John Dear, Jesuit peace activist, leaves the Jesuits

FULL DISCLOSURE: I know John Dear a little bit. I'd read a few of his essays and seen a couple of video interviews, and then in the early or mid 90's i was involved in a little civil disobedience that he was partially organizing, on Good Friday, in Manhattan. I'm not sure of the year. He seemed, at the time, to be a bit full of himself.

Then in 2008 an editor (who'd seen some of my reviews up on amazon) emailed me and asked me to do a review of his autobiography A Persistent Peace: One Man's Struggle for a Nonviolent World . I said I'd be happy to and she sent me a copy. I read about 40% of it, and never finished it or posted a review. It was just too officious.

Anyway, there's no doubt he's done some very good work, and he is a prolific writer. While he is a complete pacifist, and I am not, I respect his views.

Here's a column posted today on NCR about his departure, as well as his own column, also posted on NCR today.

John Dear, Jesuit known for peace witness, dismissed from order

The decree from the Jesuits, signed by the order's international superior general, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, and dated June 19, says Dear has been "obstinately disobedient to the lawful order of Superiors in a grave matter."

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"The process was initiated in the fall of 2012 after John declined to return to his Province to live in a Jesuit community while continuing his ministry of peace and social justice, including lecturing and writing," Shea (The Maryland Provincial) wrote.

Here is Dear's column with a different spin on his departure.

Leaving the Jesuits after 32 years

This week, with a heavy heart, I am officially leaving the Jesuits after 32 years. After three years of discernment, I'm leaving because the Society of Jesus in the U.S. has changed so much since I entered in 1982 and because my Jesuit superiors have tried so hard over the decades to stop my work for peace — most recently, when my provincial ordered me to Baltimore but gave me no assignment and, I felt, encouraged me to leave, as many other superiors have done in the past.

According to my provincial, the Society of Jesus in the U.S. has renounced its commitment to "the faith that does justice." It has also deepened its financial involvement with the culture of war and decreased its work with the poor in favor of serving through its universities and high schools. Given this change and the lack of support (and, at times, censure) I have endured over the years and its debilitating effect on my health, I realized I could no longer stay.