Bengaluru: The Society of Jesus, or the Jesuits, the largest Catholic religious congregation for men, will hold its General Congregation, from October 2. This is the 36th meeting of the highest legislative body of the 476-year-old congregation, the largest male order in the Catholic Church.
Its main purpose is to elect a new superior general to replace Fr. Adolfo Nicholas, who has led the congregation since January 2008. The Jesuits are meeting when the Church is headed by the first Pope from their order. The congregation has had an uneasy relation with the Vatican for the past several decades.
Fr Ambrose Pinto, a leading Jesuit social scientist, spoke to Matters India about the current status of his congregation and his expectations from the upcoming meet.
What is the relevance of the Society of Jesus in this modern world?
The question of relevance is an important one especially when it comes to the Society of Jesus. There were questions raised when the Society of Jesus was founded and its existence was widely debated and discussed for many reasons then. The general impression then was that the Society of Jesus is out of the way group and would create problems for the church. In fact the theological faculty of the University of Paris one of the most respected when the Society of Jesus was founded had said, “This Society appears to be a danger to the Faith, a disturber of the peace of the Church, destructive of monastic life, and destined to cause havoc rather than edification.”
Right from its foundation questions were raised about the Society of Jesus and its way of life. The members of the Order did not wear a distinctive habit, did not recite or chant the office or breviary like other Orders and moved away from monastic life to live in open houses under obedience to the Superior General in Rome. Much of the criticism had to do with the distinctive way of life and the way of proceeding. The Society was different. As the Society progressed in its distinctiveness with the Jesuits moving beyond the religious to the educational, cultural and civic there have been problems for a section to comprehend the nature of the Society.
As a result the Society of Jesus has passed through many ups and downs. While the Order has been praised by some it has been constantly under attack both within and outside the Church. At its foundation its strong critics were the Protestants and a section of the monastic orders. When the Society was suppressed the Jesuits were suspected of subversion and implicated in numerous political intrigues. In recent years the order has attracted the anger of the ultra-traditionalists and conservative Catholics for being liberal and scientific than religious.
In the seventies the Society was under attack for its Liberation Theology. The Head of the Society is known as Black Pope portrayed by a section as the real power behind the papacy. Most of these perceptions are surely not right. But an organization that is in the forefront of faith and justice in contrast to the practice of religion and charity is bound to face challenges.
The relevance of the Society consists in this dynamism and controversies. When the whole mission of the Society is to further the mission of Jesus without any specific commitment to any special ministry but to be involved in anything that furthers the glory of God by reading the signs of the times there are bound to be problems. As long as an Order is able to raise new questions and new issues, reflect on the issues of our times creatively and critically, being a part of storms at times and opposition at other times, that Order cannot be irrelevant. The strength of the Society of Jesus wherever its location has been in its constant search for questions to respond to emerging concerns and realities. That freshness is what makes the Society relevant.
The Jesuit Order still remains relevant precisely because the Order has been able to make the kind of interventions that are needed for our times. We have never been static. A body of discerning men ever searching and going after what is more or what more can we do is relevant in the current world. Take some of the examples. As an international body of men we are still sent to areas and missions that need immediate care. Though we join a Province we embrace the universal mission of the Society.
The Holy Father as well as the General can mission any Jesuit at any time to any part of the world. And the beauty of it all is that every Jesuit would happily and joyfully express his availability. Here are some great examples. The American and Canadian Jesuits work with African Jesuits in the HIV/Aids ministry. The Jesuits of USA are planning to start a University in Africa. Jesuits of South Asia work with Jesuits Refugee Service with their volunteers in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal and Middle East. In fact, Fr. Prem was in the custody of the Talibans for more than eight months in Afghanistan.
The Assistancy helps out Chinese Jesuits in education. There are Jesuits in Europe in spite of depleting numbers coordinating advocacy work to create social and economic structures that are more just and equitable. In Central and South America Jesuits have worked closely to bring about peace working closely with issues of migration and development. There have been Jesuit public intellectuals in many countries making important statements on issues of the marginalized and discriminated, human rights and democracy.
