Word: kent
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Dates: during 1980-1989
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...lieutenant in a tank regiment before he entered the priesthood, the Oxford-educated Kent became head of the C.N.D. in 1980. He led a drive that has expanded the membership from 3,000 to 50,000-in addition, there are at least 200,000 politically active sympathizers-and mobilized effective mass demonstrations against the Bomb. Last month C.N.D. members and their allies held hands to form a 14-mile chain between Greenham Common in Berkshire, where the first U.S. cruise missiles are scheduled to be installed later this year, and Burghfield, site of Britain's nuclear warhead factory...
...Kent is opposed to the cruise missiles because "their accuracy is high and their destabilizing effect on arms agreement is very great." He also contends that the Trident missiles that Britain is obtaining from the U.S. for its submarines "take us to the edge of fear of first strike." Kent wants Britain to get rid of both its nuclear weapons and the U.S. bases, no matter what the U.S.S.R. does in terms of its nuclear weapons. Says he: "We are not waiting for the Soviets to reciprocate." As to which superpower had made the most constructive proposals in the current...
...Kent's arguments have angered many conservative British Catholics, who have protested to Archbishop Heim. He responded with a May 4 letter that was soon leaked to the press. Writing on his own and not at the Vatican's instruction, Heim stated that he favors multilateral and verifiable disarmament, and regards unilateral disarmament proposals as "mistaken." He also quoted Pope John Paul's qualified acceptance of nuclear deterrence if nations worked for disarmament. "Unilateralists are carrying out a one-sided campaign," Heim wrote, "and it is clear which side it benefits most." He continued, "Whether those doing...
Caught in the middle of the dispute is Kent's religious superior, George Basil Cardinal Hume, the Archbishop of Westminster. He gave Kent permission to run the C.N.D., al though its activities have clearly had a political impact; Kent's position could be construed to be against the wishes of the Pope, who has warned Catholic clergy to avoid direct involvement in politics. In mid-April, Hume listed the reasons he agreed to let Kent run C.N.D.: 1) disarmament is a moral issue and Kent considered it to be a ministry; 2) the C.N.D., in the Cardinal...
Hume, however, clearly felt that Heim's attack on Kent went too far. The Cardinal made a point of appearing publicly with the monsignor and expressed his personal regard for the priest's integrity. The Cardinal's office also declared, "We are reaffirming the church's permission to allow Monsignor Kent to continue his work with C.N.D." At week's end it appeared that the Pro-Nuncio's attack had succeeded not so much in clarifying church teaching as in provoking Hume to back the monsignor's antinuclear ministry, at least until...