By E.J. Daly, SJ
Garden
To ev’ry word Credit men of old dividing all so very neatly into two:-First is Ens A Se, it’s Latin, meaning God’s life is from Himself Then there’s Ens Ab Alio, which takes in all the rest of us, Teaching us that we exist and have our being from the Lord Let me say it once again for emphasis that you and I and Ev’ry angel shouts with tiny ant, “Just ev’rything is His! Yes, He made us!” As the psalmist rightly sings, “We’re like sheep, his flock, and He’s our shepherd Lord!” Listen each and ev’ry one of you, the ens ab alio: See Alsatian dogs with panting breath and perking ears Glad for each and ev’ry order given them, so too Don’t we owe a list’ning heart to ev’ry word God speaks to us?
Fr Edwin J. Daly, SJ, writer and faith-educator, resides at the Provincial’s House, Delhi. JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
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What do you think? AUGUST 2012 Editor:
M.A. Joe Antony, SJ Ed. office administration, typing & layout:
Udaya Prabhu Visuvasam Correspondents:
Benedict Santosh, John Rose, Shailendra Boora, Victor Edwin. Advisory Board:
Agapit Tirkey, Benny S., Jerry Rosario, John Joseph, V.T. Jose, Luke Rodrigues, Michael Amaladoss, Rex A. Pai. Published by
Jerry Sequeira, SJ for Gujarat Sahitya Prakash Society P.B. 70, Anand 388 001 and printed by him at Anand Press, Anand - 388 001. Matter for publication to be sent to:
The Editor, Jivan Culture & Communication P.B. 3301, Loyola College, Chennai - 600 034 Phone: 91-44-28175656 email: jivaneditor@gmail.com Circulation & change of address:
Circulation Manager, Jivan, Gujarat Sahitya Prakash, P.B. 70, Anand - 388 001, Gujarat. email: jivandoot@yahoo.co.in Annual Donation: Rs.250/As a service of information for the South Asian Jesuit Assistancy, Jivan is sent to Jesuits and their colleagues, collaborators and friends. Articles appearing in Jivan express the views of the authors and not of the Jesuit Conference of South Asia. The Editor regrets he is unable to return articles and photographs. So please keep a copy of whatever you send for publication. All material sent for publication may be edited for reasons of space, clarity or policy. Readers are requested to donate generously towards Jesuit ministries.
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sn’t it wonderful to have a General who emphasizes, time and time again, the need for creativity in whatever we do? He has done that again more than once at the Procurators Congregation (see p.14). Only when you are deeply convinced of something, you talk about it day in and day out, as He talked of ‘the Kingdom of God’. I guess Fr Nico’s rich experiences in two different parts of the world - the East and the West - have led him to this conviction. My own much-limited experiences at the New Leader, Jivan and now MNL, my Province newsletter, have led me to the same conviction: It is creativity that will make whatever we do relevant and effective. It is what infuses a new life into what is outmoded. It is what makes our people use and benefit from what we offer them. But in order to be creative you need both - the head and the heart. A heart that loves deeply and a head that thinks of new ways of conveying that love which becomes service. Remember what that highly creative Person did in order to make his men see that he truly loved them and so was ready to serve them? He came up with something highly symbolic and moving: washing their feet. You have surely read about the woman, who was so creative because she loved so much. Think of what she came up with: using her tears and hair - to wash His feet and wipe them. You can’t be creative, if you don’t have a heart - a heart that understands people’s lives, their joys and struggles. If you are not creative and feel satisfied with what is old, legal and valid, then you don’t worry about if what you offer is meaningful to them, if it really addresses their needs, if it touches their hearts and comforts their weary souls. This is why a creative writer like Fr William O’Malley, SJ feels so upset about the recent changes in the Roman missal (see p.19), which are “unarguably not food for ordinary people’s souls.” A creative person, who truly cares for these ordinary people, will keep asking, ‘Does this bring you and God closer? Does it really make you feel part of a community?’
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
“On the contrary, the changes are palliatives to the specialist minds of theologians, liturgists, and church historians. In a conversation with several priests, I was dimwitted enough to ask, “But what about the audience?” And one said, pretty intensely, “The audience doesn’t matter. It’s the message that matters!” Will a creative heart that loves people ever say, “They don’t matter!”? What is the use of a message if the audience don’t understand it, if it doesn’t really speak to them? How can you complain then that they are not interested in what you want to give them? Says O’Malley, “The only place the life of the ordinary Catholic touches the life of the visible Church is at weekly worship. If we give them a Mass that speaks to their honest, confused adult souls, Mass might seem desirable again. If our best poets, dramatists, and songwriters could come up with a Mass that preserved the longratified structure but also moved the soul, the Church might still have a chance.” To continue to have a chance we have to be creative. This is why Fr General keeps talking about it. That he is a creative person is seen in the creative changes he has brought to the Curia and our traditional structures of governance. There are, however, a lot of other areas where we need to become creative. To start with, think of the traditional terms we still keep using, although others can’t understand them. Try and talk to a non-Jesuit about the recently concluded Procurators’ Congregation (see p.14). ‘Procurators? What do they procure? Oh, you mean treasurers? No? They are just elected delegates? Why would you call them procurators?’ We keep referring to the expert consultants of Fr General as ‘general assistants’. In a letter we published some time ago, a perceptive reader (and a writer) and a friend of Jesuits, Astrid Lobo Gajiwala asked why we keep using a military term - the General - to refer to our boss? Can you imagine the trouble I have in explaining what we mean by ‘the Socius and Admonitor’? If we can’t come up with meaningful modern equivalents, how can we claim to be creative? - M.A.J.A.
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New Frontiers
By Victor Edwin, SJ
Jesuits in Pakistan: 50 years of a pioneering mission
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Cover Feature
J
esuits in Pakistan celebrate 50 years of a pioneering mission in the troubled country. The happy occasion is a good time to understand where they come from, what they did for the last 50 years for the people of Pakistan, how they celebrate this golden jubilee and how they envision their future. It is also equally important to discover the Pakistan Jesuit mission’s contribution to the field of Catholic-Muslim Dialogue. It is amazing to find that the Jesuits who served for some years in Pakistan, have turned out to be important contributors to this particular field globally. In this article ‘Jesuits in Pakistan’ refers to Jesuits
Ikhram Chaghatai, one of the Muslim scholars who worked in the Library, wrote: “it is a very selective library of rare books mainly in the area of religion and meant for advanced students of religions. It has also a section of Journals in the different European languages, rich particularly in the areas of Christianity and Islam”. Loyola Hall is indeed a pioneering venture in Pakistan. It was an ‘out-of-the-box’ thinking of those Jesuits. A regular and time- tested method was opening ‘chapel-school-dispensary’ when missionaries arrived in new places. In Pakistan those pioneering Jesuits did not simply follow this familiar and beaten path. They chose a new way
working in Pakistan - not Pakistani Jesuits, because at the moment except John Imran, SJ, other Jesuits are from Germany, Australia or Sri Lanka.
of being missioners that is more challenging than the familiar ones. In this new path the first Jesuits followed a two-way process that directed them to be sensitive to the Muslim thinking and way of life in Pakistan and contribute to the cultural and religious life of Muslims in Pakistan. The first Jesuits in Pakistan thus discerned and envisioned a deeper involvement and engagement with Islam while serving the local Church.
South German Jesuits: the pioneers Late bishop Ray Marcellus Rogerius of Lahore invited the South German Province Jesuits to the Pakistan mission. The first Jesuits arrived in Pakistan in 1961. They bought an old house situated in the central part of Lahore for their residence. They opened a research library in the house and named it Loyola Hall. Soon Loyola Hall became a place in which Muslims and Christian intellectuals met and exchanged ideas. How do Muslim scholars view the Loyola Hall Library? JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
Australian & Sri Lankan Jesuits: The Australian Jesuits and the Sri Lankan Jesuits who followed the South German Jesuits in Pakistan mission continue to commit themselves to make interreligious
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New Frontiers dialogue an integral aspect of their lives. Following the pioneers, the present day Jesuits continue work in this field and also pay special attention to train their collaborators in this mission for interreligious dialogue. Various groups come to Loyola Hall to organize workshops and programs related to Scripture, theology, women’s issues
authentic way of living and sharing one’s faith with the partner, and at the same time allowing the faith convictions of the partner in dialogue to challenge and purify one’s own faith. While prejudices clog-up meaningful interaction between Muslims and Christians, the lack of critical understanding of dialogue would leave the practitioner of dialogue naïve
Pakistan and hence our commitment to this ministry. They strive to integrate the Muslim community with the Christian community. So our schools opted to have Urdu as the medium of instruction having English as a second language (GC 35, D/3, No.14). It is a mission of reconciliation that Jesuits in Pakistan preach, not in words but in action.
and interfaith relations. A group of Junior Sisters regularly use the facilities for their Juniorate program and a small group of candidates for the Society now resides at Loyola Hall as well. These pioneering efforts make clear that Christian-Muslim dialogue is an effective channel to deal with the deep-seated prejudices among Muslims and Christians. Dialogue is not just sharing of information, though that is desirable as a first step, but it is also an
and ignorant. The Jesuits in Pakistan commit themselves to discover and foster ways of making inter–religious dialogue an integral aspect of their lives and ministries. While the German Jesuits paved a new path in dialogue, Jesuits from Sri Lanka pioneered to establish schools with an interreligious dimension educating Catholics and Muslims together. It is their conviction that it is only through education that the Christian community can rise up in
The Golden Jubilee Fr Herman Roborgh SJ, a friend who was present at the Jubilee, described the celebration in the following words: “The Jubilee celebrations stretched out over a few months and consisted of special programs on Ignatian spirituality at Loyola Hall, Lahore. The celebrations culminated on 8 Feb 2012 at a sung Mass in the cathedral of Lahore where the first Jesuits had resided for some weeks, while they were searching for
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
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Cover Feature the bungalow into which they eventually moved. The Bishop of Lahore and several diocesan priests attended the Jubilee Mass as well as the children of the two Jesuit schools in Lahore and some long-standing friends of Loyola Hall. Fr Imran John, SJ, the first local Pakistani Jesuit priest, who was ordained in 2010, was the main celebrant and he
the hope that the Jesuits would continue to serve the people of Pakistan according to the Ignatian charism”. Beyond the Golden Jubilee: Fr Jeyaraj, the Sri Lankan Jesuit provincial, who is the major superior for the Pakistan mission, noted that the mission would like to advance the frontiers of Inter-Faith collaboration as
life to the intellectual dimension of the original vision of the pioneer Jesuits”. The Provincial, Fr. Jeyaraj, also stressed that the Pakistan Jesuit Mission depends on having more Pakistani Jesuits. He affirmed that while the Sri Lanka Province would continue to hold the responsibility and support the mission in whatever way that is needed,
sang the Eucharistic prayer in Urdu to the stirring accompaniment of drums and flutes.” “After the Mass, everyone moved from the cathedral to Loyola Hall, a distance of only a few kilometers, where the Jubilee celebrations continued in a big tent set up on the lawn. The school children performed a drama expressing some of the special characteristics they observed in the Jesuits who are active in Lahore. Speeches were made expressing
our top most priority for the good of the Church and of the world. Planning to intensify the work of Loyola Hall, Fr Herman Roborgh said: “… the number of scholarly visitors to the library has dwindled in the last few years. One decision made during the recent Golden Jubilee celebrations was to organize a scholarly symposium on an aspect of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations for a limited group of local Muslims and Christians each year in order to give new
his province’s first priority was to train more Pakistani Jesuits. It is important to have the formation program of the young candidates to the Society in Pakistan itself, he emphasized. He continued that, through education, as a next step, we would be able to better the economic prospects of the poor at least in the next generation. Further, through our schools we will also continue to promote greater understanding and cooperation among
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
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New Frontiers the Christian and Muslim communities. Taking into consideration the changing realities of education in Pakistan, the Jesuits in Pakistan are also already reflecting on whether a time would come when we would need to offer professional courses at the higher level, in different institutions. He said that the province is aware that while more and more people are becoming aware of their own rights, there is also need to conscientize people
Pakistan. Though Jesuits in Pakistan have been involved in pastoral ministry for some time, this has been discontinued due to lack of personnel. This ministry could be revived and added to the kitty of services to the people of Pakistan. World to Pakistan and Pakistan to the world: The Jesuit missioners from different parts of the world contributed to the Pakistan mission in pioneering ways, especially in the field of Christian-
positive acceptance of the unbridgeable differences.” Ikhram Chaghatai, a Muslim scholar who spent a number of years with Bütler wrote: “… a praiseworthy characteristic of Bütler’s approach to Islam and Muslims was one of respect and appreciation as well as a meticulous sensitivity to the religious feelings of adherents of faiths and persuasions other than his own. For him, research and study was not in order to score points and win an
