John Kerry: “today we pay our respects to a great son of Massachusetts who passed away on Sunday, an inspiration to me and a leader…”

“today we pay our respects to a great son of Massachusetts who passed away on Sunday, an inspiration to me and a leader beloved by many, Father Robert Drinan. In all his life's endeavors, from the church pulpit to the halls of Congress to the classroom, Father Drinan was guided by a firm and unwavering moral compass. He lived out in public life the whole cloth of Catholic teachings. In religion and politics alike, he followed his sense that we are all put on this Earth for something greater than ourselves. Wherever he went, he was led there by a concern for the weak, the helpless, the downtrodden. In religion and politics alike, that was his calling. And as he walked between these worlds, on a path unique in our Nation's history, he was always unmistakably and wonderfully true to himself. Father Drinan was a forever gentle, resilient, tenacious advocate for social justice and fundamental decency. In the most divisive days of Vietnam, when things were coming apart, this incredible man, this most unlikely of candidates, showed America how a man of faith could be a man of peace. As a politician, Father Drinan is best remembered for his spirited opposition to the Vietnam war.”