By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy

Panaji, June 4, 2025: Jesuit Father Joseph Cardozo has been chosen to assist the Office of Discernment and Apostolic Planning for a Synodal Church.

“It is in response to the call of the late Pope Francis, who after the completion of the Synod in Rome, had requested the Society of Jesus to help the Catholic Church in actualizing Synodality,” Father Cardozo told Matters India.

The member of the Goa province will reside at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome.

Jesuit superior general Father Arturo Sosa identified the area of discernment in common as a key contribution that the Society of Jesus can make to the synodal process.

Discernment in common is a process where a group of people work together to identify the best course of action in a given situation. It’s often used in a religious context, where it’s seen as a way to discover God’s will for the group, explained Father Cardozo, who currently holds the post of vice provincial and the superior of the Jesuit community at Miramar, near Panaji.

“In the ensuing search for Jesuits in the Society, I have been accepted to have a fellowship at the Jesuit office of Discernment and Apostolic Planning in Rome, Italy. I will assist Father John Dardis, the general councilor for Discernment Apostolic Planning (DPA)in a variety of ways,” Father Cardozo explained.

Father Cardozo is expected to take part in meetings that plan the renewal of provinces/regions, analyze province/region plans and offer feedback.

He will also help in the facilitation of some workshops given by the DPA counsellor, form part of a team involving the DPA counsellor, the assistant for Special Projects and an intern from the Università Sacro Cuore Milan.

Father Cardozo also will help with the meeting of superiors general in October 2025, help to expand the Magis Digital platform to all of South Asia provinces, help with developing and applying UAP key indicators of progress, take part and assist in the international conference in Salamanca, Spain.

The November 23-December 3 conference titled, ‘Deepening Discernment in Common Promoting Synodal Transformation,’ will gather 80 experts at Salamanca in Spain.

“The meeting will be a launching pad for a whole new era. We will be moving to develop, in a systematic way, what the Society of Jesus offers in Discernment in Common,” the Goan Jesuit said.