to stand up in a constructive manner for their own rights. For this the Jesuits would like to concentrate on the youth and organize them as a viable force as they are the future of the Church and the nation. In the past years the Jesuits have been assisting the priests and religious of the country, in various ways, especially in their formation and spiritual welfare. There is a greater need today for more concerted effort to continue to be at the service of priests and religious in
Muslim relations and dialogue. The Pakistan Mission has indeed contributed by shaping some of the fine theologians and interlocutors in Christian-Muslim relations among Jesuits who spent some years of their mission life in Pakistan. Among many the following three Jesuits stand out shining. First among them is Robert Andreas Bütler, SJ, who arrived in 1961and lived in Lahore. As a scholar of Islam, he searched for “common ground between Islam and Christianity with a
argument, but a way to bond with many who valued his friendship and views”. On returning to his native Switzerland, he continued to promote and foster Christian-Muslim relations working to integrate Muslim immigrants in the social fabric of his country. The next important figure is Christian W Troll, SJ who is considered by many Jesuits, who work in the field of Christian-Muslim relations, as the unofficial dean guiding and coordinating this mission all over the
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Cover Feature world. He spent a few years during his formation in Pakistan. Without doubt, his years in Pakistan shaped the way he approaches Jesuit mission among Muslims. He worked fruitfully in many places: as a professor of Islamic studies at the Institute of Religious Studies, Vidyajyoti in New Delhi (1976-1988), as a Senior Lecturer at the Centre for the Study of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations in Birmingham (1988-1993), and as a professor of Islamic institutions at the Pontifical Oriental Institute (1993-1999). It is important to note that he lectured in some of the Turkish Muslim Theological centers; from 1992 to 2001, he gave annual lectures and seminars at the University of Ankara Ilahiyat Fakültesi. In the fall of 1999 he moved to Berlin and worked as director of the Christian-Islamic Forum of the Catholic Academy in Berlin. In 2001 he was appointed Honorary Professor of Philosophy and Theology, University of Sankt Georgen in Frankfurt. He rendered his service to the Vatican from 1993 to 2005 as a member of the SubCommission for Religious Relations with Muslims of the Catholic Church, which is part of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue (PCID). Since the summer of 1999 he is member of the Commission of the German Bishops’ Conference for Inter-religious Dialogue. Daniel Madigan SJ is an Australian Jesuit who teaches at Georgetown University’s Department of Theology, Washington from 2008. He spent three years at Loyola Hall. He worked as the Assistant Director and Dean of Students at Loyola Hall and cared for undergraduate and graduate students living in a multi-religious environment teaching them English, Urdu, Chemistry and Church History. He was also the librarian of the Loyola Hall library. Then he was the director of Murree Language Program conducting three-month residential intensive language courses in Urdu and Punjabi. He is the Founding Member, Pakistan Association for InterReligious Dialogue and worked as a member of Catholic Diocese of Lahore Commission on Muslim-Christian
Nurturing good relations with Muslims Pakistan came into being as a homeland for the Muslim people of the sub-continent. But today the Cathlic Church in Pakistan is a thriving community, consisting of six dioceses and the vast majority of Christians are not immigants but local people whose ancestors have lived here for countless generations. The first group of Jesuits came to the north of Pakistan in 1961 with a vision for developing good relations between Christians and Muslims. Fifty years later, Fr. Jeyaraj, the Provincial of Sri Lanka (to which the Pakistan mission belongs) stressed that this vision is the key to the presence of the Jesuits in Pakistan. The founding Fathers and Brothers of the Pakistan mission chose an old bungalow situated in the central part of Lahore as their residence. Here they opened a research library that soon became a space in which Muslim and Christian intellectuals could meet and exchange ideas. In subsequent years, however, the number of scholarly visitors to the library has dwindled. One decision made during the recent Golden Jubilee celebrations was to organize a scholarly symposium on an aspect of Islam and Christian-Muslim relations for a limited group of local Muslims and Christians each year in order to give new life to the intellectual dimension of the original vision of the pioneer Jesuits. Christian-Muslim relations has not been restricted to the research library. Another approach to interfaith dialogue has become possible in the two schools that the Jesuits are running in Lahore. About 40% of the students at these two schools are Muslim children and the others are Christians. Everyday these students have the opportunity for a dialogue of life as they sit, study and play together. The friendships built up during these early school years may not endure into adulthood but the memory of these days can form the basis for new and deeper relationships between Muslims and Christians later in life. - Herman Roborgh, SJ
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
Dialogue. He is currently Director of Graduate Studies at Georgetown Uni. He is also a Senior Fellow of The AlWaleed Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, and of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown, where he is directing a project on Christian theologies that are responsive to Islam. Fr Madigan is also Honorary Professorial Fellow of the Australian Catholic University’s Asia-Pacific Center for Interreligious Dialogue. Before moving to Georgetown he taught in Rome (2000-7), where he was the founder and director (2002-7) of the Institute for the Study of Religions and Cultures at the Pontifical Gregorian University. His main fields of teaching and research are Qur’anic Studies, Interreligious Dialogue and particularly Muslim-Christian relations. He has also taught as a visiting professor at Columbia University, Ankara University, Boston College and Central European University. Conclusion Jesuit mission in Pakistan is significant as it began and grew in pioneering ways. Its contribution to the field of Christian-Muslim relations is something that really needs to be celebrated. In other words, the Pakistan mission has enriched the world mission in the field of dialogue. As the Sri Lankan Provincial rightly emphasized, dialogue efforts need to be strengthened further. It has become increasingly difficult for dialogue in Pakistan, as Christians find that their space is getting narrower in the face of fundamentalism in that country. It would be of interest to see how the dialogue mission in Pakistan develops in the coming years. In difficult times and with a small number of Jesuits, the mission flourishes in the service of faith that does justice with a preferential option for the poor in their educational, spiritual and other pastoral ministries. Fr Victor Edwin, SJ, is doing his Ph.D at Jamia Millia. He is a member of the Islamic Studies Association. He can be contacted at: victoredwinsj@gmail.com.
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Jesuits - Assistancy New Regional Superior for Kohima
Fr Susaimanickam Arul will assume charge on 12 July as the new Superior of the Kohima Region of the Society of Jesus. The Kohima Region covers the North East India, which has seven States, sometimes called the “Seven Sisters”: Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura. The majority of the population belongs to the Mongoloid race and speaks languages of the Tibeto-Burmese family. There are more than 400 tribes living in this area and each of these tribes has a definite territory, a distinct culture and language. Among the States, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland are tribal majority States, while Manipur and Tripura have a high proportion of tribals in the population. This rich diversity is also the source of political insurgency, conflicts and violence. There is a strong presence of Christianity in the North East, and the tribal majority States are also Christian States. Most Christians belong to Baptist, Presbyterian and other non-Catholic Churches. But the Catholic Church is strong and well organised. There are 15 dioceses, and the Kohima Jesuits are working in 8 of them. The Jesuits of the Assam Mission of Ranchi Province now work in the Assam valley. The Jesuits of Karnataka Province came to Nagaland in 1970 at the invitation of the local leaders and formed the Nagaland Mission. They worked in Nagaland and Manipur for 25 years. In 1995, the Nagaland Mission became the Kohima Region of the Society of Jesus. At the beginning of 2012 there were 130 members of the Region, a large proportion of them born within the Region. They look after parishes, run schools and are involved in various types of social work. The thrust areas are evangelization, primary and secondary education and recently tertiary education and social action. Fr Arul, the new Superior of the Kohima Region, was born on 3 July 1957 in Ramnad district of Tamil Nadu. He had his high school education at St Mary’s, Dindigul and completed graduation at St Joseph’s Trichy before he joined the Novitiate of Karnataka Province in Bangalore. It was as a Regent that Fr Arul came to Nagaland in 1985 for the first time. After completing post-graduate studies at Loyola, Chennai and Theology at Vidyajoti, Fr Arul was ordained a priest in 1992. He has worked in different places as Parish Priest and Principal: Loyola School, Bishnupur in Manipur (1992-1996), St Xavier’s School, Moirang in Manipur (1997-1998), St Peter’s School, Kikruma in Nagaland (1999-2000). Having studied Bodo language at Soribil and Dotma in Assam, he worked in North Cachar Hills (now Dima Hasao) district among the Dimasa. He was first at Good Shepherd School, Gunjung (2000-2009) and then at St Xavier’s School, Diyungbra (2009-2011). Apart from the various innovative programmes that he initiated in the schools, he played an important role in facilitating peace processes during the ethnic conflict in Dima Hasao district. At the time of his appointment, Fr Arul was Superior of the Jesuit Community of Nazareth High School and the Parish Priest and Principal at Pfutsero in Nagaland. - Joe Coelho, SJ
There comes a time By Kinley Tshering, SJ
There comes a time One lets go one’s freedom to be free Mandela’s twenty seven years of internment To experience shackled freedom. There comes a time One lets go one’s insecurity to be secure Mother Teresa’s flight from convent walls secure To experience secure poverty. There comes a time One lets go a particular love to experience universal love Aung San Suu Kyi’s stubborn stand over domestic cares To experience true love There comes a time One lets go one’s pride to tell the truth The truth of justice and peace of John Paul To experience unworldly wisdom There comes a time One lets go one’s tears for a smile Dalai Lama’s frustrations for his people To experience non violence There comes a time One lets go one’s country for the world The call for greater good of Gandhi To experience single-minded universality. There comes a time One lets go one’s self to be Way beyond and deep down To experience Eternity.
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Between Us (Excerpts from reflections of Fr Jeremy Clarke, SJ, an Australian Jesuit and an Assistant Professor of History at Boston College, on his final profession)
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n Friday as I concluded taking my final vows in the Society of Jesus, I read the phrase, “At the altar of St Mary in St Mary’s Chapel, Boston College, Massachusetts, April 20, 2012.” When I joined the Jesuits in 1993 at Canisius College, Pymble in Sydney, Australia, little did I know that I’d be halfway around the world almost two decades later. Our training and our testing, as envisaged by Ignatius and then experienced by countless generations of Jesuits, can indeed be long and arduous. Little did I know that during a novitiate placement in 1994 that I’d then end up being an academic in a Jesuit, Catholic university on the east coast of the United States. And yet, in a way, this makes perfect sense in a Jesuit world. The Society enables us to be all that we can be, for the good of our mission, which is to serve Christ’s poor and in so doing help build a better and more just world. My Jesuit life has seen me live in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra, as well as Paris, Hong Kong, Beijing, San Francisco and Boston. I’ve also had the opportunity to visit Pakistan, Cambodia, the Philippines, South Korea and Indonesia. My Jesuit journey has truly taught me that the faith that does justice surely also has to encompass the whole world, and as a Society we have to engage with the myriad and beautiful cultures of this world, at the same time as opposing those forces which prevent all people from being the glory and vision of God. My own training and lifelong interest has focused on China and I am now teaching Chinese and Asian history
By Jeremy Clarke, SJ
at Boston College. I get to introduce non-Asians to the beauty and challenges of these cultures. In my research I try to reclaim and retell – or even just tell for the first time – the wonderful stories of faith that have been and are being lived out in China. It is not where I imagined I’d be twenty years after my novitiate, and the physical distance from my Australian family and friends never gets any shorter (which is hard for all of us), but it’s been a great life. No life is ever perfect and full of laughter all the time, but I can safely say I’ve always been happy to be a Jesuit, a companion of Jesus. The graces I’ve received through the people I’ve lived with – the Jesuits who’ve been my formators and companions along the way – and through the people I’ve been lucky enough to serve have indeed been abundant enough for me to desire to enter the Society of Jesus as a fully professed member. On the day of my final profession, the Mass was solemn yet celebratory. Tina Grant, an alumna of Boston College, read the first reading. Then my brother Jesuits from Africa processed the gospel up the front, chanting in Swahili where a Chinese Jesuit then proclaimed the gospel in Mandarin. Fr William Clark Russell, SJ, a New England Jesuit, preached the homily. Much of the music was written by Australian Jesuit Fr Christopher Willcock. A small schola of Jesuits and musicians helped with all the music. We were joined in prayer by many Jesuits and some lay colleagues and friends. For me, it was not the ending of a journey but rather a wonderful and joyous celebration of a grace-filled vocation. It is my privilege to be but a small part of this least Society and for that I am grateful beyond words.
Global mission universal Society
Courtesy: NJN
Courtesy: www.glasbergen.com
CARTOON CORNER
“Aren’t there enough problems in the world already?”
