Peace activist and a former Catholic priest Bruce Kent died at his home in London on 8 June 2022. He was 92 years old, born in Blackheath, London on 22 June 1929.
Kent was active until the last moments of his life. He was seen protesting against the Ukrainian war in London in front of the Russian embassy with his two wives, Valerie Flessat, back in March 2022.
Fields has been named Britain’s most radical Catholic priest. He persuaded his church to abandon its reluctant stance on the peace movement in the 1980s, when the deployment of NL’s SS20 nuclear missiles and U.S. cruise missiles across divided Europe sparked widespread protest.
Kent became a full-time peace activist. He first served as chairman of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and from 1980 to 1985 as its general secretary, elevating the movement to new heights. The number of 3,000 active members grew rapidly to hundreds of thousands. Kent walked across Britain in protest of nuclear weapons policy and staged protests.
Kent was a great speaker, organizer, inspiring debater, and gentle argumentator. In 1987, he left his significant priesthood while maintaining good connections with his church.
From 1985 to 1992, Kent chaired the International Peace Office (IPB), the world’s non-aligned peace organization. He was a central figure when the 100th anniversary of the IPB was held in Helsinki in 1992.
Kentin the home was always open to Finnish peace activists as well. We knew him well, his agility and joviality, and his sharp intellect, and we greatly appreciated him.
Ilkka Taipale
Vappu Taipale
The authors are friends of Bruce Kent.
#Memoir #Bruce #Kent