Within the Church several Jesuits provide the expertise leaders need to make policies and decisions. In the several ecclesiastical institutions we teach, we have been able to prepare leaders for the Church. Our educational institutions across countries have ignited the spirit of faith and justice in several of our Alumni. We are an old order but there is freshness. The freedom of thought and expression to debate and discuss makes the Society very different and helps it to explore issues in depth. We are a plural order and differences are a part of life and living and that does not have to divide us. As long as the Society at least a section of the society is able to speak the language of today and to respond to the needs of the present one cannot but speak of its relevance in the present context.
What are your expectations from the GC36 and the new general?
a. The Society of Jesus is at the cross-roads. There is a feel that the Society has become too institutional and has lost its original vigour and vitality. While the mission of the Society is to work for a world of equality, fraternity and justice, there is a perception that the society has been used as an instrument by corporations and international business to suit their needs. Instead of denouncing neo-liberalism more and more institutions have begun courses in Commerce and Business, Business Schools and programs in information technology and have tied with corporations. With stress on counseling, psychology and spirituality, more and more Jesuits have become individualistic unable to respond to the harsh realities of the world around. There is a decreasing involvement in the direct struggles of the people, to work for justice with indigenous communities, impoverished people and discriminated groups. Society of Jesus is no more looked upon as “political” rightly understood committed to faith and justice. I would like the Congregation to offer clear directives to close down institutions that do not serve the mission of the Society and provide an impetus for involvement in grass roots movements. Social movements are important today more than ever. If the Society could encourage leaders for social movements to inspire commitment, mobilize resources, create and recognize opportunities, devise strategies, frame demands, and influence outcomes the Society should be able to make a difference to the world in struggle. Can a section of Jesuits work in social movements inspiring participants, and outside the movement as an “articulator,” linking the movement to the larger society?
b. Society of Jesus was never meant to be monastic. In recent years with more and more community meetings, recollections, retreats, novenas, holy hours and long deliberations there is a perception that the Society is becoming more and more religious and even monastic. Institutions have become more important than mission. As a result the Society has lost its freshness in mission. What really happens to an Order that was expected to look at the world as Jesus looked at it and instead looks inward? We become closed and miss our vision and mission. Will the Congregation move into mission and define community as a tool for mission instead of mission itself? There is a corrective that is needed to the old formulation of the congregation so that the Society of Jesus does not become a part of those monastic orders.
c. The Society was known as a group of intellectuals. The first companions were all men from the Universities and they were able to do what they did due to their specialization. Several Jesuits in the past had advanced education and they functioned as advisors, experts, attorneys, architects, physicians, astronomers, theologians, philosophers, social thinkers, social activist, educational strategists, and other professions. Church expected a lot from them and they offered those services. With priority to administrative jobs has the Society given up its commitment to specialization? One of the important services that the Society offered was the service of thought. I would surely expect the Society to place the intellectual dimension of the mission as a top priority.
d. The other area is the area of leadership. Given the mission of the Society, the Society needs leaders who are not administrators but men who are incarnated in the struggles of our times. In the words of Pope Francis, we need leaders who have “smelt the sheep”. To work against oppressive structures that dehumanize people, to denounce evil and to announce good news to the poor the leaders cannot be those who keep distance from their people but are inserted into reality. Nothing can change without effective leaders who have knowledge of the unjust structures of society and are willing to struggle against forces of injustice with Ignatian discernment. There is a need to look at leadership in Provinces and evolve criteria so that leaders become agents of change. The model for mission of course is Jesus who had contextualized his mission in terms of the politics of his times by fighting against unjust structures & struggling against the evil men in governance. It would mean a radical change in formation with a political and cultural theology where the young are molded in the midst of reality than in isolated houses with a new curriculum.
e. We live in an information age. Information is not knowledge. One of the important aspects of our mission is to “enlighten and entertain”. We are persons of the body and that needs to be expressed in mission. Jesuits in the past were in theatre. They were renowned as playwrights, designers and actors. Theatre is a cultural space where society examines itself in a mirror and has long been looked at as a laboratory in which we can study the problems that confront society and attempt to solve those problems. At a performance people gather and share and the theatre models for a kind of public discourse that lies at the heart of democratic life empathizing with the struggles of our fellow human beings. It’s not surprising that, in repressive societies, theatre has often been aligned with the movement toward openness and freedom. In South Africa theatre played a role in the struggle against apartheid; in Czechoslovakia, a playwright became the leader of a new democracy. Theatre can contribute to education and literacy and the revitalization of neglected neighborhoods. It influences the way we think and feel about our own lives and encourages us to take a hard look at ourselves, our values, and our attitudes. Shouldn’t the Congregation look at theatre as a means to convey the message to counter information that comes unexamined?
