Priests for Peace: The nonviolent roots of 1968 protests


March 2008 marked the 5th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq and this anniversary saw numerous protests against that war.  Anti-war protests emerge from many attitudes and ideas, including deep religious convictions.  This exhibit (available now until November 1, 2008) from the collection of Daniel Berrigan shows how he developed some of his beliefs of the role of religion.  It highlights the protest of the Catonsville 9 in 1968, burning draft records with the same napalm then in use in Vietnam to burn villages and villagers.

The 1960's witnessed an upsurge of dissidence within the American Catholic church, with religious figures taking part in protests in black ghettos across the country and against the Johnson Administration's pledge to win the Vietnam War.  Rev. Daniel Berrigan, S. J., was deeply committed to political and spiritual activism, and his work as a Jesuit priest, social activist, and author of nonfiction and poetry reflects that commitment.  
 
In 1968, Daniel and his brother Philip (a Josephite priest), along with Tom Lewis and six others, burned the draft records held by the Draft Board in Catonsville, Maryland.  Their subsequent trial and publicity for this nonviolent act of civil disobedience drew attention to the religious and moral objections to the war.

Of particular interest in the exhibit are works annotated by Daniel while in prison or on the run from prison, as well as his copies of works by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Zen Buddhist monk and peace activist.  Thich Nhat Hahn was exiled from Vietnam in 1966 for his relief work and activism, and became an inspiration for nonviolent protest and the anti-war movement in the US, including Daniel Berrigan.