January 28: The Priest in the House

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader Podcast. Today is January 28th, and our story is The Priest in the House. In 1973, when Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in the United States, Catholic politicians were nearly unanimous in their condemnation of the decision.

Republican? Democrat? It didn't matter. On the question of abortion, Catholic legislators stood with the Church. Throughout the 1970s, however, that unity began to crumble. One by one, formerly pro-life Democrats, including Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, John Kerry, and Mario Cuomo, reversed their position on abortion and embraced their party's pro-abortion platform.

Helping them make that switch and giving them theological cover was Father Robert Drinan, a lawyer, a Jesuit priest, and a U.S. congressman from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Ordained a priest in 1953, Drennan served as dean of the Boston College Law School from 1956 until 1970. That year, he ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. He won.

Two years later, he won again, taking his seat in the same month that the decision in Roe v. Wade came down. From the beginning, Dr. Rins supported the Supreme Court decision. Arguing that while he found abortion personally reprehensible, he believed it legally necessary.

Other Catholic politicians soon followed, taking Drinan's argument as their own. For years, Drinan's religious superiors tried to persuade him to step down, concerned over the scandal and confusion generated by his pro-abortion views. Only in 1980, however, when Pope John Paul II authoritatively forbade priests from holding political office, did Drinan retire from political life. As a writer and professor at Georgetown University Law Center, however, he continued to expound his theories on law and abortion. Although he led countless humanitarian missions to Latin and Central America during his 27 years at Georgetown, Drinan's enduring legacy remains his tragic contributions to the abortion debate.

Drinan died on January 28, 2007. Father Drinan's life is a cautionary tale about the intersection of faith and politics. His experience reminds us that intentions, even grounded in personal conviction, can have terrible consequences, underscoring the importance of aligning our actions with both conscience and the broader moral teachings of our faith, especially when entrusted with influence.

Faith calls us to courage, but also prudence and discernment. Reflect on a decision or role where personal beliefs and responsibilities intersect. Identify one step to ensure your actions align with integrity and faith. Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, January 29th, for another story of faith and courage in America.