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By S. Tony Raj, SJ
Jesuits - Assistancy of deprivations and vulnerabilities – poverty, age, gender, caste, lack of safe spaces, lack of schools, lack of proper institutional care for children without functional families - create situations where children are sexually exploited. We are aware that child sexual abuse has serious physical and psycho-social consequences which adversely affect the health and overall well-being of a child. We recognize India’s children as India’s future as the strength of our nation lies in a healthy, protected, educated and well-developed child population that will grow up to be productive citizens of the country. The gravity of the situation demands that the issue of child abuse be placed not only on the national agenda, but in the agenda of every one of our institutions and structures. Much of our ministries are with children – in schools, parishes and health centres. This motivated the Jesuit provinces in
On 13 May ‘12 many of us must have watched on Star World TV Channel the Satyameva Jayate episode on Child Sexual Abuse. Child sexual abuse is shrouded in secrecy and there is a conspiracy of silence around the entire subject. In fact there is a well entrenched belief that there is no child abuse in India and certainly there is no sexual abuse in the country. The UN Secretary General’s Study on ‘Violence against Children 2006 found that across the world, an estimated 150 million girls and 73 million boys under 18 have experienced various forms of sexual violence. A complementary National Study - one of the largest empirical studies of its kind - covering 13 States with a sample size of 12447 children, 2324 young adults and 2449 stakeholders to understand the extent of the problem, its dimensions as well as its intensity - on Child Sexual Abuse in 2007commissioned by the Ministry of Women and Child
JCSA joins global consortium:
E-Learning for Child Protection Development, Government of India exposed the following shocking facts: 1. 53.22% children reported having faced one or more forms of sexual abuse. 2. 50% abusers are persons known to the child or in a position of trust and responsibility. 3. 21.90% child respondents reported facing severe forms of sexual abuse and 50.76% other forms of sexual abuse. 4. 53% of the children abused sexually were boys. 5. The abuse cuts through the landscape in towns and villages. 6. Most children did not report the matter to anyone. All this in our country where 19% of the world’s children live, for
according to the 2001 Census, some 440 million people in our country today are aged below 18 years and constitute 42 percent of India’s total population i.e., four out of every ten persons - 40 percent of these children are in need of care and protection. In a country like ours with its multicultural, multi-ethnic and multireligious population, the problems of socially marginalized and economically backward groups are immense. Within such groups the most vulnerable section is always the children. The growing complexities of life and the dramatic changes brought about by socioeconomic transitions in India have played a major role in increasing the vulnerability of children to various and newer forms of abuse. A network
the South Asian Assistancy to come up with the protocol for providing a secure environment to safeguard children and vulnerable adults in our institutions. Simultaneously, recognizing child sexual abuse as a global menace which demands concerted efforts in finding ways to combat it, a consortium has been formed between the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (Prof. Dr. Fr Hans Zollner SJ), the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising (Monsignore Klaus Peter Franzl) and the Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy of the University Clinic of Ulm (Medical Director: Prof. Dr. Jörg Fegert) to establish a Centre for Child Protection. The Centre is established for three years (January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2014)
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Jesuits - Assistancy at the University Clinic of Ulm based in Munich. The centre’s main task is the creation of a global E-Learning training centre for pastoral professions responding to the sexual abuse of children, while taking into account multilingual and intercultural issues. An interdisciplinary team of international experts with Prof Hubert Liebhardt as their head, is involved in developing web-based, certified education and training modules on sexual abuse for pastoral professions. This resource can be used at any time, in any place in the world, adjusted to meet regional needs. The overall aim is the implementation of a prevention and intervention programme in the interest of child protection. The goal is to develop and implement an E-Learning programme totalling 30 hours in four languages (English, German, Italian and Spanish) with 100 participants each from eight International partners. Developing an e-learning curriculum for child protection through a global e-learning centre established in Munich by Gregorian University for the teaching and caring professionals across continents can bring about more mutual brother-to-brother sharing of experiences and expertise within the universal Church and the Society. The multilingual, intercultural aspects in the generation of academic and pastoral resources in this global centre can mutually enhance the capacities of all involved in the process to deal with this global menace in an efficient and effective manner. Recognising this fact, in the light of the protocol of all Jesuit Provinces, and more so in the background of the much- awaited CBCI guidelines on Child Sex Abuse, and the indian Government’s Act on the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences, the Jesuit Conference of South Asia has become a partner in this venture. Fourteen Jesuit provinces of the assistancy (92 participants – Jesuits, clergy, laity, religious) are participating in this online training for child protection which begins in September 2012.
The E-L earning curriculum consists of six modules and two ongoing modules of 26 learning units which on the one hand have a knowledge-based content in the form of texts, graphics and pictures, and on the other hand encourage in-depth, practice-oriented exercises through interactive as well as visual and aural elements. Per module, three to four learning units of approx. 40 to 50 minute’s length are planned.
Fourteen Jesuit Provinces of the JCSA Assistancy (92 participants – Jesuits, clergy, laity, religious) are participating in this online training for child protection which begins in September 2012. The structure of each module is based upon the process of detection of cases of abuse. The E-Learning programme will combine systemic, knowledgebased learning with casebased, experience-based learning. Furthermore, evaluation strategies will test whether the outcome of a blended learning concept (E-Learning and face-to-face instruction) differs from that of a
purely E-Learning-based programme. Its learning objectives include skills development in relationship work with children and adolescents, knowledge of warning signals of sexual abuse and children’s living conditions, knowledge of the legal basis, and skills development in dealing with affected children. Additionally, an emphasis will be placed on the ongoing module selfreflection, which incorporates ideas of shelter, boundary-transgressing behaviour, cognisance, mental hygiene and partiality. Each of the 14 participating Provinces has a Jesuit trainer. The Jesuit trainers were initiated into this E-Learning process during a workshop at St Xavier’s, Delhi (26-27 June) by the head of the Centre, Prof Hubert Liebhardt and his assistant, Mr Daniel Back. During the workshop, the trainerparticipants became more aware of the sexual abuse of children and the measures taken for Child Protection in India. They also were instructed and consulted about the project organisation, didactics and content. The realized the need for provincewise face-to-face workshop with the participants in their province area. They felt the India-specific cultural issues and needs have to be addressed in the curriculum to make it relevant. After the 3 years of development of the curriculum, the trainers will be able to make the administration and the choice of the learning units for the specific needs of their provinces. It is hoped that this timely online training for child protection will increase the awareness about the intensity, the spread and the aftereffects of child sexual abuse, help identify the risk factors, enable us to deal with situations where sexual abuse is suspected, and plan interventions in our institutions. The need is to work towards a comprehensive programme of training and capacity building to provide a safer and congenial environment for the children to experience the joys of childhood so that they can grow up as normal and healthy individuals entitled to a bright future.
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
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Jesuits - World Special
By Prakash Louis, SJ
“No need for a GC now,” says 70th Congregation of the Procurators
9 July: The Opening Day The Congregation of the Procurators began with a Eucharist at the Chapel of the Pedro Arrupe Community at Mwangaza, the Spirituality Centre of the Eastern Africa Jesuit Province. Fr. General, in his homily, said, “We are sinners yet called to dance, sing, pray and carry on our mission”. After the Eucharist, the delegates assembled in the aula for an informal session when general informationand the historical background of Congregation of Procurators were presented by Fr Ignacio Echarte. Soon after this, the delegates met in Conference groups and proposed names for the Secretary and the Steering Committee. In the afternoon session, the names of the members of Steering Committee and the Moderators of the sessions were announced and approved. The Members of the Steering Committee were: Alvarez Patxi (Secretary of the Procurators Congregation), Antonio Moreno (Asia Pacific), Prakash Louis (South Asia), Joseph Lingan (US) Fr. General, Joseph Cassar (Europe), Edwin Renato (Latin America), Simon-Piere (AfricaMadagascar) and Antonie Kerhuel General Councillor. 10 July: De Statu Societatis In the morning session, Fr Francisco Javier Alvarez de los Mozos, the delegate from Loyola Province and the Secretary of Social Apostolate in the Curia was elected the Secretary. After this, Fr General presented the De Statu Societatis (The Status of the Society). It examined how the mandates of GC 35 have been implemented, particularly those regarding 1) the Society’s call to greater universality 2) governance, especially by naming a Commission o study province structures; 3) the central governance of the Society, especially the reorganization of the secretariats; and 4) mission, in answer to the Pope’s invitation to go to the “frontiers”. Fr Nicolas then dealt with some areas he considered important, namely “our life in the Spirit; our apostolic dynamism; our life together in community; vocation promotion and formation; our relationship with the Church; and finally a word about creativity in the Society.” He indicated four areas that demand more attention: the difficulty of finding spiritual directors; the danger of secularized values that have entered our mentalities; the need to be transformed
by the integrating power of our spirituality; and the disordered attachment both to work and to works.After personal reading and reflection on the De Statu Societatis, the delegates shared their reflections in the language groups. The evening Eucharist for the English language group was the responsibility of the South Asian Delegates. One of the salient features of this Eucharist was the offering of the pancha bhutas, that is, five elements and also the arathi that was done after the doxology.
by a secret ballot that it was not necessary to convoke a General Congregation. The rest of the day was devoted to sharing and reflections on Africa and Madagascar. At the morning session Fr Agbonkhianmeghe Orabator, Provincial of the East-African Province, Fr Paul Beré, Professor at Jesuit Theological College of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and Fr Michael Lewis, President of JESAM (The Jesuit Conference of Africa and Madagascar), shared their views on Africa. In the afternoon, the delegates gathered
11 July: Reflections The third day was spent on reflecting about the De Statu Societatis. Fr. General answered questions from the delegates on various issues. He lingered on a few topics like ‘Sentire cum Ecclesia’, work at the frontiers and Africa as an apostolic preference of the Society; discernment and the conditions needed for it to be true and credible; and the two areas on which the Church expects much from us - spirituality and the intellectual apostolate. 12 July: Society’s Mission The third day was devoted to the reflection on the mission of Society of Jesus. The three dimensions of our mission - The Service of Faith, Promotion of Justice and Collaboration with Others - were once again taken up for discussion. Arun de Souza of Bombay and Jose Ignacio Garcia of Castille made their presentations.Then the delegates spent time in personal prayer and reflections and then shared their reflections in language groups. In the afternoon, the delegates shared their reflections in the aula in terms of hopes, risks and recommendations. Finally Fr General shared his own observations. 13 July: Vote on GC & Africa The voting whether to have General Congregation or not took place today. The Procurators decided almost unanimously
by Assistancies, with one or more African procurators present. The day ended with an African-style Mass. 14 July: Community Life The 6th day was spent entirely on reflections on our community life. Fr Andreu Oliva de la Esperanza, from the Province of Central America (El Salvador), spoke about community as mission, followed by Fr Michel Nader, from the Province of the Near East. Later the Procurators gathered in language groups to share their reflections. Fr General then shared his reflections. 15 July: Conclusion The final day of the Congregation began with the vote to approve the minutes of the past days, In his final allocution, Fr General offered “simple reflections” regarding the future and the challenges that await the Society. He stressed the importance of creativity to respond to these challenges. After thanking all those who contributed, Fr General declared the 70th Procurators’ Congregation closed. After the Te Deum, the delegates moved to the Chapel for the concluding Eucharist, at the end of which Fr General presented a beautiful gift to the Eastern Africa Provincial. With a delicious meal, the 70th Congregation of Procurators came to an end.
