The Berrigan Brothers: Crisis of Catholic
“To say war Is bad, but not do anything practical is verbal Christianity and an escape from
the real demand to live in deeds as well as ideas. This makes a difference. The Berrigan
brothers demanded that it make a difference. They make every Christian ashamed today for
they make their point by action and show- Christianity in politics.”
by Carey and Curran
Several priests, nuns and lay¬
men were recently charged with
plotting to destroy federal prop¬
erty and kidnap a government
official. One of the priests in¬
volved was a Jesuit, and one of
the nuns was a member of the
Religious of the Sacred Heart of
Mary. Rev. Donald P. Merrifield,
S.J., and Sr. Raymunde McKay,
RSHM, President of Loyola and
Marymount, respectively; Sr.
Renee, vice-president of Mary¬
mount, and Rev. Clinton Albert¬
son, S.J., chairman of the Hon¬
ors Program, were interviewed
by the Loyolan last week con¬
cerning the now famous Berri¬
gan case.
The United States government
claims that several members of
the East Coast Conspiracy to
Save Lives were involved in a
plan to blow up a federal heat¬
ing system under Washington?
D.C. on February 22, Washing¬
ton’s birthday.
Further, the indictment stat¬
ed that the alleged conspirators
planned to kidnap the nation’s
security advisor to President
Nixon, Henry Kissinger. Accord¬
ing to the government claims,
Kissinger was to be held as a
focused more of his time on
peace proceedings.
The Jesuit involved is Rev.
Daniel Berrigan, SJ. He and his
brother Philip, a Josephite
priest, are already serving a jail
term for destroying government
property. They poured a mix¬
ture of human and animal blood
over draft cards as a protest
against what they termed the
atrocities of the Vietnam war.
They also burned draft files with
napalm.
The Marymount nun involved
is Sister Elizabeth McAlister,
RSHM.' She is charged with act¬
ing as a courier between the two
Berrigan brothers in prison and
the conspirators outside.
The government has shown lit¬
tle actual evidence so far, but
many theories have been creat¬
ed as to how the government be¬
came involved in the case. One
of the most prevalent theories
is that an active member of the
conspiracy who had access to
the letters from the Berrigans
acted as an informant.
The facts are still not quite
clear. What the grand jury says
is that those charged intended to
plant bombs in various sections
of an underground heating sys¬
tem which was connected to
Georgetown, the Capitol, and
near the Pentagon. This was all
to have taken place on Washing¬
ton’s birthday.
Conscience
The following day Henry Kis¬
singer. was to have been kid¬
napped and held hostage. When
informed of the plot, Kissinger
did not really take it seriously.
He said that he had heard that
“it was the three sex-starved
nuns” after him.
Daniel and Philip Berrigan an¬
swered to the charges through a
statement given by spokesman
William Kunstler.
“Thirty-eight years ago, the
Nazi Party burned the Reichstag
in order to stampede the German
people into supporting a policy
of repression at home and mili¬
tarism abroad. The Government
of the U.S., for much the. same
purpose, (has) created a gro¬
tesque conspiracy to kidnap a
presidential assistant and blow
up the heating systems of federal
buildings in Washington. The ob¬
jective is a simple but deadly
(Continued on Page 3)
Los Angeles LOYOLAN
Vol. 48 — No. 9
ШШ&Ш-
A LOYOLA-MARYMOUNT STUDENT PUBLICATION
February 8, 1971
GERARDO MOSQUEDA MAKES a point concerning the football poll in a recent Football Board of
Trustees meeting as other Commissioners listen attentively.
Board authorizes new men’s dorms
The Board of Trustees of Loy¬
ola University held their month¬
ly meeting on Monday, February
1, and passed several programs
concerned with the new men’s
dorm, experimental college and
the Aloia Study Abroad Pro¬
gram.