My expectations from the Congregation is therefore a radical document that highlights the concerns of the Holy Father and the universal church and election of a prophetic General who would lead the Society by helping the Society to discern the signs of the times.
Has the election of a Jesuit as a Pope helped the Society?
The election of the Jesuit Pope has surely helped the Society. Instead of the Society playing a prophetic role in the world, it is Pope Francis today who is challenging unjust structures of society and calling for a new world with an option for the Poor. What at one juncture was considered the mission of the Society, of faith and justice” has become the mission of the entire church.
The pronouncements of the Pope on globalization, environment, discrimination, option for the poor, church as people of God surely helped the Society to look within itself and examine how the Society has functioned. Pope has radicalized the church and in that radicalization is a call to the Society to make its mission radical by opting for the periphery. In fact, the General Congregation may have to fall back on many things the Holy Father has said to re-invent its mission for today.
What has been the contribution the current superior general to the society? Did his Asian connection help the Society to give proper attention to areas where it has been growing fast?
Every superior general brings his uniqueness to the Society of Jesus. Fr. Adolfo Nicholas will be known as a simple, smiling, endearing Jesuit general. What the general does very much depends on his team. Though allowed to make decisions on his own he normally consults his team. A lot of what the general says depends on the input from the team. Of course, the Vatican plays its part. He has been concerned about migrants. He has been a critique of neo-liberalism and was in praise of Liberation Theology. With the Jesuit Pope he may not have had the kinds of issues he had to address since the Pope was seen as progressive. In fact the Jesuit Pope has helped the Society to come in grip with the larger issues and the Society may not have had issues of the kind of earlier generals to exercise leadership. Leadership surely is tested in trials and conflicts. That way Fr. Adolfo was fortunate to be in the company of a Pope with Jesuit roots.
Please compare the situation of the Society when Nicholas took over with the present condition?
Fr. Adolfo Nicholas took over the Society from Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach. Coming after Fr. Pedro Arrupe, one of the charismatic generals of the Society, he had a difficult task to calm the troubled waters of the Vatican. Arrupe was no doubt a prophet with deep loyalty and faithfulness to the Church and challenged the establishment without even being aware. There was distrust between the Society of Jesus and the Vatican when he had to give up his office due to a stroke.
In his 25 years as general Fr. Kolvenbach carried out his responsibilities with tact, energy and compassion applying his mind to all details by becoming a friend of the Vatican. His was a calming presence in the midst of the many questions the Jesuits faced both within and outside the Church. Fr. Kolvenbach surely would go down in the history of the Society as another great general who carried on the legacy of Pedro Arrupe in his own silent ways.
Fr. Adolfo had carried on that legacy. Society of Jesus surely is edified by the man, what he is and what his concerns are. The Society is not much different now than when the present general took over. The numbers of Jesuits in Europe have seen a decline. The numbers in USA too have not increased. The proportion of men entering the Jesuits has steadily increased in the developing world while the proportion from the developed world has steadily decreased.
The largest numbers of Jesuits are in South Asia and Africa and with that the majority of Jesuits are now in the developing world. That would mean the Society from South Asia and Africa has to shoulder the many traditional and yet important services the Society of Jesus has to render to the Church through its houses in Rome and the mission of the universal church.
Who are the prominent South Asians attending the GC 36?
One must accept the fact that the Society of Jesus is a body. All Jesuits are prominent in their own ways and areas. To compare one against the other is to undermine the collective wisdom of the Society of Jesus. They will all surely listen to the promptings of the spirit at the Congregation as a body and discern the mission for the Society in the years ahead. In the process we will have a collective document that would provide guidelines for the changing times.
Who will represent your province in the GC 36?
The Karnataka Province will be represented by Fr. Stany D’Souza, the provincial. Though a PhD in Kannada he has spent most of his time with formation. Fr. Dion Vaz, the rector of St. Aloysius College, Mangalore, is the second representative. He was the former novice master, worked in the missions of Bijapur and known for his commitment to the poor. The third representative is Fr. Jossie D’ Mello, who has a doctorate in spirituality from Spain, a faculty in Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth in Pune.