Washington state’s Lieutenant Governor Cyrus Habib (D-WA) publicly revealed Thursday that he will be leaving politics to join the Society of Jesus, an organization he says will allow him to “trade a life of authority for a life of obedience.”
In an op-ed published in America Magazine, Habib describes the transition as a step that will make it easier for him to have an impact on people’s lives in a “more direct and personal way.”
I have felt a calling to dedicate my life in a more direct and personal way to serving the marginalized, empowering the vulnerable, healing those who suffer from spiritual wounds and accompanying those discerning their own futures. For me, this is rooted in my faith in Christ’s Gospel. But my desire to encounter something greater than myself by walking with the poor and abandoned of this world will be familiar to those of many different spiritual traditions. I have come to believe that the best way to deepen my commitment to social justice is to reduce the complexity in my own life and dedicate it to serving others.
I have also come to believe that, while we certainly continue to need people of good will to serve in elected office, meeting the challenges our country faces will require more than just policy-making.
Habib dedicates a portion of the op-ed to remind readers about the “dire need of spiritual support and companionship” among the new generation, particularly in an era when young people are reporting record levels of anxiety.
People are in dire need of spiritual support and companionship. From our throwaway culture that treats workers and our environment as disposable to a new generation of young people eager to change the world but struggling with unprecedented anxiety, alienation and other mental health challenges to the fear and isolation we are all experiencing as a result of the coronavirus, this is a time when we need to ground ourselves in the wisdom of those who came before and cultivate new forms of wisdom forged in the fires of our present moment.
According to ABC News, Governor Jay Inslee (D-WA) responded to the announcement with surprise, but commended Habib’s dedication to his faith.
“While the news was unexpected, anyone who knows Cyrus is not surprised by his commitment to faith,” said Inslee in a statement, reports the news agency. “I have no doubt his future in the Jesuit priesthood will bring much good to a world that needs it right now.”
In a statement to America Magazine, Christopher Nguyen, vocations director for the Jesuits West province, told the magazine that Habib had a wealth of experience from which to draw in his new role helping others.
“For the last few years, I’ve come to know Cyrus Habib and have witnessed his deep desire to know Christ and to serve him as a Jesuit priest,” said Nguyen, reports the news agency. “Cyrus has gone through many challenges in his life, which have brought him closer to Christ. I know he will use his blindness and battles with cancer as a means to minister to others who suffer in the world.”
According to The Seattle Times, the lieutenant governor has been known as a barrier-breaker within politics, and state officials once considered him a shoe-in for the governorship.
“I had no inkling,” said Washington lawmaker Jamie Pedersen, reports the news agency. “It’s doubly surprising that at the moment when it’s looking more likely that he could just move into the governor’s office.”