Word: drinan
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...Drinan was one of only two Roman Catholic clergymen ever to serve as voting members of Congress. The other, liberal Democrat Robert J. Cornell, 61, a Norbertine priest from West De Pere, Wis., also dropped out of politics last week in response to the Pope's order. He had been elected to the House in 1974 and 1976, and was preparing a campaign to win his old seat back. But then the apostolic delegate in Washington, who represents the Pontiff the U.S., informed Cornell's superior that the Wisconsin priest also was subject to the decision against Drinan...
...policy on priests and politics. Most of the doubt stemmed from the fact that the Pontiffs decision apparently was given orally to Pedro Arrupe, superior general of the Jesuit order; presumably only those two know exactly what John Paul II said. Jesuit headquarters in Rome communicated he decision to Drinan's superior, Edward M. O'Flaherty, Jesuit provincial in New England. O'Flaherty phoned the Congressman with this message: "Bob, I have some bad news for you. I received word rom the general [Arrupe] that the Holy Father himself asked that you withdraw rom this year...
...church's canon law forbids priests to hold elective office, though the provision does allow local church authorities to make exceptions if they decide a priest's involvement in politics would be for the good of the community. The Pope formally revoked only the exemption given to Drinan in 1970. Nonetheless, the Catholic hierarchy interpreted the Pope's act as a signal that John Paul will apply Article 139 much more strictly than his predecessors did. Said a church spokesman in Washington: "It is clear that the Pope does not want Catholic priests to hold elective offices...
...Some Drinan supporters in Massachusetts believed that the Pope ruled against the priest-politician primarily because of his support of federal funding of abortions for the poor. Drinan does not personally favor abortion, but argues that Because the operation is legal in the U.S., it would be unjust for the Government to deny abortions to women who cannot afford to pay for them. Said David J. O'Brien, who teaches modern Catholic history at Holy Cross College: "I can't help but think that Drinan was done in by the right-to-life people...
Vatican prelates said that John Paul's order on Drinan does not apply to priests who have appointive positions in government. In Nicaragua, for example, seven priests hold high posts in the leftist revolutionary government. Among them are Jesuit Ernesto Cardenal, the Minister of Culture, and Maryknoll Priest Miguel D'Escoto, the Foreign Minister. In the U.S., Geno Baroni, 49, a diocesan priest, is Assistant Secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development...