Think of it as preemptive protest.

Although the United States has not gone to war with Iraq as of this writing, the increasing likelihood that it will has spurred people to action across the globe, including many in the Jesuit world.

Online or on campus, a variety of events were organized by people calling for peace. The Irish Jesuits' prayer website, Sacred Space (www. jesuit.ie/prayer), devoted nine days of prayer to world peace in late February, inspired by the 40th anniversary of Pope John XXIII's encyclical "Pacem in Terris." Each day featured a reflection on a theme from the encyclical, which was written during the height of the Cold War, and included a prayer from one of the world's major religions, including Buddhism, Judaism, and Islam.

Santa Clara University students, faculty, and staff gathered at a prayer vigil at Mission Santa Clara de Asis on campus on February 13; similar Day of Prayer for Peace events were held at all 28 Jesuit colleges and universities. "I hope that it is not too late for the truth of justice and the truth of love," said university president Fr. Paul Locatelli, SJ, to those gathered. "We pray that, even at this late hour, a peaceful resolution may be found . . . This recourse to preemptive violence will not prevent violence," he warned.

All 28 Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States showed a unified front by holding a "Prayer for Peace" day on February 13. Each school held activities, including rallies and prayer services.

Small gestures that expressed the gravity of the situation could be found at the schools that day. Mary Schoen, a Xavier University alumna, shared stories from her trip to Baghdad with the "Voices in the Wilderness" delegation at Xavier. Gonzaga University held a series of anti-war presentations titled "Ain't Gonna Study War No More," while John Carroll University had a student-led debate.

The University of Scranton held two masses for peace at noon and a candlelight vigil in the evening, with 28 white luminary bags, one for each Jesuit university. Students also filled bags of rice along with the quotation: "If your enemies are hungry, then feed them (Romans 12:20). Please do not attack Iraq," which were then sent to President Bush.

It was less than a month earlier that President Bush had spoken at the University of Scranton. His topic was medical liability reform, but he did take a few moments to mention the situation in Iraq.

"We understand that the world was changed on September the 11th," the president said. "Oceans no longer protect us from threats that may mass overseas. And that's why I've been clear about my desire to keep the peace by confronting Mr. Saddam Hussein . . . The world overwhelmingly, through the U.N. Security Council, said, Mr. Saddam Hussein, disarm for the name of peace. It's his choice to make . . . In the name of peace, if he does not disarm, I will lead a coalition of the willing to disarm Saddam Hussein."

Still, many believed war against Iraq could not be waged in the name of peace. For the Day of Peace, Loyola University New Orleans published a brochure with excerpts from statements against the war by the pope, U.S. bishops, and the U.S. Jesuit provincials.

The letter signed by the Jesuit provincials and sent to the president expressed their "strong moral reservations about the use of military force in Iraq." Although the provincials mentioned that they share the government's anxiety about the possibility of Iraq having weapons of mass destruction, they concluded that "while a preemptive strike to stop an imminent attack may in theory be argued, we judge war on Iraq at this time to be a preventive war and as such to violate just-war standards and international law."

Fr. Jack Morris, SJ, was among an estimated 25,000 peace marchers in Portland, Oregon, on January 18. He was accompanied by other Jesuits, including Fr. Ignatius Ohno and Br. Michael Bennett, and a contingent from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest.

The Society of Jesus has first-hand knowledge of Iraq, as U.S. Jesuits were long-time missionaries in the country, most recently from 1932 until 1969, and there is a continuing strong relationship with Iraqi alumni of their schools, now closed, in the country. (See "Fadheria," an article by Fr. Joseph MacDonnell, SJ, who taught at these schools: www.companymagazine. org/v143/fadheria.html). The Jesuit provincials in the United States mentioned this history and relationship in their letter, noting that "we are further convinced that prospects for long-term friendly relations between the US and Iraq people are good."

More recently the International Jesuit Network for Development (IJND) called for peace without war. The IJND, with members on five continents, stated that "All peaceful means for seeking reconciliation have not been exhausted in the current crisis. We cannot, therefore, support the war."

Furthermore, they felt, "Those who are leading the press for war against Iraq are showing little of the humility and openness to careful international dialogue and discernment in this crisis that is proper to anyone who does not claim sinlessness and infallibility. To continue insisting that all institutions that do not share their interpretation of the situation and approach to resolving it risk losing their credibility and sacrificing their relevancy is arrogant and extremely dangerous. If that strategy is continued, it will undermine democracy, human rights and the rule of law globally."

Becky Troha, assistant editor at Company magazine, graduated from Loyola University Chicago in 1999.

Individual Jesuits have also expressed their anti-war sentiments. In the National Catholic Reporter, Fr. Raymond Schroth, SJ, described his opposition to the war and to decisions made by the Bush administration. He suggested that those in Bush's administration who have never experienced war read Reporting Vietnam to bring home the real horrors that occur not just to the soldiers but to the innocent on the battlefields of war. He notes poignantly, "When I visited Iraq after the first Gulf War I stood on the bridge over the Tigris River in the hot sun and watched the young boys swim in its muddy waters. Today those boys would be in the army."

Whether the United States will head to war against Iraq remains unanswered, although it seems that path will be taken. No matter what, those in the Jesuit world will continue to contribute to the ongoing debate through their words, actions, and, most important, their prayers.