Bruce Kent
Encyclopedia
Bruce Kent is a British political activist and a former Roman Catholic
priest. Active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(CND), he was the organisation's general secretary from 1980 to 1985 and its chair from 1987 to 1990. He now holds the honorary title of vice-president.
In 1960 he joined the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a specialist section of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
. He served as an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment
from 1947 to 1949 and afterwards read jurisprudence
at Brasenose College, Oxford
from 1949 to 1952.
from 1966 to 1974. He was chair of the charity War on Want
from 1974 to 1976.
In 1987, Kent left the priesthood rather than comply with an instruction from the late Cardinal Basil Hume to desist from involvement in that year's UK General Election
in accordance with the canon law of the Catholic Church.
During his time as a priest Kent attained the status of a monsignor
.
as President of the International Peace Bureau
.
In 1992 Kent was a candidate for the Labour Party
in the constituency of Oxford West and Abingdon, where he came third. Had he been elected, he would at the time have been prevented, as an ordained priest, from taking his seat in the House of Commons. Sitting Member of Parliament
and former Conservative
minister John Patten
, also a Catholic, retained his seat. Kent is also a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
.
, North London.
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
priest. Active in the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament is an anti-nuclear organisation that advocates unilateral nuclear disarmament by the United Kingdom, international nuclear disarmament and tighter international arms regulation through agreements such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty...
(CND), he was the organisation's general secretary from 1980 to 1985 and its chair from 1987 to 1990. He now holds the honorary title of vice-president.
In 1960 he joined the Christian Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, a specialist section of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.
Early life
Kent was educated in Canada before attending Stonyhurst CollegeStonyhurst College
Stonyhurst College is a Roman Catholic independent school, adhering to the Jesuit tradition. It is located on the Stonyhurst Estate near the village of Hurst Green in the Ribble Valley area of Lancashire, England, and occupies a Grade I listed building...
. He served as an officer in the Royal Tank Regiment
Royal Tank Regiment
The Royal Tank Regiment is an armoured regiment of the British Army. It was formerly known as the Tank Corps and the Royal Tank Corps. It is part of the Royal Armoured Corps and is made up of two operational regiments, the 1st Royal Tank Regiment and the 2nd Royal Tank Regiment...
from 1947 to 1949 and afterwards read jurisprudence
Jurisprudence
Jurisprudence is the theory and philosophy of law. Scholars of jurisprudence, or legal theorists , hope to obtain a deeper understanding of the nature of law, of legal reasoning, legal systems and of legal institutions...
at Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, Oxford
Brasenose College, originally Brazen Nose College , is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. As of 2006, it has an estimated financial endowment of £98m...
from 1949 to 1952.
Priesthood
In 1958 Kent was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest and was a chaplain to the University of LondonUniversity of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
from 1966 to 1974. He was chair of the charity War on Want
War on Want
War on Want is an anti-poverty charity based in London, England. It seeks to highlight the needs of poverty-stricken areas around the world and lobbies governments and international agencies to tackle problems as well as raising public awareness of the concerns of developing nations while...
from 1974 to 1976.
In 1987, Kent left the priesthood rather than comply with an instruction from the late Cardinal Basil Hume to desist from involvement in that year's UK General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1987
The United Kingdom general election of 1987 was held on 11 June 1987, to elect 650 members to the British House of Commons. The election was the third consecutive election victory for the Conservative Party under the leadership of Margaret Thatcher, who became the first Prime Minister since the 2nd...
in accordance with the canon law of the Catholic Church.
During his time as a priest Kent attained the status of a monsignor
Monsignor
Monsignor, pl. monsignori, is the form of address for those members of the clergy of the Catholic Church holding certain ecclesiastical honorific titles. Monsignor is the apocopic form of the Italian monsignore, from the French mon seigneur, meaning "my lord"...
.
Politics
From 1985-1992 Kent succeeded the late Sean MacBrideSeán MacBride
Seán MacBride was an Irish government minister and prominent international politician as well as a Chief of Staff of the IRA....
as President of the International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau
International Peace Bureau is the world's oldest international peace federation. It was founded in 1891, and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1910....
.
In 1992 Kent was a candidate for the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in the constituency of Oxford West and Abingdon, where he came third. Had he been elected, he would at the time have been prevented, as an ordained priest, from taking his seat in the House of Commons. Sitting Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
and former Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
minister John Patten
John Patten, Baron Patten
John Haggitt Charles Patten, Baron Patten, PC is a former Conservative Party Member of Parliament in the British House of Commons...
, also a Catholic, retained his seat. Kent is also a member of the Palestine Solidarity Campaign
Palestine Solidarity Campaign
The Palestine Solidarity Campaign is a campaign in the United Kingdom promoting solidarity with the Palestinian people. It was founded in 1982 during the build-up to Israel's invasion of Lebanon.The campaign states:...
.
Personal life
Kent married Valery Flessati on 4 July 1988 and now lives in HarringayHarringay
Harringay is a residential area of North London, part of the London Borough of Haringey, United Kingdom. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the northern boundary of Finsbury Park up to the southern boundary of Duckett's Common, not far from Turnpike Lane.-Location:The...
, North London.
External links
- National Portrait Gallery Images of Bruce Kent
- Interview about CND for the WGBH series, War and Peace in the Nuclear Age
- My Favourite Books Article in Socialist Review Issue 191, 1995
- Articles written by Bruce Kent in The New Statesman
- The myths of the Arms Trade article in The Tablet
- The Abolition of War: The Politics of Realistic Utopianism article in Disarmament Diplomacy