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Interview In June bombs devastated a Catholic cathedral and a Protestant church in Kenya. Islamic fundamentalists, who were blamed for these bombings, were later behind the destruction of some mausoleums and even mosques dedicated to Muslim saints in Mali. Fr Samir Khalil Samir, SJ, philosopher, theologian and expert on the Islamic world, talking to ilsussidiario.net, sheds light on what most people never understand - the real
Fr Samir, there is a continuous increase in terrorist attacks in Africa, which have increasingly wide implications. The victims are not only Christians, but now, as we saw in Mali, even moderate Muslims are targeted. What happened in Mali is typical of the action of Salafis throughout the world, not only in Africa. These
Why don’t they? They consider it an act of idolatry because the strict definition of Islam is the absolute oneness of God. It is like extreme Protestantism that says there are no saints, only Christ. For Salafis, even the tomb of Muhammad at Medina, or the mosque of his grandson al-Husain in Cairo should not be honored and visited. That would be an act contrary to the oneness of God, an unacceptable
Muslims claim to embody pure Islam, the authentic and original version. Salafi means those who follow the ancestors. They claim, therefore, to follow the tradition of the ancients literally. Why did they destroy these tombs that are in fact Islamic shrines? They destroyed tombs and one of the three most beautiful mosques in Mali, because Muslim saints were venerated in those places, just like saints are in the Catholic tradition. Throughout the Islamic world you can find these graves - in Egypt, Syria, Iraq, Jordan. When a holy man who has done some good dies, a monument is placed on his grave and devotees, like in Catholicism, start going to pray at the tomb and to invoke the saint for rescue, aid, and grace. Salafis do not approve of this.
act of idolatry. Their project is to destroy these graves everywhere in the world. They did it last year in Jordan when a group of mystics was gathering to pray, and they did it in Egypt. They do it everywhere. Where is their largest community? The Salafis have no homeland. It is a movement started in Saudi Arabia but which has now spread worldwide. One preacher (usually a bearded man dressed in a long white tunic, imitating even the smallest details of the attitude of the Prophet of Islam) is enough to give life to a phenomenon like this. These days, we have a similar problem in southern Lebanon, which fortunately is still under control, where a Salafi preacher, Al-Assir, does sit-ins for his followers and proclaims harsh words against the Hezbollah. He does not
Can the Christian West have a role in bombing of churches in Africa? reasons for these dramatic events that are bloodying Africa. “The Western countries, Europe and America, have an indirect, but real, responsibility for the blood of the Christian martyrs shed in Africa,” says Fr Samir. “There is a global game in which radical Islamic ideology that comes from Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Arabian peninsula is supported financially, and with weapons from the technology and money of Americans and Europeans. All countries try to be friends with Saudi Arabia in order to have benefits like oil, gas, multi-billion dollar projects of various kinds, and thus, indirectly, there is an agreement between Saudi Arabia, other Muslim countries, Europe and America to fund the terrorists,” says Fr Samir. “They will destroy Christian churches more and more often, as well as the mausoleums of Muslim saints.” Excerpts from the interview:
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Interview appeal to violence, at the moment, but uses violent words to impose what the Lebanese government does not want to impose. In Tunisia, an exhibition of paintings was recently destroyed by Salafis who demanded that the two painters be sentenced to prison because they represented something the Salafis called blasphemy. They are against drawings. They are the same people who destroyed the statues of Buddha in Afghanistan. Are they like the Taliban? Yes, the Taliban is a type of Salafi. Is there a risk that they will act in Egypt? The Salafis are present there, and they are powerful! Not long ago, they did a public demonstration with tens of thousands of people. The Muslim Brotherhood today is much more moderate and thus the Salafis have become enemies even of the Muslim Brotherhood. What about the church bombings in Kenya and Nigeria? The situation in Kenya and Nigeria is similar to that of Mali, currently occupied in part by Salafis from the south. Now, in Kenya, they have attacked a Catholic cathedral and a large Protestant church. Why? The town of Garissa in Kenya, where the attacks occurred, is very close to the border with Somalia and is populated by Somali radical groups. The most affected country in Africa is Somalia. Terror has reigned for years, though only Muslims live there. The terrorists, who call themselves Shabaab (meaning “young people”), carry out actions against other Muslims. In Kenya too these groups project themselves as the authentic Islam. Keep in mind that there are very few Muslims in Kenya, who are about 10% of the population. The majority are Christians: Protestants are 50%, and Catholics 35%. Are they trying to bring radical Islam to Kenya? A group of Somali extremists, coming from the nearby refugee camp
which borders Somalia, is operating in Garissa. In the past, Kenya has intervened militarily in Somalia to combat these extremists, who now have no borders and can carry out these attacks anywhere. They will probably continue to do this because
Every mosque built with money from Saudi Arabia becomes a center of the most obscurantist Islamic propaganda: Saudi Wahhabism. they consider it their obligation to destroy Christianity, an idolatry for them because of the Trinity. What can the Western world do in this tragic situation? Is it possible to have some form of dialogue with the Salafis? No. Dialogue with them is not possible. In Somalia, the Western powers do not even think of entering, and say that the Muslims have to figure it out themselves. Once they tried to intervene, but the ‘Shabaab’ hijacked the Western ships and took hostages to gain money and buy weapons.
The West, as always, speaks about human rights, but when it comes to their own interests, the only thing that matters is money. What can be done to defend Christians in Nigeria? The problem is different, but more serious in Nigeria. Nigeria is the largest country in Africa and also one of the richest. Islamic radicals - backed financially by Saudi Arabia - and by Libya before - are trying to create an independent Islamic state in Nigeria - a confederation. They started with a region in the north, where they
introduced rigid Sharia law, even stoning women, and now there are 12 Islamic States in Nigeria. They try to attack the Christian groups that are located in those areas, using terror to make them flee to the South, and they proclaim that the whole North is an independent Islamic state. Shouldn’t the Western world raise its voice against this massacre? Certainly they should, but it will not happen. The origin of all this lies in the Arabian Peninsula. Without weapons and money, the terrorists cannot do anything. The money comes from Saudi Arabia and other radical Muslim countries. These countries say: “We stand with the West”. Unfortunately, the West, as always, speaks about human rights, but when it comes to their own interests, the only thing that matters is money. America and Europe are the ones who support Saudi Arabia and the other local powers like Qatar. They are all dealing with these terrorists. Does the West have the blood of these martyrs on their hands? Indirectly, yes. Hypocrisy and the desire for money and wealth ruin populations. Saudi Arabia does not make war because it would be its end, but they have a lot of money and they use part of that money to build mosques everywhere in the world, tens of thousands of mosques. Thus, every mosque becomes a center of the most obscurantist Islamic propaganda: Saudi Wahhabism. In Europe as well? Ye s , c e r t a i n l y i n I t a l y a n d throughout Europe. The largest Islamic association in Italy, the UCOII, is financed by Saudi Arabia. They indirectly impose their way of living Islam, a radical way. They are not terrorists, but they have a radical conservative view and, therefore, are not open to dialogue. Elsewhere in Africa and other countries, they support terrorists. It is not by chance that Osama bin Laden was from Saudi Arabia. Courtesy: http://www.ilsussidiario.net
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Roots Introduction The origins of the concept of formal education in the Society of Jesus can be traced to the person of Ignatius himself. His sojourn at Manresa was a time when “God treated him just as a schoolmaster treats a child whom he is teaching” [Auto 4]. The educational metaphor Ignatius used in relation to God is an integral part of Ignatian spirituality and Jesuit formation. The divine pedagogy Ignatius experienced throughout his life flows into the ministry of education. The essence of the Spiritual Exercises permeates the Ignatian approach to education. The purpose of Jesuit education is spiritual and apostolic: it is not an end in itself but a means for “helping others”. Initial steps The Society was born in a university environment. The First Companions were all graduates. However, as the foundational documents indicate, they did not in the least consider the ministry of formal education as part of their charism. In fact, they even ruled out that possibility because, given their qualifications, instead of training their young recruits who were in need of proper education, they sent them to already established universities. In 1544, there were residences built in the proximity of seven universities – Paris, Coimbra, Padua, Louvain, Cologne, Valencia, and Alcala. These residences, being endowed and with fixed incomes, were called “colleges”, to distinguish them from other Jesuit “houses” that lived off alms. T h e U n i v e r s i t i e s p ro v i d e d quality education, but in order that the scholastics make faster progress, Ignatius decided that lectures, repetitions, drills, and similar exercises should be conducted by Jesuits for other Jesuits at the residence. Meanwhile, Ignatius accepted the proposal of the Duke of Gandia to start a college on his estate. It opened in 1545 – the first of its kind for the Society; Jesuits did the teaching and took care of its management. In 1546, some lay students were admitted to the philosophy courses. The success of this
Jesuit education: beginnings venture led the Society to the founding of colleges in places where universities were non-existent and eventually admitting externs, partly in response to a demand by lay people and partly as a way of funding the training of its own members. In Goa Jesuits were already teaching non-Jesuits - about 600 students - at St Paul’s College in 1543, which they took over in 1548. First schools In 1547 some influential citizens of Messina in Sicily requested Ignatius to found a secondary school in the humanist mode to educate their sons. Ignatius agreed. The town council provided a building for classes, a church, a Jesuit residence, and an annual subsidy. Ignatius provided the teachers: four priests and six scholastics, to ensure its success. The school opened in 1548, thus inaugurating the Society’s entry into the field of formal education. This was a crucial event in the history of schooling within the Catholic Church and in western civilization. The early Jesuit schools enjoyed i n c o m e f ro m e n d o w m e n t s a n d benefactors, so students did not have to pay fees. The schools afforded a unique opportunity to many poor children who would otherwise never have been educated. The wealthy students had their first peer-level interaction with the less privileged. The schools were patterned exactly on the ‘Parisian Method’ of the University of Paris. It was primarily active-interactive, engaged all of the
By Hedwig Lewis, SJ
capacities of the student, and contained an organized plan of studies. In 1552 Nadal prepared a blueprint for the Society’s educational work based on the Messina experience. The Roman College – the Society’s “mother and model school” – founded by Ignatius in 1551, used the blueprint to further streamline Jesuit education through a new “Roman College Method”. This eventually evolved into the Ratio Studiorum (1599). Educational thrust Ignatius wanted the schools to be at the hub of Europe’s emerging urban centres, so that Jesuits could exert influence at the mainstream level. Eventually, Jesuit schools became civic nerve centres, catering to Europe’s most influential citizens. Other Jesuit apostolates took advantage of the school infrastructure: churches, social service centres, and the like. Ignatius instructed Jesuits to encourage the townsfolk to support hospitals, refuge homes and other works of charity. In Part IV of the Constitutions, ch 11 through 17 are concerned with the education ministry. Schools are described as a “work of charity” (#440, 451), in keeping with the Jesuit charism of “helping souls”. Before his death in 1556, Ignatius had approved 39 colleges, while there were only two professed houses! Ignatius realized the formidable apostolic potential in education, and gave it pride of place above the other “usual ministries”. Clearly the Society had taken “another path” (Const # 308). Conclusion The Society of Jesus is the first Order in the Church to undertake the founding, management, and staffing of schools as a formal ministry. The Jesuits became known as “the schoolmasters of Europe”. Their outstanding achievement was to give order, hierarchy, structure, unity, and methodology in the field of education. Francis Bacon stated in The Advancement of Learning (1605): “For education, consult the schools of the Jesuits. Nothing hitherto in practice surpasses this.”
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Mosaic Stories to tell On 31 July 1951, Communist police arrested and imprisoned four Jesuits of the Aurora Prep community in Yangzhou: Frs Fahy, Thornton, Ryan and Beauce. While in prison, these Jesuits often prayed the rosary, drawing much strength and consolation from it. However, what was interesting was the way one of them prayed his rosary. Since their rosaries were confiscated, Fr Thornton said his rosary “by counting the bare toes of the Chinese prisoners who shared his cell.” He found it very convenient to do so because “inside the cell … the general rule … was eyes on the floor.” Thus, what he did was to “use the feet of those crowded around him as markers for the decades and mysteries as he ticked off the ten on his fingers.”. Source: George Anderson, With Christ in Prison: Jesuits in Jail from St Ignatius to the Present.
- Contributed by Hedwig Lewis, SJ
Dates to remember
Words to ponder
Courtesy: www.glasbergen.com
“Women suffer soul wounds in patriarchy. Feminism as a social movement alone cannot relieve these soul wounds, which can only be healed through mystical experience. God moves towards women to heal their wounds and empower them into a graced fullness of life. This experience of Divine embrace eventually remakes the feminine self according to the image of God that we, as women, actually bear in our bodies and souls. Secondly, as women we are the image of the feminine Divine in our persons. The spiritual attack against women, both overtly and subtly, is rooted in the rejection by men (and women allied with them) of God precisely as feminine.” - Janet K. Ruffling
6 Sept 1666: The Great Fire of London broke out. Vested interests falsely accused ‘Papists and Jesuits’. King Charles II banished all the Fathers from England. 7 Sept 1573: The death of Princess Juana, Regent of Spain, the emperor’s daughter. She died as a Jesuit scholastic, having taken vows secretly under a special dispensation. 22 Sep 1774: The death of Pope Clement XIV, worn out with suffering and grief because of the suppression of the Society. 25 Sept 1643: John Casimir Sobieski, son of King Sigismund of Poland, joins the Society. Three years later he was made a cardinal. In 1648 he was elected king but he abdicated in 1668. 26 Sept 1886: At Florence, in the “Re Umberto” theatre, 3000 liberals shouted for the expulsion of all Jesuits from Tuscany. Soon after, the theatre was burned to the ground. 29 Sept 1558: In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep Choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year, until the Pope’s death in August, 1559. It was rescinded by his successor.
“After all our online chats, it’s great to finally meet you in person.”
Cartoon to giggle at
“Same here.”