In a move that many; resident
students were waiting for, the
Board authorized a new men’s
apartment-style dormitory to be
completed by fall of 1971. This
was contingent upon the acquis¬
ition of suitable financing within
the next two weeks.
Fr. Richard Robin, Assistant
Dean of Students, who is also in
charge of the men’s dorms not¬
ed, “Mr. Scully and myself have
been contacting banks and in¬
surance companies trying -to get
a loan to finance the new dornt.
We need approximately $750,000.”
The Board also approved the
“Experimental College” with a
few changes. The program was
renamed the Individualized Stu¬
dy Program. This program as
originally conceived was to be
separate from the College of Arts
and Sciences, but now it is mere¬
ly a program of study “within”
the College of Arts and Sciences.
Dr. Alex Aloia presented to the
Board his Study Abroad Pro¬
gram. Although no action was
required from the board on the
program, Dr. Aloia did answer
questions that were raised con¬
cerning financing and education¬
al adaptability of his program.
In other actions the Board, fol¬
lowing a legal prerequisite, ap¬
proved the Daguerre Trust Funds
to be used for scholarships. This
fund is approximately $75,000,
which will be used preferably for
scholarships to Orange County
students.
Finally the Board received a
report from Fr. Charles Casassa,
S. J., Chancellor of Loyola Uni¬
versity, concerning the disposi¬
tion of the reported $2.5 million
T. Marie Chilton estate. The will
makes Loyola University the
main beneficiary of Mrs. Chil¬
ton’s estate.
Loyola Student Football
Trustees to determine
legal status
By Mitch Rosplock
The future of Loyola Student
Football, Inc. still remained un¬
certain as the February 3 meet¬
ing of the Football Board of
Trustees adjourned after three
and a half hours of lengthy,
complex and legally intricate
discussion.
Many key students and Univer¬
sity administrators significant to
the football program were on
hand for last Wednesday’s meet¬
ing to prepare for the final de¬
cision which will determine the
future of the club program.
Throughout much of the school
year, there has been much debate
and controversy by students at
large as to the worth and survival
of the football program. The
board of trustees, observing a de¬
cline of enthusiasm and student
support for dub football, has
taken action to investigate the
future of football in relationship
to student support, finances and
a general continuance of the pro¬
gram.
Earlier this quarter, at the
January 6 meeting of the
trustees, the board set up a com¬
mittee to investigate a football
opinion poll from the students in
reference to a direction of the
football program. That committee
presented their report at the
February 3 meeting of the
trustees.
The committee presented some
objective facts on directions in
the future of football. But the bas¬
ic presentation of the committee
revealed the results of the football
election opinion poll, (see opinion
poll story)
Charles McClain, committee
member, explained the procedure
of program
of the survey and suggested that
the poll gave seme “flavor” as to
student feelings on football.
Bob Mullens gave a minority
Mecha-BSU report expressing the
minority student opinion from the
committee. He noted the prob¬
lems of the disadvantaged student
and thought that perhaps a tax
could be levied on the alumni in
order to help the program along
and to take some of the program’s
financial weight off the student’s
shoulders.
Dr. Aloia presented his own re¬
port to the board. Aloia com¬
mented that the program has
been a success and that it offers a
complete educational program
for students, the athletic being
as important as the academic.
The committee’s report was
then open to questions and there
was immediate concern from
trustee members as to the valid¬
ity of the student opinion poll.
Ron Fields, ASLU President,
felt that he found the poll in¬
adequate. He stated that 28% of
the students was not a good turn¬
out. Fields felt that students did
not know about the survey and he
moved that another survey be
taken. This poll would be pre-
ceeded by a forum which would
inform the students of the football
program status and which would
allow students to ask questions.
Dr. Aloia and Ed Brady,
Alumni Director, stressed that
perhaps the board was seeking a
decision on the basis of the poll
and commented that the poll was
not set up for that purpose. They
therefore thought the poll to be a
valid opinion of the students.
(Continued on Page 3)
