Remembering Berrigan

Most of the warbloggers out there (or peacebloggers, as I prefer to call some of them) no doubt have no idea who Philip Berrigan was. He was one of my heroes, and he just died from kidney cancer at the age of 79. According to this:
Anti-war activist Philip Berrigan dies at 79
BALTIMORE — The Rev. Philip Berrigan, patriarch of the Roman Catholic antiwar movement, died Friday night of liver and kidney cancer, his family said. He was 79.
He led a group that staged one of the most dramatic protests of the 1960s. They doused homemade napalm on a small bonfire of draft records in a Catonsville, Md., parking lot and ignited a generation of antiwar dissent.
More recently Berrigan helped establish the Plowshares movement, whose members have attacked federal military property in antiwar and antinuclear demonstrations.
By his own account, he spent more than nine years behind bars for committing acts of civil disobedience.
Berrigan’s family said he was diagnosed with cancer two months ago and decided to stop chemotherapy one month ago. His brother, the Rev. Daniel Berrigan, officiated over last rites ceremonies Nov. 30, which was attended by friends and peace activists, family members said.

His brother, Daniel Berrigan, also a priest, was often at Philip’s side leading the opposition to war.
Where are all of today’s Berrigans? I guess they’re too busy molesting young boys.

3 thoughts on “Remembering Berrigan

  1. Thanks for bringing back some memories of a couple of great guys. As I was having the thought that they don’t make’em like that anymore, I was trying to recall the name of that priest from Boston who was a Congressman for several years–another great guy. Drinan, was that it?
    Where are their replacements indeed? There sure as hell aren’t many robust, courageous young men going into the priesthood anymore. Small wonder.

  2. That is sad indeed. I heard there will be a good program on Democracy Now tomorrow morning about Berrigan. I don’t know if folks can pick this radio program up, but if you live in the SF Bay Area, it’s on KPFA 94.10 at 9am, and in New York it’s WBAI, but I don’t know what time there. I think it’s noon. You can listen to it online too, I believe. It’s at democracynow.org. Berrigan was a guest on that show numerous times and I’m sure it will be a very moving tribute.

Leave a Reply