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
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Perception
By William J. O’Malley, SJ
Poorly worded: Can we have a Mass that speaks to real people? The translators of the new Mass prayers have neglected one cardinal rule: Consider your audience. When the official Church has to publish a booklet explaining, step by step, why “this is good for you,” bet your bottom dollar it’s not going to be any help at all - especially not where Catholics really need it to help, in their weary and puzzled souls. To any objective mind, the new changes to the Mass are unarguably not food for ordinary people’s souls. It would be an unusual step, but all authorities would have to do is just ask the people: “Does this bring you and God closer? Does it really make you feel part of a bigger life with the people who share this space and time today?” On the contrary, the changes are palliatives to the specialist minds of theologians, liturgists, and church historians. In a conversation with several priests, I was dimwitted enough to ask, “But what about the audience?” And one said, pretty intensely, “The audience doesn’t matter. It’s the message that matters!” And just what is that message? Freedom from the fear of sin and death? Or conformity and obedience? Even the liturgists’ rarefied toolbox of now-required terms springs from some transgalactic thesaurus. I doubt too many parents wonder if their college kids “have missed liturgy this week.” Epiclesis is not even in my 45-year-old dictionary, and it sounds like some eye disease. I strongly doubt that those who have taken a summer theology course and now speak of “mystagogy” also refer to a horse as an “equine quadruped.” For some time I helped out in a parish every Sunday. But a personal quirk of mine had long conflicted with the personal quirk of whoever had the final word on the previous Mass prayers. I simply could not use the ugly phrase “our spiritual drink” in a conversation with
Someone who gives me reason both to be celibate and to put up with his stubborn refusal to fulfill my expectations. So I would say, “Heavenly Father, we offer you these ordinary gifts - bits of bread and a cup of wine - and we ask you once again, by that great miracle, to infuse into these gifts - and through them into us - the living presence of Jesus Christ, our Lord and our brother.”
But a woman in the choir, a member of a pontifical prelature, took a (quite long) list of my liturgical ‘depredations’ to the long-suffering pastor - among them, substituting “his friends” for “his disciples.” I spoke personally to her and said, “If you’re distracted by those finicky details, you miss the whole essence of the Mass!” She replied, “I like your homilies, but I want a liturgy not only valid but licit according to the Roman ritual.” And there you have it. The rulebook versus the needs of the family. New York Archbishop Timothy Dolan had the courage to ask our advice on how to invite the 30 percent of recently disenchanted Catholics, the fastestgrowing Christian group in the U.S. back into community with the rest of us. Like any good executive, the archbishop is calling in his staff because the “product” has nosedived in desirability. But the staff keeps prescribing remedies without even a cursory consultation with the “buying public” about their true tastes and needs. There’s the answer: The only place the life of the ordinary Catholic touches the life of the visible church is at weekly worship. If we give them a Mass that speaks to their honest, confused
adult souls, Mass might seem desirable again. If our best poets, dramatists, and songwriters could come up with a Mass that preserved the long-ratified structure but also moved the soul, the Church might still have a chance. Both the words “humble” and “human” are rooted in the Latin word humus, which means “dirt.” Would it be thinkable to make the words of our prayer together both humble and human - that is, down to earth - rather than riddled with stilted theological distinctions? Could the language of our prayer be dictated from the bottom up rather than from the top down? As a simple example, in the eucharistic prayers, where we pray “for our pope and our bishop and all the clergy,” might we also pray for the poor, the lonely, the sexually confused, those who feel like losers, and those who crave some dignity, all of whom we should warmly welcome? Years ago, because of my unease with the stiffness of the church’s official morning and evening prayer, I wrote three books called Daily Prayers for Busy People. One example may clarify the tone suggested here: ‘Living God, at the Incarnation your Word took on himself what you had never felt before: vulnerability, woundedness, doubt. Welcome! Amen.’ This is not merely a matter of getting our numbers back up. It is a matter of our doing precisely what we have been commissioned to do: Offer the Good News, the liberating message of forgiveness and resurrection. Beyond question, in its present state, our message does not yet appear to be desirable to those most in need of it. Such personal, rather than punctilious, concern for souls over doctrines would also be welcome to those of us who have resolved to stay. No matter what.
JIVAN: News and Views of Jesuits in India AUGUST 2012
Courtesy: US Catholic 19
Jesuits - World “Church has got used to supporting the Syrian regime” Fr Paolo Dall’Oglio, SJ was transferred from Damascus to Beirut, after being expelled from Syria by the al-Assad regime. The Jesuit priest was the superior of the ancient Deir Mar Musa desert monastery in Syria for over 30 years; however his ongoing criticism of the violence being carried out by the al-Assad regime resulted in Damascus expelling him from the country. Fr Dall’Oglio invited the friends of young opposition filmmaker Bassel Shahade – who was killed in Homs in May by the al-Assad regime – to take part in a memorial prayer service at Deir Mar Musa, something that angered the al-Assad regime. The Catholic priest now finds himself secluded in a Jesuit monastery in Beirut, preparing for a trip to Iraqi Kurdistan, where he will head a new monastic mission concerned with promoting interfaith dialogue, after his time in Syria came to an abrupt end thanks to his outspoken views on the Syrian crisis. In an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat, Fr Paolo Dall’Oglio spoke about the situation in Syria and his time there. He revealed that “the Syrian regime pressured the Church and expelled me from Syria.” Speaking about the situation in Syria prior to the recent crisis, Fr Dall’Oglio asserted that “the people of Syria lived under a pseudo-peace for dozens of years, where the prisons were full and the torture rooms were in use and fear was rife. People were afraid to talk about the government, even in private.” The Jesuit priest also stressed that “the Syrian people today are calling for freedom and democracy and dignity”, but added that “objective geo-political reasons relating to Syria make this prospect unlikely.” He spoke sadly about the “the international community failing to shoulder its responsibilities towards Syria,” confirming that “Israel’s interests are also being served by what is happening, and all of
this contributes to the whole-sale slaughter of the Syrian people.” As for the al-Assad regime’s claims that what is happening is not a popular uprising but the action of “armed gangs”, the Jesuit priest stressed that “this is a lie that would be laughable if its results were not so disastrous from a human rights standpoint. I personally know the Syrian youth; they are not committing violence or carrying arms, they are taking to the streets unarmed to call for freedom, but they are being viewed as enemies of the regime because they want to replace the bad with the good!” Fr Dall’Oglio’s recent visit to the city of al-Qusair in Homs further angered the al-Assad regime, prompting Damascus to step up its efforts to deport him from the country. As for why he visited the city, the priest revealed “I went to look for some people who have been detained and missing for months” adding “they had been returned to their homes.” He confirmed what is happening in Syria is a “civil war” As for how many Christians are taking part in the revolution, Fr Dall’Oglio stressed “the majority of Syrians are staying in their homes for fear of the violence taking place in the streets, and that includes the Christians.” He asked “who are the heroes that will take to the streets under fire, for this requires strong belief, whilst the Christians are used to being second-class citizens and supporters of the regime, so where will they get the determination to take to the streets?” Fr Dall’Oglio also expressed his sadness that the Church has “unfortunately, been used for decades as cover for the Syrian regime” adding that the leaders of the Church have “over the past decades, become used to supporting the regime, as it provides them with comfortable cover for their religious practices.” - http://m.asharq-e.com
U.S. Catholic theologians protest ban on nun’s book The head of the Jesuits in East Africa explained to other theologians gathered for the annual convention of the Catholic Theological Society of America at St Louis, U.S. in June ’12 that a simple gesture had different meanings in different cultures. Fr Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator said in the U.S. a man beating his hand against his chest is a liturgical expression of penance. But in Africa, he said, the same gesture is an expression of defiance. “Perhaps,” said William O’Neill, SJ to his fellow theologians, “that’s exactly what we should be signifying.” The audience, all members of the Catholic Theological Society of America, applauded O’Neill’s aside with appreciation. O’Neill teaches at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley, California. One of their own had been targeted by the Vatican a few days ago, and there was a sense in the Hyatt Regency ballroom that the Catholic bishops had finally gone too far. As Catholic theology has branched out, bishops - who have the ultimate teaching authority in the Church - have struggled to curb theological thinking they consider a potential source of confusion for the lay faithful. As a result, in recent years the bishops have criticized the work of a number of prestigious American theologians. When they met in June in St. Louis for their annual convention, the theologians were girding for a fight. They spoke in protest against the Vatican’s denunciation of Sr Margaret Farley’s 2006 book, Just Love: A Framework for Christian Social Ethics in which the bishops found “grave problems.” We must “learn to say ‘stop’ to those who abuse authority only to preserve it,” said O’Neill to the assembled scholars. - http://www.ucanews.com
Jesuit Community Building receives Architect Honor The American Institute of Architects (AIA) has honoured the Jesuit community’s new residence building at Fairfield University, U.S. naming it as one of 10 recepients of its 2012 Housing Awards. The AIA’s Housing Awards Program, called ‘Ten Best Houses’ is now in its 12th year. It was established to recognize the best in housing design and promote the importance of good housing as a necessity of life, a sanctuary for the human spirit and a valuable national resource. Aware of their special role as teachers and spiritual guides, the Jesuits sought a building that would not only provide for their own immediate needs, but might serve as an exemplar of ecological architecture. The building houses resident Jesuit priests and their guests, administrative offices, a chapel, community dining room, and a library. Throughout the project, design decisions aimed at optimizing the building’s environmental performance. - NJN
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Jesuits - World Special
By Jeyaraj Veluswamy, SJ
Yes, it’s good to send Provincials to school! “Yes, all Provincials and certainly all Jesuit Provincials need to go to school!” I am sure all Jesuits would unanimously agree on this. So they might be happy to hear that 17 Jesuit Provincials recently went to school. I was one of the 17 who attended the ‘New Provincials’ Colloquium’ held at the Jesuit General Curia, Rome. It lasted two fully-packed weeks - from 30 April to 12 May. We were very much an international group, coming from around the globe: 4 from India (Goa, Kolkata, Madurai, and Ranchi), 4 from Europe (Great Britain, Belgium, Portugal and Croatia), 3 from Africa (Nigeria, Zambia and Madagascar), 2 from USA (Wisconsin and California), and 2 from South America (Brazil and Guyana), and 2 from East Asia (China and Thailand). We were so diverse in culture and background, colour and clothing, taste and temperament, age and qualifications. Right at the outset Fr Orlando Torres, SJ, the P rogram Coordinator, made one point clear to us that it was going to be neither a conference, nor a seminar, nor a symposium, and least of all, a course. It seems our dear Fr Peter Hans Kolvenbach used to say jokingly to the past Provincials that this could be described as anything but a course, because the Jesuit Provincials could not be taught! This is why it is simply called a Colloquium (conversational sharings/exchanges). It is also popularly known as the ‘Scuola di Provinciali’ (school of the Provincials). In many aspects it was indeed like a school; we enjoyed feeling like school kids once again in our life; of course we were now mature kids, minus all the tricks and mischiefs of our school days! Mind you, there was absolutely no way of bunking any sessions! The first session began at 9 a.m. and the last session of the day sometimes stretched up to 7 pm. Our dear Fr Nico was in attendance with us for the most part, despite his many other commitments. All the sessions were very meticulously planned, the topics wellchosen and focused, the sharings and presentations by the Curia team members excellent and interesting, and the follow-up discussions were as much engaging as they were enriching.
The Colloquium was also a new type of school. We were both students and teachers at the same time. Each of us brought in his own brief yet unique experiences of exercising leadership and governance each in his own Province or Region, and in return each of us had so much to learn from how the 16 other fellow Provincials went about their mission of leading and animating their Provinces. Very interesting were the 20 minute
animation of local superiors and directors of works, interprovincial and international collaboration, new vistas on chastity, and final vows. There were a lot of learning experiences for us to take home; We could see that the Society has some very fine, time-tested values and principles to guide ‘our way of proceeding’ at all levels - universal, provincial and local: namely i) when it comes to discussing individual
We could see that the Society has some very fine, time-tested values and principles to guide ‘our way of proceeding’ at all levels.
presentations by each of the Provincials, highlighting three consolations, three major challenges, and three main concerns in the Province. There were many insights, surprises, and shocks, as well as jokes and laughter. The Colloquium basically served like a makeshift laboratory; we took up both real issues, challenges and concerns faced by each one of us back in our respective province, as well as a good number of imaginary ones for discussion; we together looked at each issue or concern in all its dimensions, searched for possible solutions, and also underlined our cultural and national differences underlying all issues. Needless to say, the confidentiality of individual Jesuits was carefully maintained and respected all through. Other major themes we dealt with were: governance and leadership, cura personalis and account of conscience,
Jesuits and their given mission, there has to be a fine balance between ‘Cura Personalis’ and ‘Cura Apostolica”, ii) when it comes to considering individual’s and institution’s lifestyle, there has to a clear balance between our vow of poverty and our apostolic efficacy/effectiveness, iii) when it comes to missioning a Jesuit, the sole criterion to be followed is where his service would bring greater glory to God and greater service to God’s people, iv) when it comes to responding to the needs of the Church or the frontier missions of the SJ, availability and mobility - not stability and attachment should guide our choices and decisions, and v) when it comes to facing some difficulties/disagreements/divisions in the Church, ‘sentire cum ecclesia’ ( thinking and feeling with the Church) will be the guiding principle for Jesuits. Long Live ‘Scuola di Provinciali’!
