Priest’s Book Tells Sad Tale of Jesuits’ Abortion Complicity in the USPART II
COMMENTARY: The late Jesuit Father Paul Mankowski knew how badly some of his brother priests and his superiors had betrayed the Society of Jesus.
Father Raymond J. de Souza
January 7, 2022
The Jesuit priest was the godfather of the Democrats becoming the party of abortion, a transformation led by Catholic Democrats — Ted Kennedy, Joe Biden, Mario Cuomo and later Pelosi herself. No Catholic priest ever did more to promote abortion in law than Father Drinan.
The Mass 15 years ago this week was a fitting valedictory, passing on the baton of pro-abortion politics to Pelosi, who looked to him as an inspiration of how a faithful Catholic could promote abortion access.
“Father Drinan was an inspiration to so many in Congress, not just those who served with him but those of us who came after,” the new Speaker said upon his death. “I am particularly honored that earlier this month, Father Drinan presided over a Mass at my alma mater, Trinity University, before I was sworn in as Speaker. He celebrated that Mass in honor of the children of Darfur and Katrina, preaching that ‘the needs of every child are the needs of Jesus Christ himself.’ Throughout his life, Father Drinan not only preached that message of justice and human rights; he embodied it.”
Yes, Father Drinan’s last public event was to announce that “the needs of every child are the needs of Jesus Christ himself” while feting the most pro-abortion Speaker in U.S. history.
Throughout the 1970s, it was often asked how Father Drinan could have served in Congress as a priest, let alone a priest who used his legislative vote and public position to promote abortion. Father Drinan and his Jesuit confreres repeatedly gave the impression that he had received approval from his Jesuit superiors and his local bishops.
It was a lie.
We now know that more fully, thanks to Father Mankowski, a Jesuit even more brilliant than Father Drinan, who died suddenly in September 2020.
Ignatius Press, founded by Father Joseph Fessio, another Jesuit eager for the truth to be known, published recently Jesuit At Large: Essays and Reviews by Paul V. Mankowski, S.J., edited by George Weigel.
The posthumous collection makes available some of Father Mankowski’s scintillating essays and reviews, which are both fierce and hilarious, sometimes simultaneously. The collection is a worthy introduction for those who haven’t read Father Mankowski — and a cause for regret that they didn’t read him earlier.
The most remarkable part of the book is a previously unpublished memorandum from April 2007, sent by Father Mankowski to some of his friends, entitled: “The Drinan Candidacy and the New England Province Archives.” Though he never published it himself, given his troubles with his Jesuit superiors, he clearly wanted an accurate record to be available for posterity.
That record is now available. It makes clear what many Catholics regarded as a scandal in the 1970s was actually much worse.
https://www.ncregister.com/commentaries/priest-s-book-tells-sad-tale-of-jesuits-abortion-complicity-in-the-us