Robert M. Berchman

Robert Drinan was an American Jesuit priest, lawyer, and politician who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative for Massachusetts from 1971 to 1981. He was ordained a priest in 1953 and earned law degrees from Georgetown University Law Center. Before entering politics, he served as the dean of Boston College Law School. Drinan's political career was marked by his anti-Vietnam War stance and his role in introducing impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon. He was a consistent advocate for abortion rights, which often placed him at odds with Church leadership. In 1980, he left Congress to comply with Pope John Paul II's directive for priests to withdraw from electoral politics. Following his congressional service, Drinan spent the remainder of his career teaching at Georgetown University Law Center, focusing on legal ethics and international human rights, and authored several books. He received numerous awards and honors for his service in law and human rights.

Born in Hyde Park, Massachusetts, Robert Drinan pursued higher education at Boston College, earning Bachelor's and Master's degrees before joining the Society of Jesus in 1942. He was ordained a Catholic priest in 1953. Drinan also obtained law degrees from Georgetown University Law Center and a doctorate in theology from Gregorian University in Rome. After further study in Florence, he was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1956. He then served as dean of the Boston College Law School from 1956 to 1970, where he also taught family law and church-state relations, and held visiting professorships at other institutions. During this period, he also contributed to several Massachusetts state commissions addressing legal matters.

In 1970, Drinan successfully campaigned for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on an anti-Vietnam War platform, becoming one of the first Catholic priests to serve as a voting member of Congress. He was re-elected four times, serving until 1981. He held positions on various committees, including chairing the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice. Notably, in 1973, Drinan initiated impeachment proceedings against President Richard Nixon, citing the illegal bombing of Cambodia. His strong support for abortion rights, despite personal reservations about the procedure, led to significant opposition from Church authorities. This issue remained a point of contention throughout his political career.

Upon Pope John Paul II's 1980 directive for priests to leave electoral politics, Drinan did not seek re-election and returned to academia. For the last 26 years of his life, he was a professor at Georgetown University Law Center, focusing his teaching and research on legal ethics and international human rights. He actively sponsored human rights missions globally and founded the Georgetown Journal of Legal Ethics in 1987. Drinan also authored several books, including "The Mobilization of Shame: A World View of Human Rights." He continued to be a public advocate for abortion rights and human dignity, receiving numerous accolades for his contributions to law and justice.

“It is just unthinkable. ... I am proud and honored to be a priest and a Jesuit. As a person of faith I must believe that there is work for me to do which somehow will be more important than the work I am required to leave.”

“You could have raised your voice for life; you raised it for death. Hardly the role of a lawyer. Surely not the role of a priest.”