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Jesuits - Asia Pacific French Jesuit’s NGO gives young offenders a second chance
Roger Candela, 19, wakes up early every morning, heads to the market in Manila’s Quezon City and then prepares a special sauce which he sells as an accompaniment to fish balls from his mobile food cart in Siena district in the Philippines. Just over a year ago, his early morning routine was markedly different. Arrested at 17 for theft, Candela was sent to the Molave Youth Home, a young offenders’ facility in Quezon City. “Nothing is fun in detention. Life is hard there,” Candela says. After seven months at the facility, Candela qualified for a “diversion” program and was committed to a youth home run by the Educational Research and Development Assistance (ERDA) Foundation. He says ERDA helped him turn things around. With the foundation’s help, Candela’s case was dismissed on 7 March last year. “I thought no one else would trust in me again,” he says. The ERDA Foundation was set up in 1974 after Fr Pierre Tritz, a French Jesuit priest, read a study that revealed just how bad the dropout problem was among released young offenders in the Philippines. Addressing the problem became his passion. “To allow a child to go to school is to give him hope,” he says. “The best thing you can do for a child is to educate him. Once educated, he can find a job and get out of poverty.” The ERDA currently provides educational assistance to some 22,000 poor children operating nationwide with links to over 150 organizations. With the support of local and foreign donors, the non-governmental organization has helped about 400,000 children over the past 38 years. Children like Candela in conflict with the law are enrolled in the education department’s Alternative Learning System and are taught life skills. Although Candela did not finish primary school, he now knows how to make a business plan, do market research, manage a budget and keep accounts. “Now I realize that I can be independent and productive,” he says. The ERDA’s Livelihood Entrepreneurship Education program gave Candela skills and material support to help set up his street food business. He earns at least 800 pesos (US$18) every day, part of which covers the cost of capital and paying back a loan he received to set up the business.Candela says he hopes to expand to three food carts in the future and be reunited with his family in Leyte province.But his new business is not just about selling fish balls. He also promotes children’s rights by giving away leaflets and stickers. “Fish balls for you, a future for youth,” reads a slogan on his colorful food cart. - http://www.ucanews.com
Indonesia’s oldest seminary celebrates 100 years Indonesia’s oldest minor seminary celebrated its centenary on 3 June ’12 with a Holy Mass involving nine bishops, former seminarians and dozens of priests. Around 3,000 Catholics attended the Mass at St Peter Canisius Minor Seminary in Central Java’s Magelang district which was led by Archbishop Johannes M.T. Pujasumarta of Semarang. The seminary began with only two students, Petrus Darmaseputra and Franciscus
Xaverius Satiman, after Jesuit priests Frs Franciscus Georgius Josephus van Lith and Y Mertens submitted plans to build a local seminary to the Jesuit Superior General in Rome, who granted permission on 30 May 1912. Hundreds of bishops and priests have graduated since then. “The seminary’s journey has produced individuals who have strong faith and the capability to strengthen faith in others,” said seminary rector, Jesuit Fr - http://www.ucanews.com Ignatius Sumarya.
Honoured for remaining with the oppressed
Portuguese Jesuit Fr José Alves Martíns was one of six consecrated religious men awarded Timor Leste’s second highest medal by the newly sworn-in President, Taur Matan Ruak, on the occasion of 10th anniversary of the country’s restoration of independence on 20 May ‘12. The President conferred upon the religious the Medalha de Mérito de Dom Marito da Costa Lópes on 22 May in recognition of their contributions during the struggle and fight of the people of Timor Leste for independence during the 24 years of Indonesian occupation from 1975 to 1999. Fr Martíns has been a missionary in Timor-Leste for 38 years. During these years, he has accompanied the Timorese in the suffering and struggles they experienced during the invasion and years of brutal occupation by Indonesia. After completing his Licentiate in Spiritual Theology in 1974, Fr Martíns was asked by his then Provincial to go to Portuguese Timor to be a spiritual director to the seminarians of the Seminário Menor de Nossa Senhora de Fátima and to teach them Greek, Latin, and Portuguese for two years. Under the vow of obedience, Fr Martins, who had never dreamt of becoming a missionary during the years of his Jesuit formation, left his comfort zone in Europe to go to Portuguese Timor. He arrived in Timor on 23 Sept 1974. In the months leading to the Indonesian invasion of Timor Leste, there were political riots and many clerics and religious were given the option of leaving the country. Fr Martíns and his other Jesuit companions were given the choice in Sept 1975, when Indonesia had already begun attacking the border of Timor Leste. Although he had expressed his desire to leave, he was in turmoil: “My heart was not at peace. I suffered a lot”. In his desolation, he went to talk to an elderly Jesuit, Fr Bernard Gouin SJ, about how he felt. Fr Bernard told him In moments like this, the Jesuits will be the last to leave. With this advice, he went to pray. His real vocation was confirmed in that moment of prayer, and it was to be a missionary who is with the people in their struggles. He sent a letter saying that he would not join the rest to go to Darwin. He stayed with the people, a decision he has never regretted. Fr Martíns’ vocation was further tested during the years of Indonesian invasion and occupation. From 1980 to 1982, Fr Martíns and Fr Felgueiras became the only channel of communication between Timor Leste and the world outside. - SJAPC
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Interview Cardinal Oswald Gracias, Archbishop of Bombay and President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India spoke to Jivan correspondent in Mumbai, John Rose SJ, for an exclusive interview to Jivan: Are you aware of Jivan - the magazine for South Asian Jesuits and their friends? Have you read it or seen it? Surely, I am aware of Jivan, the magazine for South Asian Jesuits. I receive it regularly and this is a periodical which I read at least partly. It does contain interesting information and some stimulating articles. I generally
books on physics. But I soon left St Xavier’s to join the Diocesan Seminary and there too it was a resident Jesuit staff. Are there Jesuits who influenced you when you were a seminarian and later? My formation at St Pius, Goregaon, Mumbai, was mainly by the Jesuits and they had a great influence on me. I joined the seminary at the young age of sixteen and so was very impressionable. The one who specially influenced me was Fr Daniel Fernando, SJ, my Rector for the first five or six years. He was a deeply spiritual person, very affectionate and caring. When a student left the seminary he would address the students
but in his simple, unassuming way he encouraged, corrected, and guided us on how to study, how to be systematic, and how to express ourselves. I am amazed about the number of senior priests who told me they were deeply influenced by Fr. Herne. In my earlier years Fr J.B. Fernandes was my Spiritual Director and I always remember him with affection. Fr Joe Feliu was more a friend than a professor. He joined the staff when I was in theology. The seminarians could be free with him because he was understanding, broad-minded and encouraging. My esteem for him continued over the years and only grew. All our Jesuit professors had a great
“Take the plunge! Animate India!” Interview with
Cardinal Oswald Gracias
read the Editorial, the Obituary page and also skim through the ‘Lessons’ on the last page. When did you first encounter the Jesuits? How was it like? I first met the Jesuits when I joined St Xavier’s College, Mumbai. It was quite exciting to meet students from all over the city. The Professors were outstanding, besides St Xavier’s gave one a broad outlook on life, and there was a clear focus on an all-round foundation, but as I had to travel from Mahim, about 30 minutes by train, which seemed a lot then, it did not give me much time for extra-curricular activities. My Principal was Fr. Eddie D’Cruz, but I was close to Fr Bonet who was the head of the Physics Department. I liked physics and I remember he encouraged me to read
and speak very kindly of the one who had left and often there were tears in his eyes as he spoke. This family-spirit was fostered by him and as a priest and a bishop I continued to have great love and respect for him. I always considered him as a special part of our archdiocesan presbyterium. Another one who influenced me greatly was Bishop Joe Rodericks, SJ. He was the Dean of Theology and then Rector of the Seminary. He was an inspiring leader with a vision of what he wanted and a clear strategy. He introduced many changes in the seminary. This was just after the Vatican Council. He was an excellent teacher and one never needed to revise his lecture. I had great esteem for him. Fr Patrick Herne did have limited contact with us,
impact on my life: some more, others less, but due to their example and the excellent spirit that they fostered in the seminary, I could say with many of my companions that our seminary days were the most memorable days of our life. Our professors were true role models. You worked as a young priest in the Jamshedpur diocese under Bishop Joe Rodericks, SJ. What are your memories of him? After my Ordination to the priesthood I wanted to work in the missions. So I wrote to Cardinal Valerian Gracias proposing this to him. He announced at a clergy meeting that he was accepting my request and sending me to Jamshedpur, where Fr Joe Rodericks had just been appointed Bishop. I spent five memorable years with Bishop Joe,
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Interview as his Chancellor and Secretary. For a brief period I was also Director of his Welfare Centre. I learned much from Bishop Rodericks. He would prepare himself thoroughly for every meeting. He was very systematic, caring for the people in the diocese and sensitive to their needs. He was demanding of his priests and seminarians. I was the only non-Jesuit in the community, but I did not feel the difference at all. I was fully a member of the community. We worked together, prayed together and socialized together as a family. I lost touch with Bishop Joe Rodericks when I was recalled to Mumbai by Cardinal Valerian Gracias and sent to Rome for studies. Later when as Bishop I was Secretary General of the Episcopal Conference, I relied a lot on him for his advice and always took him along when I organized Formation Courses for Bishops. When I was President of the CCBI, I would often ask for his advice and when chairing the Plenary Assembly I would sometimes turn to Bishop Joe and ask for his opinion on complex issues. I was happy that I was able to care for him in his last months. When I heard he was seriously sick, I invited him to Mumbai to stay at the Archbishop’s House. I felt he was very happy with us here for a couple of months, before we moved him to Shanti Avedna where he passed away after a few days. I learnt a lot from him because of his theological insights, organizational skills and administrative qualities. What do you think of St Ignatius and Ignatian spirituality? In the Seminary the focus was on Ignatian Spirituality and I felt very comfortable with it. Even now when I make a private retreat I take a book on St Ignatius and follow the Ignatian Retreat. I think it is very suitable to all our diocesan priests, and also suitable for our times. St Ignatius was a genius to be able to prepare Exercises which could be adapted to any age. Apart from the retreat, the principles of Ignatian Spirituality which the seminary staff taught us are even today motivating values for me.
What do you think Jesuits have contributed to the Church in India? The Jesuits have contributed much to the Indian Church. They have been pioneers in many parts of the country as also in the Archdiocese of Bombay: in pastoral work, through educational institutions and in the social work apostolate as well. In most places they have established strong institutions and traditions and then handed them over to others. I witnessed their pioneering work in Jamshedpur. I was just one of six diocesan priests there; all the others were Jesuits. They established a solid base for the future work of evangelization which continues even today. In the Archdiocese of Agra when I was Archbishop, I did not have Jesuits, but they were there earlier in the time of Akbar. This set the base for the future development of the Archdiocese. In the Archdiocese of Bombay the Jesuits pioneered the apostolate and I am just the fourth diocesan priest-Archbishop of Bombay. The previous six Archbishops were all Jesuits. How is the collaboration between the Archdiocese and the Bombay Jesuit Province and in what areas can it be improved? I see a great possibility of collaboration between the Archdiocese of Bombay and the Bombay Jesuit Province. The atmosphere of collaboration has been such that whenever we need anything from the religious, the first Congregation that we think of is the Jesuits. Now I admit that other Institutes are catching up, because the Jesuits are diminishing in number. The difficulty at the moment is because of the shortage of personnel the Society faces. As the President of CBCI, what do you think the Provincials of India should consider in matters of evangelization, education, social work, and spirituality? As President of the CCBI and now CBCI, I have repeatedly made a call to Religious Congregations to help the Indian Church to understand what evangelization is in our context. The mission of spreading the Good News is the mandate the Lord Jesus gave His apostles before He ascended into
heaven. What does this mission imply in our concrete circumstances in India: the pluri-religious reality, multi-cultural context, socio-economic climate and political situation? Can the religious reflect, carry out research, pioneer and assist the pastoral workers all over the country to benefit from this? We are very busy with maintenance work. We expect the religious to pioneer and give the lead. In the matter of education what pains me is that our Institutions in many parts of the country are no longer considered the best. We have seemed to have lost our enthusiasm for the quest for excellence. We seem to have also stopped learning from other places in the universal Church and benefiting from their experiences. In social work the need of the hour is net-working with other NGO’s and empowering people to access Government programmes while working with a right-based approach. In spirituality, I would challenge our religious to live deeper spiritual lives and influence the Church and civil society by their witness. I hope that you are able to guide all of us to deepen our lives spiritually, thus playing a vital role for a “New Evangelization”. What would you like to tell the South Asian Jesuits, especially the young ones? My message to the South Asian Jesuits is that you have been searching for far too long. Searching is necessary for all living organisms, as is adapting to new circumstances and answering the needs of the times. I see that the Jesuits have moved from theological and academic specialization to social work and then to other fields trying to find their “niche”. I think you have been searching for far too long. Diminish your searching and start doing. You are much appreciated, you have much to contribute to the Indian Church, and with your help the Indian Church has much to contribute to the universal Church. One cannot spend all one’s life deciding what to do. Take the plunge, animate India and make Ignatian spirituality relevant to our times. If St. Ignatius was alive today, this is what he would tell you!
