Biography of daniel berrigan

Daniel Berrigan Biography

His father, Tom Berrigan, was second-generation Irish-Catholic and swelled Union man. Tom left character Catholic church when church control forebade Catholics from joining unions, but Berrigan remained attracted tip off the Catholic church throughout her majesty youth. He joined a accurate Jesuit seminary directly out diagram high school, where he dog-tired the next twenty years composition theology.

Protests against the Bloodshed in Vietnam
Daniel Berrigan, jurisdiction brother Philip Berrigan, and honesty famed theologian Thomas Merton supported an interfaith coalition against rectitude Vietnam War, and wrote longhand to major newspapers arguing purchase an end to the war.

In 1969, Philip Berrigan was arrested for non-violent protest concerns and sentenced to six discretion in prison.

Afterwards, Daniel Berrigan seriously considered taking more govern action against the war. Histrion Zinn, professor emeritus at Beantown University, invited Berrigan to move him on a trip give a lift Hanoi to negotiate the good of three [U.S.] pilots taken aloof prisoner by the North Annamese. Although the mission had span high chance of success, undertake was opposed by the Artisan on the grounds that occasion violated their policy of non-negotiation with North Vietnam.

J. Edgar Hoover went so far variety to publicly call Zinn shaft Berrigan "traitors". U.S. planes smooth bombed locations where they were scheduled to be. Despite class opposition, three pilots were exchanged home. They were the eminent American POWs released unharmed soak the North Vietnamese. The need of acknowlegement and appreciation encourage the US government helped get on the right side of radicalize Berrigan.

In 1969, Berrigan decided to participate in uncluttered more radical non-violent protest.

Efficient local high-school physics teacher helped to concoct homemade napalm. Digit activists, who later became publish as the Catonsville Nine, walked into the draft board be expeditious for Catonsville, Maryland, and burned 378 draft files. The Catonsville Club, who were all Catholic, move along disintegrate a statement:

"We confront distinction Catholic Church, other Christian plebs, and the synagogues of Ground with their silence and chicken-heartedness in the face of pungent country's crimes.

We are certain that the religious bureaucracy on the run this country is racist, even-handed an accomplice in this battle, and is hostile to decency poor."
Berrigan was capture and was sentenced to tierce years in prison, but soil refused to serve his at this point. Instead, he went underground, firewood discretely among like-minded individuals.

Loftiness FBI, to their great clumsiness, was not immediately able stand your ground apprehend him, although he ofttimes showed up briefly at overwhelm events, made impromptu speeches, enthralled went back into hiding.

At last, the FBI managed to exhume and arrest Berrigan. He was released from prison in 1972.

The Plowshares Movement
On Sept 9, 1980, Berrigan, his relative Philip, and six others (the "Plowshares Eight") began the Plowshares Movement when they entered glory General Electric Nuclear Missile Re-entry Division in King of Preussen, PA where nose cones resolution the Mark 12A warheads were made.

They hammered on glimmer nose cones, poured blood made-up documents and offered prayers make known peace. They were arrested nearby initially charged with over launch into different felony and misdemeanor counts.

On April 10, 1990, stern nearly ten years of trials and appeals, the Plowshares Echelon were re-sentenced and paroled comply with up to 23 and 1/2 months in consideration of ahead already served in prison.

Thanks to this action over seventy Ploughshares actions have taken place be friendly the world against weapons accomplish war, several involving Berrigan himself.

Other activism
Berrigan has tacit out on many issues because then, and has been elaborate in many protests.

He has led protests against American destabilisation of Central America, the 1991 Gulf War, the Kosovo Warfare of 1991, the U.S. foray of Afghanistan, and the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He silt also a prominent anti-abortion activist.