Two Jesuit priests and three nuns, aged 60 - 81, were arrested on an American navy base yesterday, as they took part in an anti-nuclear protest.
Fr. William J. Bischel, SJ, 81, from Tacoma, Washington; Sr Susan Crane, 65, of Baltimore, Maryland; Sr Lynne Greenwald, 60, of Bremerton Washington; Fr Steve Kelly, SJ, 60, of Oakland, California, and Sr Anne Montgomery RSCJ, 83, of New York, were arrested at Kitsap- Bangor Naval Base near Seattle.
They entered the Base in the early hours of All Souls Day, with the intention calling attention to the illegality and immorality of the existence of the Trident weapons system.
After climbing through the perimeter fence, they made their way to the Strategic Weapons Facility – Pacific ( SWFPAC) where
they were able to cut through the first chainlink fence surrounding SWF-PAC, walked to and cut the next double layered fence, which was both chain link and barbed wire,onto the grounds of SWFPAC.\
As they walked onto the grounds, they held a banner saying: 'Disarm Now Plowshares: Trident: Illegal + Immoral'. Then they hammered on the fences around SWFPAC and scattered sunflower seeds throughout the base.
The group were arrested, handcuffed, hooded and held face down on the wet ground for four hours.They were then taken for questioning by Base security, FBI and NCIS. They refused to give any information except their names, and were cited for trespass and destruction of government property, given a ban and bar letter and released.
Link (here)
Photo is of Fr. William "Bix" J. Bischel, S.J.
Link (here) to a very interesting post at an anarchists blog
Code of Canon Law
Clerics are to behave with due prudence towards persons whose company can endanger their obligation to observe continence or give rise to scandal among the faithful. 271:2
Clerics are to refrain from establishing or participating in associations whose purpose or activity cannot be reconciled with the obligations proper to the clerical state or can prevent the diligent fulfillment of the function entrusted to them by competent ecclesiastical authority. 278:3
Clerics are to wear suitable ecclesiastical garb according to the norms issued by the conference of bishops and according to legitimate local customs. 284
Clerics are to refrain completely from all those things which are unbecoming to their state, according to the prescripts of particular law. 285
Most especially, clerics are always to foster the peace and harmony based on justice which are to be observed among people. 287
Link (here) to the Vatican website
7 comments:
Look at their ages. They're has-beens, yearning for the glory days of the hippy 60s. Bunch of anti-military fools. Had they pulled a stunt like that in North Korea, Iran or the USSR they would likely have been shot on sight. They protest against the American military because they know it's a safe protest. Sure, they'll spend time in jail and can feel like they've accomplished something. But they've accomplished nothing. What a waste of time. How sad.
Disordered!
Did any of them pray for souls in purgatory on All Soul's Day? Did the priests say Mass for the dead? Maybe they should stick to their priestly duties instead of social protest stunts.
I wrote to Cathnews, but I fear they will not post it. I do not agree with the current comment line.
This is evidently not the jesuit order who built missions in the midst of the wilderness, and were anonymous. Anonymity is not one of the desires of this lot.
I think that a case could be made for review of the order and discipline within a Province. A Provincial should be able to put a stop to this. Any Jesuit should see this as a folly. A Provincial should then be held accountable to Father Superior. The Oregon Province is in enough trouble with 40 publicly admitted sexual predators that has lead to its own bankruptcy and the bankruptcy of the Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska.
It is hard to live out the Spiritual Exercises when cutting through barbed wire with industrial strength cutters. Then leading poor womens religious into this folly.
James in Spokane
Look at their ages, indeed!
We are so blessed to still have these heroes among us as the rest of us sleep.
This won't succeed in actual fact, that is what I believe.
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