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Jesuits - World Special Conall O’Cuinn SJ is an Irish Jesuit. He worked in Africa for 17 years and now is a Vocation Director for the Irish Jesuits. He spoke to Victor Edwin SJ for Jivan on his experiences at the Eucharistic Congress 2012 in Dublin, Ireland: Fr Conall, as a participant in the Eucharistic Congress 2012 in Dublin, what is your impression of the Congress? I went to participate in the Congress without much expectation. It is a low time in the Catholic Church in Ireland at the moment, as it transits from being the main faith of the country to being overtaken by a strong movement of secularization and a backlash to accusations (many of which are true) of child sexual abuse by priests and religious and the efforts of bishops to hide the facts for fear of giving scandal. My main presence was to run a stall in the exhibition hall promoting both Sacred Space, an on-line meditation site (www. sacredspace.ie), and Jesuit vocations, encouraging men to join the Society of Jesus. I was also to give a media interactive presentation of forgiveness and redemption using the film, Blood Diamonds. What changed my attitude of despondency was the opening Eucharist. Immediately, from the very first moments of the choir practice, my heart was lifted and I felt there really was an international gathering where we would express being the Body of Christ and also that we were being healed and transformed into the Body of Christ. From that first Mass, my enthusiasm never again dipped. That celebration of the Eucharist carried me for the week. In the present context, did the Eucharistic Congress have any impact on the irish Catholics? Because in wider society there is a huge amout of cynicism about and even aggression towards the Catholic Church in Ireland, it was extremely refreshing for all the Irish participants to find themselves in a warm and faith-filled multitude. In the whole week, I did not meet any of that cynicism: we were a people exploring our faith together in a multitude of presentations and discussions. So many people wished to take part in these seminars, that many had to be turned away, or a particular seminar had to be repeated. With respect to the question of clerical abuse and so called ‘episcopal cover-up,’ at the opening Mass the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, blessed a large rock on which was written a prayer asking for forgiveness and composed by a group which had been abused. This
Jesuits & Eucharistic Congress at Dublin
gesture at the very opening ceremony, before the Eucharist began, moved me very much. I found myself wanting to cry in sorrow and grief, but also felt the Lord was healing and consoling us all. What facilitated a new experience in the Congress? I have mentioned the Eucharist at the beginning. But every day there was a Eucharistic Service, except on the second day when, to acknowledge the divisions within the Body of Christ, the Church of Ireland (Anglican) Archbishop of Dublin led the assembly in Liturgy of the Word. The fact that the Congress acknowledged and expressed the fact that Christ is present with us as much in the Liturgy of the Word as He is in the Liturgy of the Eucharist made a deep impression. There was also a Youth Village, a place where young people could celebrate and explore their faith together in prayer and music and catechesis. However, since this was some distance away from the main events, we did not see so many young people in the wider assembly. The Jesuit Magis Young Adult Group organized pastoral experiences in the city: visiting various parishes, or homeless people, or an organization for people with AIDS. These visits made the youth reflect on their experience and bring that experience to prayer. And then the hundreds of presentations and talks given by prominent figures from around the world in various languages together give an impression of a Church alive, learning, discussing, and discerning. It really did seem like a learning space where new ideas were being absorbed, and people who had new things to say had a space to express them. Many people spoke about the procession with the Blessed Sacrament on the streets on the perimeter of the Congress site. This was done in candle light and in
silence, interspersed with prayers and with hymns. Apparently, passers-by as well as participants were very moved by this procession. Finally, a very popular place to visit was an exhibition called ‘Through the Eyes of the Apostles’, a reconstruction of the town of Capernaum, where Jesus hung out with Peter, James and John. For those who would still wish to have the experience try http://www.eyesoftheapostles.com. How did young people respond to the Congress? Given the negative media presentation before the Congress and the fact that many young people have drifted away from the Church, it was not surprising that there were not huge numbers of young people at the Congress. And yet, there are all sort of young Christian groups around the country who are very enthusiastic and which have a lively community life. One of these organizations is called Youth 2000. Together these groups rallied around and as the week progressed, the news went around that there was good stuff happening at the Youth Space at the congress. Taizé Prayer evening brought in thousands of people. But there is a huge challenge to include young people in the life of the Church in Ireland at this time. How were the Jesuits involved in the Congress? Jesuits were very well represented at the Congress, from the very early planning stage (Fr. Finbarr Clancy SJ was a member of the Theological Commission) to Jesuits who gave talks and seminars (Fr Peter McVerry SJ and Fr Gerry O’Hanoln, to involvement with young people (Magis). The Jesuit Archbishop of Ottawa, Canada, Msgr Terry Prendergast, was present with the many Canadian visitors. Our communications centre made a short video of the Irish Jesuit presence (cf. http://vimeo. com/channels/iec2012).
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Jesuits - World New particle may unlock new discoveries, says Vatican astronomer The discovery of a new subatomic particle - the so-called Higgs boson - may help scientists discover how the hidden structure of all matter in the universe works, a Vatican astronomer said. “It indicates that reality is deeper and more rich and strange than our everyday life,” said U.S. Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno. When people go about their everyday business working or relaxing, they don’t think about the tiniest building blocks of physical matter, but “without these underlying little things, we wouldn’t be here,” he said. Physicists working with the Large Hadron Collider at CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research laboratory in Geneva, announced on 4 July that they were 99.999 percent certain they found evidence of a new particle that might be key to the structure of the universe and to understanding nature. British physicist Peter Higgs first hypothesized the existence of the particle in the 1960s as the final missing element in a framework
called the Standard Model, which explains how sub-atomic particles and forces interact. Over the decades, with the help of increasingly powerful and sophisticated high-energy particle accelerators, scientists have been searching for what atoms are made up of, what the smaller components of atoms are made up of, what the nature of those smaller components is, and so on, Bro Consolmagno said. But it wasn’t clear why some materials, such as protons and electrons, have mass and therefore are attracted to each other by gravity, while other materials, such as photons, have no mass, he said. Higgs predicted that if a particle that produced the effect of mass existed, it should be “visible” after two atoms were smashed together at high enough speeds. Experiments at CERN have revealed that “there is something that looks something like the Higgs-boson,” Bro Consolmagno said. The new data “will be used to test how sub-atomic particles work,” he said. - CNS
“Eat, pray and exercise” Jesuit Fr Peter Clark, a bioethics professor at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, U.S., believes Catholics have a moral obligation to care for their health. “Catholics have a right to health care, and therefore we have a corresponding duty to take care of our health,” he said. At a time when the rate of obesity among Americans is on the rise, he added that “obesity is both a sanctityof-life issue and a question of justice.” The trend is affecting not only health care costs, but personal well-being. Though there is no simple solution, many, like Fr Clark, offer a spiritual approach. Tom Hafer, who is a minister with Volunteers for America, a physical therapist and the author of Faith and Fitness,
incorporates spirituality into a wellness lifestyle. To him, prayer is as vital as exercise and proper food when losing weight. “ P r a y e r, o r a d e e p e r understanding of our connection to our Creator is necessary,” said Hafer. “Because everything we need for sustaining health and wellness has come from our Creator. The act of exercise itself can be the conduit to a deeper prayer life.” Exercise can be a meditative experience, according to Hafer. He suggested reading a psalm or praying before going for a run, saying the exercise and prayer will complement each other. Because life and well-being are God’s gift, “exercise really is an expression of gratitude,” he said. - CNS
Changes in Vatican Radio and VIS Vatican Radio will end its short and medium-wave broadcasts to Europe and North and South America on 1 July, and a month later the Vatican press office will close the Vatican Information Service, a multilingual daily summary of papal speeches and appointments. Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican press office and of Vatican Radio, announced the changes on 12 June, saying they were responses to developments in technology and would save the Vatican “hundreds of thousands” of dollars just in electricity bills each year. But the radio station is not reducing the number of programs or the 40 languages in which the programs are produced. The decision to stop the short and medium-wave broadcasts reflect the fact that Europe, North and South America are well covered by local radio stations that re-broadcast Vatican Radio programs and a large portion of their populations have access to radio programs via the internet. Short- and medium-wave broadcasts to Africa, parts of the Middle East and Asia will continue, he said.The Vatican Information Service, which provides summaries of Vatican news in daily English, French or Spanish emails to 60,000 subscribers, will be replaced by a multilingual summary of the Vatican press office’s daily news bulletin, he said. VIS will end operations on 31 July and the new multilingual bulletin will debut in September, Fr Lombardi said. - CNS
Rising stars in astronomy attend space summer school It looked like a mini-United Nations, but the attendees were wearing shorts and T-shirts and, over coffee, they talked about the birth of star clusters rather than a ban on cluster bombs. Also, the location wasn’t Manhattan or Geneva, but a refurbished monastery immersed in the papal gardens behind the Pope’s summer villa south of Rome. The 25 young men and women from 23 different countries were future astronomers and astrophysicists brought together by the Vatican Observatory to spend the month of June discussing “The Formation and Evolution of Stellar Clusters” - groups of stars populating the galaxies. Every other year, the Jesuitrun observatory holds a month-long summer school dedicated to a different area of research in the astronomical sciences, examining everything from comets and meteorites to the nuclei of galaxies.The students this year were chosen from 150 applicants from all over the world. The Vatican organizers make sure each group is as culturally and geographically diverse as possible, with an emphasis on accepting young people from developing nations, who receive scholarships covering 75 percent of traveling and living costs. - CNS
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Jesuits - World Special
U.S. Jesuits start
JUHAN for students arthquakes, oppression, floods and famine are just some of the targets of an initiative to educate undergraduates at Jesuit-run universities in the U.S. about the humanitarian crises such disasters cause. The initiative is the Jesuit Universities Humanitarian Action Network, or JUHAN, formed as a result of discussions among Jesuits about students’ enthusiasm for humanitarian efforts but also the recognition that such enthusiasm needed direction. They wanted to create a curriculum to prepare undergraduates for either a career in humanitarian work or “to fulfill everyday civic responsibilities.” “We felt that young people’s passion for helping people wasn’t being well-channeled. ,” said Jesuit Fr Rick Ryscavage. Fr Ryscavage is director of Fairfield University’s Center for Faith and Public Life, where JUHAN held its third biennial conference on June 12-15, bringing together faculty, staff, students and humanitarian workers from Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children and other agencies. The conference is an attempt to organize humanitarian education in Jesuit schools worldwide through an integrated curriculum; courses offered depend on the individual strengths of the professors who teach them. “There are some broad classes like nonprofit organization studies of nongovernmental organizations,” Fr Ryscavage said. “Then there are others that are much more focused, like a class on sexual violence. It studies more the dynamics of women being targets in war.” The priest believes each discipline has its purpose in humanitarian studies.
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“Engineering is critical to humanitarian work, but not many engineers consider that type of career. Engineers are crucial when responding to earthquakes,” he explained. “Humanitarian work also has a need for students interested in business, because whenever there is a big emergency, there is money involved,” said Fr Ryscavage. “The humanities department also has its place in the initiative’s curriculum. “Sometimes fiction is the best way to teach students. Statistics doesn’t penetrate students’ hearts the same way reading the memoir of a crisis survivor can.” A student from Fairfield University attending the conference, Sara Hoegen, talked about a course she took on Etruscan and Roman art and archaeology. “It dealt with issues of human slavery and human trafficking. It was interesting to see how these problems began,” said Hoegen. She became involved in JUHAN initiative after the Haiti earthquake directly affected family and friends. Courses take an interdisciplinary approach to humanitarian work, according to Fr Ryscavage. “We combined those classes with field trips to get out and see the devastation of tornadoes in Joplin (Mo.), earthquakes in Nicaragua, or the hurricane in New Orleans.” The initiative recently received a $300,000 grant from the Teagle Foundation. “Now our task is really to make the whole model more global,” Fr Ryscavage said.The theme of the conference this year at Fairfield was ‘Global Perspectives on Humanitarian Action.” One goal of the conference was for student participants to develop a strategy for a humanitarian curriculum to take back to their campuses.
JUHAN is an initiative to educate undergraduates at Jesuit-run universities in the U.S. about the humanitarian crises natural disasters cause.
