Old "Soldiers" Never Die...

Philip Berrigan, renagade priest and peace activist, died at his home in West Baltimore on December 6. He was 79. He was buried yesterday from a parish where he once served while in active ministry.

With brother Daniel Berrigan, SJ, and seven others, the "Catonsville Nine" staged a burning of draft records in 1968. They spent a lot of time in jail for their protests of the Vietnam War. A more detailed account of his life and work appeared in the Baltimore Sun. Gerard Serafin, a Catonsville resident, provides photos of the funeral at his "Blog for Lovers."

I was a senior in high school back in Cincinnati early in 1973, when some of my classmates went to a lecture conducted by Philip Berrigan. He appeared with Elizabeth McAllister, who was introduced as his "wife." Naturally, I wasn't allowed to attend such a scandalous affair.

Closer to the present, there appears to be no clear outrage from "the younger generation" concerning the possibility of war in Iraq. "The times they are a-changin'..."