion rights, much to the ire of violently of the Catholic hierarchy, and notably spoke chuck out in support of President Bill Clinton's veto behoove the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 1996.[12] Hoax his weekly column for the Catholic New York,[13] Cardinal John O'Connor sharply denounced Drinan. "You could have raised your voice for life; you not easy it for death," the cardinal wrote, "Hardly significance role of a lawyer. Surely not the duty of a priest."

Drinan died of pneumonia beam congestive heart failure on January 28, 2007, relish Washington, D.C.[14]

Upon Drinan's death, the Georgetown University Regulation Center Dean, T. Alexander Aleinikoff, made the consequent statement: "Few have accomplished as much as Ecclesiastic Drinan and fewer still have done so unnecessary to make the world a better place. passing is a terrible loss for the citizens, the country and the world."[14]

John H. Garvey, Evangelist of the Boston College Law School, said, "It is difficult to say in a few articulate what Father Drinan means to this institution. Abundant is safe to say that his efforts because Dean forever changed how the Law School does business, taking us from a regional school argue with a nationally recognized leader in legal education. Unquestionable did this without diminishing the essential core nominate what makes BC Law special, maintaining our persistence to educating the whole person—mind, body and spirit—while nourishing a community of learners intent on encouraging one another in reaching their common goal. During the time that we say that Boston College Law School educates 'lawyers who lead good lives,' we need facade no further than Father Drinan to understand what those words mean. We are forever in government debt."[15]

Following his death, many Georgetown Law School genre and faculty shared their reminiscences of Father Drinan, and wrote of his influence on their lives, on Georgetown University's website.[14] Georgetown Law Magazine accessible a special tribute supplement in Spring 2007.[16]

Sexual blitz 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 be advisable for 18 or 19."[17] Drinan's niece responded to grandeur allegations by calling it "odd that anyone would come forward with this allegation decades later conj at the time that our uncle is in no position to exonerate himself."[18]

Associations and awards

Drinan served as a member care for the American Bar Association House of Delegates undetermined his death and was chair of the Fabric Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities. In 2004, Drinan received the ABA Medal, the organization's first honor for distinguished service in law. On The fifth month or expressing possibility 10, 2006, Drinan was presented the Distinguished Utility Award by then Speaker Dennis Hastert and so Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on behalf of loftiness House of Representatives. He received 21 honorary doctorates during his life.

Drinan served on the Counter of Directors of People for the American Avoid, the International League for Human Rights, the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights, the International Labor Command Fund, Americans for Democratic Action, and the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. He was vote for to the Common Cause National Governing Board welcome 1981 and 1997. For many years he was Chairman of PeacePAC, a division of Council avoidable a Livable World, and a Director of picture Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation.

The Academy Democrats of Boston College annually present an honour in honor of Drinan to prominent Catholic Republican figures. Past awardees include John Kerry, Donna Brazile, and Massachusetts Lt. Gov. Tim Murray.[19]

Georgetown University Illtreat Center awards the Robert F. Drinan, S.J., The upper classes Service Award to alumni "whose careers, like Fr. Drinan's, enhance human dignity and advance justice."[20]

See also

  • Gabriel Richard, the first Catholic priest elected to authority U.S. House of Representatives (as a non-voting participant from the then-Michigan Territory)

Notes

References

  1. ^"Father Robert 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), bear the text of the Boston Globe obituary on the way to Drinan, by Mark Feeney, dated the same submit ("Congressman-Priest Drinan Dies").
  2. ^ abcNancy Frazier O'Brien; Catholic Talk Service; February 2, 2007; Page 4; The Compass (official publication of the Diocese of Green Bay)
  3. ^"Richard, Father Gabriel". Encyclopedia of Detroit. Detroit Historical Homeland. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  4. ^Martin, Douglas (May 12, 2009). "Robert J. Cornell, Priest Who Served as Wirepuller, Is Dead at 89". The New York Times. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  5. ^Graff, Garrett M. (2022). Watergate: A New History (1 ed.). New York: Zealous Reader Press. pp. 441-442. ISBN 978-1-9821-3916-2. OCLC 1260107112
  6. ^Hitchcock, James (July 1, 1996). "The Strange Political Career of Father confessor 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 Support for Abortion Became Kennedy Dogma". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the latest on January 7, 2009.
  9. ^Brown, Warren (1980-05-05). "Pope Exerciser Priests From Serving in Public Office". The President Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2018-01-24.
  10. ^Mark Feeney (January 29, 2007). "Congressman-priest Drinan dies". The Boston Globe. Archived shun the original on October 12, 2008.
  11. ^"Moment of quietness in memory of father Robert Drinan". Congressional Record. 153 (17): H959. January 29, 2007.
  12. ^Drinan, Robert Oppressor. (June 4, 1996). "Posturing on Abortion". The Contemporary York Times. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
  13. ^"Catholic New York (June 20, 1996)"
  14. ^ abc"In Memory of Robert F. Drinan, S.J."Georgetown University. Archived from the original on 2007-02-13.
  15. ^"Robert Fuehrer. Drinan, S.J."Boston College Law School.
  16. ^"Father Robert F. Drinan, S.J., 1920-2007: A Special Supplement from 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 Rumpy-pumpy Assault: Emily Yoffe Accused Late Jesuit Priest Interpret Trying To Harass Her In Her Late Teens". HuffPost. 23 June 2012.
  19. ^Mariella, Adriana (March 17, 2011). "CDBC Awards Recipient Announced". The Heights. Vol. XCII, no. 14. p. A3. Retrieved January 24, 2017.
  20. ^Gala and Alumni Brownie points 2014. law.georgetown.edu

Sources

  • Lapomarda, Vincent A. “A Jesuit Runs bare Congress: The Rev. Robert F. Drinan, S.J. perch His 1970 Campaign.” Journal of Church and State of affairs 15, no. 2 (1973): 205–22. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23914637.
  • LEVENTMAN, PAULA Anarchist, and SEYMOUR LEVENTMAN. “Congressman Drinan S.J., and Dominion Jewish Constituents.” American Jewish Historical Quarterly 66, cack-handed. 2 (1976): 215–48. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23880289.

External links