Fairfield University, Fordham University and Georgetown University have already adopted the network’s model. JUHAN was created with hopes that it would encourage students to pursue humanitarian work beyond college. ’Men and women for others’ is a key Jesuit value. “It is social justice through education,” said a student. - CNS
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Obituaries Jacob Pulikodan, SJ (KER) 1920 - 2012
Mariadas Thomas, SJ (mdu) 1922 - 2012
Fr Jacob Pulikodan was laid to rest at Christ Hall, Kozhikode on 14 June ‘12 in the presence of a large gathering of mostly priests and nuns, his close relatives and three Bishops. Hailing from Chittattukara village in Trichur, Fr Pulikodan was fourth among seven children of Porinjunni and Mariakutty. Like a little child, he was both innocent and obstinate. In his appearance or style, in the manner of his speech or behaviour, in his views or expressions, Fr Pulikodan dared to remain different. He lived at St Xavier’s, Thumba, for about a decade. The St Xavier’s family can never forget the joy and humour we had in the charming company of this ‘Valliachen’. He could laugh with others. He could also laugh at himself and thus make others laugh. Fr Pulikodan taught at St Joseph’s, Kozhikode, AKJM, Kanjirapally and Holy Trinity, Kollam. As a pastor he served several parishes in the dioceses of Calicut and Kannur. He also served as superior of Pius X ITC, Edathua. As co-ordinator of the Apostleship of Prayer, he was instrumental in forming several small communities of young men and women praying for the Church and world peace. As a Jesuit he saw a thousand full moons; As a priest he was blessed to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. Like his master, Ignatius of Loyola, this noble disciple from Trichur too believed that life was a journey. Two days before he breathed his last, Fr Pulikodan, surprisingly, lisped to his visitors, “I am leaving…I am leaving for good.” - Dasappan Vattathil, SJ
Fr Mariadas Thomas passed away at about 6.30 p.m. on 15 June ‘12 at St. Joseph’s Hospital, Dindigul. He was 89. He hailed from a traditional Catholic family in Malaiadipatty of Tiruchi diocese. He joined the Jesuits at the age of 20. After his ordination, he was the assistant pastor at St. Mary’s, Madurai. He taught for two years at St. Xavier’s High School, Tuticorin and then became the warden of St. Mary’s Hostel, Dindigul. From there he went to Carmel High School, Nagercoil as its Superior and Headmaster. For two years he was the Socius to the Novice Master at Beschi Illam, Dindigul. For three years he was the Headmaster of St Mary’s, Madurai and later St Mary’s School, Dindigul. He was sent to Andhra to serve as the Headmaster in Vinukonda High School. For 11 years he was the Chaplain to the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary in Pondicherry. From there he came to Beschi Illam where he spent his last years. The funeral was held on 16 June. Fr Provincial presided over the Eucharist. The younger sister of Fr Mariadas, a Sister of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception, was present. In his funeral homily, Fr Stephen Gaspar, Vicar Forane and pastor of Kosavapatty, preached the homily. After the Eucharist the body was blessed by Fr Maria Ignaci and the prayers at the cemetery were said by Fr Stephen Gaspar. May the soul of Fr. Mariadas - Xavier Mampra, SJ rest in peace!
Marcel Ekka, SJ (MAP) 1950 - 2012
Roche Arockiadoss, SJ (MDU) 1929 - 2012
The life of Fr Marcel Ekka, SJ, is a story of a rich and promising life, cut short tragically and violently. He was born on 20 Sept 1950 in the village Badupara, near Musgutri parish, which has given more than 15 priests and 20 or more nuns to serve the Church. He studied at Jesuit Loyola School at Kunkuri, and St Xavier’s, Ranchi, and joined the Society of Jesus on 20 Nov 1970 at St Stanislaus College, Sitagarha. His Jesuit training took him to Juniorate at Digha Ghat, Patna, study of philosophy at Sacred Heart, Shembaganur, theological studies and licentiate in Missiology at Gregorian University, Rome, and Tertianship at Lonavla under Tony Coelho and Joe Aizpun. He was ordained a priest on 29 Dec 1984 and pronounced solemn final vows on 8 Dec 1994. A historian with a degree in Missiology (1985-86), he wrote several articles and research papers. After retirement he had planned to write the history of the Province. He had a good knowledge about the Society of Jesus and, through his life and works, manifested a deep sense of belonging to it. He was given various responsibilities such as that of PCF, Socius, and Superior and Rector of Jesuit communities. In 2008 he was appointed the principal of Loyola College, Kunkuri where he worked till his tragic death in a road accident on 26 May ‘12. Three bishops, about100 priests, and more than 200 Sisters attended the funeral. - Alphonse Tirkey, SJ
The Jesuits at St Joseph’s, Trichy, who had the privilege of witnessing year after year the majestic march of Fr Roche at the head of the Camboulives College Band, are yet to come to grips with his unexpected death. On 4 June morning we heard that Fr Roche had gone to Chennai for a minor operation. On 15 June we heard the shocking news that Fr Roche had passed away. His body was taken to St. Joseph’s, Trichy in an ambulance. A regular stream of visitors came to pay homage to his mortal remains. Fr Roche lived his life fully on his own terms without getting too much affected by what others had to say about him. Never did he speak ill of anyone. He was always available for any work, however small it was. He was always ready to hear confessions. He utilized his sublime musical talent to build a skilled band of musicians who added solemnity to every function in the campus and to get them jobs in the army, navy, air force, public undertakings etc. He was a guide and counseller to many. He was a great teacher of Catholic doctrine till the end of his life. The funeral Mass on 16 June was presided over by Fr Sebasti L. Raj, the Provincial, along with a large number of Jesuits and other priests. The final obsequies were led by Fr John Britto, the Rector and the mortal remains of Fr Roche were laid to rest in the crypt of St Joseph’s church. May his soul rest in peace! - A. Antony Pappuraj, SJ
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Letters St Tony de Mello?!
Here is a piece of information that will interest your readers. A Jesuit friend of mine gifted me recently a book: Encyclopedia of Indian Saints and Sages, written by NK Prasad and published by the Times of India. (New Delhi: Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd., 2012) It has a section on saints of other religions. The Christian saints has many non-Indians, including Robert de Nobili, John de Britto and Beschi. The real Indians include Conzalo, Mother Teresa and St Alphonsa. Then in a list of briefer mentions along with Ignatius Loyola and Francis Xavier, you have St Anthony de Mello! “He stated that true prayer and meditation are one and same experience” (p.242). Vox populi? Certainly something to cheer about! - M. Amaladoss, SJ Chennai - 600 034
Necessary for both
What you wrote on your transfer in your editorial column in the May-June ‘12 issue was timely. “He who turned water into wine may turn tea into tonic and give us things we never dreamed of.” Your words will hearten all the obedient religious. Continuous activity of the Spirit in us and the diversity of charisms will surely mean different opinions and dissent. Superiors should know that suppressing this is tantamount to extinguishing the Spirit. Dialogue and discernment are necessary for both - superiors and subjects. But obedience is the hallmark of those who are shaped by Spiritual Exercises. - Felix Joseph, SJ Madurai - 625 001
Tony’s legacy
The cover feature (Jivan, July, ‘12) by Joe Pulickal, SJ revealed how much his disciples have learnt from Fr Tony. Having heard a lot about him and read a few of his works, I feel that Fr Tony enabled people to journey into their inner self in order to journey in the world as effective instruments of God. As his fellow Jesuits,we need to offer his legacy to all people. As Teilhard de Chardin said, “We are not human beings on a spiritual journey; we are spiritual beings on a human journey.” - G.S. Thayriam, SJ Pune - 411 014
To do any work
The cover feature of Jivan in the July ‘12 issue has clearly portrayed the contribution of Fr Tony de Mello. It has helped us understand the person of Fr Tony. As we are ‘friends in the Lord’ and we call ourselves “companions of Jesus”, we, the Jesuits of South Asian Assistancy, should get inspired by the great men who have gone ahead of us. Fr Tony has shown me the way to become intellectually capable to do any work for the greater Glory of God. Therefore, I thank the former pupils of Fr Tony de Mello who have contributed a lot to the Society and the church. - Anto Irudayam, SJ Bangalore - 560 025
JIVAN AWARDS for creative writing – 2012 We are happy to announce the Jivan Creative Writing Contest for this year. The cash prizes to the winners come from a generous grant offered in 1997 by the family of Fio Mascarenhas, SJ and his brother, Frazer Mascarenhas, SJ in memory of their beloved parents – Francis and Flora Mascarenhas. As in the past few years, this year too the contest is just for short stories. The contest is open to all - Jesuits and non-Jesuits, men and women, young and not-so-young. The short-story should be original, unpubished anywhere else, in English, within 2000 words – set in today’s Asia, highlighting people, events and trends that offer us hope for the future. There are three prizes:
The first prize: Rs 5,000 The second prize: Rs 2,000 The third prize: Rs 1,000 1. Send neatly typed, original (unpublished) entries, with a forwarding letter with your full name and address and a brief description of your background to: Jivan Awards/ IDCR / Loyola College / P.B. 3301 / Chennai – 600 034 / India. 2. The entries should reach us before 30 Sept ‘12. The results will be announced in the Jan ’13 issue of Jivan. 3. Jivan is not responsible for any loss or damage in transit. So to ensure safety, apart from keeping a copy, you can send the entry by e-mail to jivaneditor@gmail. com after you send it by registered post or speed post or courier or ordinary mail. Entries will be acknowledged on receipt by e-mail or mail. 4. Entries cannot be returned and all entries become the property of Jivan. 5. A person can send only one short story. 6. The decision of a two-member Jury will be final. - Editor
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By Benedict V. Santosh, SJ
Lessons
10 Lessons for Life I’ve learned from Taiwan Be friendly My first Taiwanese friend was my co-passenger on my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Taipei. She took the initiative to start a conversation. Taiwanese, by nature, are very friendly and hospitable. They go out of the way to make foreigners comfortable. Be sensitive Taiwanese people are extremely sensitive to the needs of others. The way they queue up at the metro stations or the way they use the escalator at the malls and other public places witness to their highly evolved sensitivity and sensibility. They limit physical contact to the minimum possible level. Any deliberate physical touch means a lot to them - much more than any word could communicate. Don’t be greedy People here earn as much as they can and spend as much as they can. Stealing or corruption is very minimal. Even while eating, they consume only as much as they need. They don’t overeat. This may be the reason why it is hard to see an obese Chinese. Try to make others happy In the Far East they emphasize ‘Harmony’. They always put the other first. Hence they try to make others happy. At least they try their best not to make others sad. Consequently the way they express anger, sadness and even joy is very subtle. Therefore a person from Tamil Nadu like me has to learn to listen with all my senses to decipher their emotions. Respect elders and authority The Chinese people always respect elders and authority. Without a second thought they obey elders and authority figures, because they believe that their ancestral wisdom holds the key to success. Even today when their costumes and material comforts have changed, they still honour the traditional values and the teachings of Confucius and his disciples. Work hard Wherever in the world they may be, the Chinese people work really hard. Thiis is why they are very competitive. They fix a goal for themselves and keep marching towards it, irrespective of personal costs. They earn the respect of the society through their hard work and perseverance. And they owe their success to perseverance and industriousness.
V. Benedict Santosh SJ (MDU) is currently doing his third year of regency in Taiwan that belongs to the Chinese Province. He has been missioned to work with the young people of the region.
Take care of your health I guess one reason why the Chinese are generally healthy is they learn to respect themselves. This means they respect their bodies, which is their most important possession. They eat moderately. In contrast to us, Indians, they have their supper rather early - at around 6 p.m. and a couple of hours later they jog in parks, university campuses and woods conserved by the government! I see quite frequently people even at the age of 70 and 80 cycling or even trekking mountains. Respect Nature I was amazed and quite impressed by the way sourceseparation of waste and recycling products is done here in Taiwan: It is next to perfect. They are meticulous in separating the biodegradable waste, recyclable waste, brittle wastes and the plastics. Consequently the garbage dumps are easier to manage. National parks, other community parks and the natural habitats in hills, mountains and riverside are protected by what they call ‘Leave No Trail’ policy. The Taiwanese do not litter in these zones. They respect nature. Plan This is one of the Chinese traits which have made an indelible mark in me. When they plan an event they do extensive paper work and plan every detail. When they get into a relationship, they are very cautious to begin with; they try to observe the person from a distance and slowly inch closer. They are very aware and careful in building a relationship. This is quite evident especially among the middle-aged people. This may be the reason why their relationships usually progress and not the other way round. Love The ultimate lesson that I have learnt here is the way they love and are loved. Their love and the way they express their love and concern are subtle and delicate - as they express other emotions. Everything is marked by mildness and gentleness. The way the parents express their love to children and teachers to their students all follow a pattern – to enable them to be successful in life. Success, of course, means a longer life, higher social status and earning more money. Parents, teachers and all elders express their love by making sure that their children do whatever is needed to be healthy, wealthy and happy. Sometimes this is interpreted as conditional love. So if we can bear witness to Jesus’ unconditional love, we can win the whole world for Him.
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