The Congressional Seat Once Held By Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J. Is Still Pro Abortion

Fr. Robert Drinan, S.J.

Rep. Barney Frank, who never shed the accent of his native Bayonne, N.J., arrived in Massachusetts more than half a century ago to attend Harvard. The whip-smart, wise-cracking, and perpetually disheveled son of a New Jersey Turnpike truck-stop operator soon drew notice as a top aide to Boston Mayor Kevin White and US Representative Michael Harrington, before winning election in 1972 to the first of four terms as a state lawmaker.

On Beacon Hill, as in Washington later, Frank garnered attention for his rapid-fire wit, irrepressible drive, and savvy understanding of the lawmaking process, but he also ruffled plenty of feathers. In 1980, Frank moved from Boston to Newton and ran for Congress after the Rev. Robert F. Drinan, a Jesuit priest and incumbent Democrat, stepped down following a worldwide directive from Pope John Paul II. In a long and bitter campaign, Frank eked out a victory despite accusations that he was a carpetbagger and heavy-spending liberal — in a year in which Republicans surged nationally behind the Reagan/Bush presidential ticket.
Link (here) to the full Boston Globe article.