By Fr. Irudaya Jothi, SJ

Pune: More than 100 Jesuit activists of South Asia are currently meeting in Pune, western India, to seek collaborators and networks to foster harmony and peace in the region.

The October 12-15 triennial meeting would plan a way to respond proactively and creatively to emerging challenges in South Asia in the backdrop of congregation’s 36 General Congregation (GC36) held a year ago in Rome.

The general congregation is the highest decision-making body of the Society of Jesus.

Father Arturo Sosa, who was elected superior general of the largest Catholic religious congregation for men during the last congregation, addressed the delegates in Pune through a pre-recorded video sent through his secretary of Social Justice and Ecology Father Xavier Jeyaraj.

Father Sosa reminded the South Asian Jesuits that reconciliation is the heart of the order’s mission today.

He says the GC36, held October 2-November 12 last year, sees humans living amid crisis that affects simultaneously social relations, economy and the environment. This leads to the creation of unjust structures and abuses on human beings and goods.

The ministry of reconciliation, Father Sosa says, begins with “understanding the world we live in and we feel as our home. That is why we understand our mission as intellectual apostolate.”

Discernment, collaboration and networking offer three important perspectives on our contemporary way of proceeding, the superior general added.

“We realize that collaboration with others is the only way the Society of Jesus can fulfill its mission.”

He underlined the importance of a good, deep and permanent social analysis for Asia that can guide social apostolate and all works of the congregation as well as the Church.

Social analysis, he suggested, should contribute to the transformation of society in justice and democracy.

Father Jeyaraj, in his keynote address, reminded the delegates that they lived at “a very critical period” not just in South Asia, but all over the world.

The Jesuit social scientist listed fundamentalism, structured violence, social disruption, criminalized politics and politicians, globalized poverty, corporatized media and unscrupulous environmental exploitation at the cost of indigenous as major challenges in the world today

He regretted the trend to reduce humans, particularly Dalits and tribals in India, as mere price index of the market economy and turning earth into a disposable product. This can only gratify mega companies that encourage extreme consumerism and profiteering as the mantra for growth and development, the social scientist bemoaned.

“Every day, we hear a new make-believe slogan. Creative young minds are employed to coin such slogans in order to keep the aam aadmi [common man] silenced rather sedated. Creating fear through violence seems to be the means employed to silence the cry for justice and truth,” Father Jayaraj said.

He noted the recent phenomenal growth of right-wing fanaticism in Europe and United States, besides Asia. Over the past years, far right political parties have made major gains in divisive elections throughout the West, he added.

Capitalism and fundamentalism are the two sides of the same coin. The nexus between the corporates and the state, together with the corporatized media and also the judiciary has become stronger in the last two decades all over the world. This needs to be addressed together. We cannot look at the issue of fundamentalism all by itself.

Father Jeyaraj urged his conferrers to recognize protests against injustice undertaken by innumerable groups.

“Anger is being raised from every corner of the world, but probably blacked out, or even disparaged by the mainstream media. It only shows their fear of survival. The more they control, the more they are frightened,” he added.

The priest, who has witnessed people’s struggle for nearly 27 years, says the Jesuits’ involvement with grassroots groups “is extremely great. We remain deeply connected with the struggles of the people,

He says this has led to the silencing of civil society members, including some Jesuits. “We must construct another agenda, an agenda of the people, another agenda of justice, peace and harmony through collaboration and networking,” he added.

George Pattery the Provincial of South Asia, who also addressed the opening day’s program, noted a tussle between globalization of consumerism and individualism of identity.

The world now witnesses migration from poor to rich countries along with the marriage of fundamentalism with corporate houses.

Mahatma Gandhi, who led India’s freedom struggle, had fought colonialism, Western model of development and fundamentalism. However, he could manage to get only the freedom, the rest continue to dominate society.

The 66-year-old Jesuit leader invited the delegates to help percolate their social action into all works of the congregation. He also wants Jesuits to respond to the modern challenges through non-violent models.

“Hence, we need to find ways to network among ourselves and likeminded people and civil society members and collaborate generously for harmony,” he added.

The first day also heard zonal level presentation of activities by their coordinators.