Precious Moments: Jesuits & fragments of neonate cranial tissue

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 19, 2004

The American Bar Association has awarded its most prestigious honor to Jesuit priest and former congressman Robert Drinan.

In nominating Drinan, admirers described him as "an eloquent and effective advocate for the most downtrodden in society," someone "active in so many areas on the law and human rights that there is not enough space to catalog them," and such a "towering figure in the academic, professional, clerical and public service fields" that he "is the stuff of which legends are made." They noted the ABA Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities created the Robert F. Drinan Distinguished Service Award in 2001, recognizing his leadership in protecting and advancing human rights, civil liberties and social justice.

"Human rights" is here spoken with a distinctly ABA accent, as it certainly does not extend to the unborn. Indeed, Fr. Drinan's most enduring legacy in the field of social justice is his famously fervid support for abortion-on-demand, exemplified by his celebrated New York Times op-ed (6-4-1996) in favor of Partial Birth Abortion:

The indignant voices of the pro-life movement and the Republican party will likely reach new decibels in the campaign to urge Congress to override President Clinton's veto of the bill banning so-called partial-birth abortions. But Congress should sustain the veto. The bill does not provide an exception for women whose health is at risk, and it would be virtually unenforceable.

If you imagine that there's a connection between Drinan's support for John Kerry,, John Kerry's pro-abortion politics, and the ABA's remarkably timely commendation of Drinan, you must a victim of deplorable cynicism. It's purely coincidental.

Of course, there's been a mutually-enriching dialogue on the subject. Earlier this year Professors Robert George of Princeton and Gerard Bradley of Notre Dame sought to explain why Drinan and Kerry were off base.

Any Catholic who exercises political power to expose a disfavored class of human beings to unjust killing sets himself against the very faith he claims to share.

Pretty clear, it would seem -- but the U.S. bishops want to be doubly sure of themselves on such an important issue, and have appointed a study group, headed by Washington Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, to check on Bradley & George's spelling of "disfavored" before committing themselves one way or another on the Kerry candidacy. Their decision is expected before the New Year.