U.S. arrests members of the clergy

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday January 29, 2003 11:04 by Shane

A letter from a Jesuit arrested in Chicago, with others, for civil disobedience.

Dear friends, family, and Jesuit brothers,

I'm sorry for the form letter, but I just wanted to let you all know something important that happened yesterday.

Yesterday morning, at 8:00 a.m. I gathered with a group of friends and
>fellow peace activists to protest the possible war with Iraq at the Chicago
>Federal Building. Inspired by Dorothy Day's quote that "When they come for
>the innocent and do not have to step over your body, then cursed be your
>religion and your life" we decided to form a die-in blocking the entrances
>to the metal detectors at the Federal Building, to bring the realities of
>war home to the American people, especially the policy-makers of our
>federal government. While folks were doing this, I held a banner with two
>other people which read, "We say YES to Iraqi Children, and NO to more
>Blood for Oil."
>
>From my prayer and reflection on this, I a believe that Jesus, who taught
>us to love our enemies, (ie. not to bomb them), would be appalled at this
>war, and I am convinced that the billions of dollars that we spend on
>military weaponry to kill other people could be better used for social
>programs here and abroad which would lessen the inequalities of our world,
>thereby making friends with people of other faiths and nations rather than
>enemies. Furthermore, even if you argue that some wars are necessary, there
>is no evidence that Iraq has threatened us, and the civilians of Iraq who
>have been weakened by 12 years of sanctions would be slaughtered by another
>bloody war. Most of the Iraqi people live off the handouts from the UN oil
>for food program, which would almost certainly be discontinued in the event
>of war, leaving millions of people malnourished. All the major religious
>leaders of the United States, including the Catholic Bishops, have come out
>in opposition to this war. I asked my Jesuit superior and my provincial
>for permission to do this action and to accept the possible consequences,
>and they gave me permission to perform this public witness.
>
>And so, yesterday, along with a fellow Jesuit, Paul Grubb, two Loyola
>chaplains, Megan Kennedy and Jim Zajakowski-Uhll, and a host of other
>friends calling themselves a Circle of Life, I participated in this action
>of civil disobedience to protest war. All 22 of us were arrested and held
>at the local precinct for processing most of the day. So, I spent from
>9:30 a.m. to 11:30 am in a holding cell with other protesters and then from
>11:30 am to 6:30 pm in my own personal cell. It was a long day, but filled
>with singing, praying, and fruitful conversations with some of the guards
>about nonviolence and peace. If anything, I learned once again that most
>people who end up in jail are of a different race, ethnicity, and
>socioeconomic status than I am. As a prison chaplain during novitiate I had
>seen the system but never experienced the "other side". In the end we were
>all charged with a state misdemeanor, criminal trespassing, with a court
>date set for March 27. Please pray for peace in the world...pray for us
>too but please don't worry about us, we will be OK. The people of Iraq will
>suffer much more than jail time if there is another war and our country's
>economy and social programs will continue to lag behind for the poor of our
>nation. What we had to endure was nothing in comparison to war. Any soldier
>or refugee of war could testify to that.
>
>Here is a portion of the letter that I wrote for my provincial, requesting
>permission to do this action:
>
>
>Because of our Ignatian commitment to justice, the possibility of war with
>Iraq still concerns me greatly. While the evidence from the UN indicates
>that there is no smoking gun, President Bush has moved 150,000 troops to
>the Persian Gulf and obviously is preparing for an invasion. In prayer
>over this situation I feel that we should continually ask ourselves, "What
>have we done for Christ?" and "What will we do for Christ?" As Jesuits in
>solidarity with the poor, we see Christ in those who suffer, especially
>those who suffer from poverty and the hardships of war. In my mind, the
>Iraqi people are foremost in the world among these people because of what
>they have suffered, and it has not only been because of what Saddam Hussein
>has done but because of what the U.S. has allowed to happen to them through
>13 years of sanctions. They would suffer again, and even worse, from yet
>another war.
>
>
>
> Along with fellow Jesuits and many others, I have called members of
>Congress and President Bush, written letters and emails, protested, prayed,
>and helped educate students at Loyola University, doing all of this in the
>spirit of the nonviolent Christ. I feel compelled by my conscience to do
>more, and I feel that Christ is inviting us all to do more. Many Jesuits
>are troubled by the possibility of this war for what it would do to the
>Iraqi people, the U.S. troops, anti-American sentiment abroad, and the many
>social programs in the U.S. which are robbed of funding because of reckless
>military spending.
>
>
>
> On December 10th, International Human Rights Day, some friends of
>mine, including a fellow Jesuit scholastic, participated in the symbolic
>action of civil disobedience to protest this war, by using their bodies to
>shut down the Federal Building in Chicago. This drew national media
>attention and helped send the message to the U.S. government that there are
>a significant number of people in this country who are morally appalled at
>the idea of this war and will not stand for it. Our other means of
>communicating this message to our civic leaders have failed, and I believe
>it to be the time for more acts of civil disobedience, especially before an
>invasion of Iraq begins.
>
>
>
>Peace, love, and blessings,
>
>John
>
>peace@jesuits.net