The meeting, from 23 to 28 January, brought together 12 Provincials from 13 provinces or regions of Asia Pacific, and as usual reviewed both the ‘frontier’ mission challenges as well as some normal business.Three newly appointed provincials, Frs Yoshio Kajiyama (JPN), Colin Tan Chin Hock (MAS) and Liem Thanh Pham (VIE), were welcomed in the assembly, and Fr Sumita Shogo (JPN) was farewelled. Fr Mark Raper took up responsibility as major superior of the Myanmar Mission on 24 January.
Father General Adolfo Nicolás travelled to Asia for the half yearly assembly of Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) in Singapore in the last week of January. The Parish of St Ignatius in Singapore generously welcomed the visitors as the whole island city-state prepared for Lunar New Year festivities.
Fr Nicolás was himself previously a President of the Conference, which oversees and coordinates cooperative activities of Jesuitsand collaborators in Asia Pacific, including Australia. On his election as Superior General in 2008, Fr Nicolás appointed Fr Mark Raper, then Australian Provincial, to replace him.
The meeting, from 23 to 28 January, brought together 12 Provincials from 13 provinces or regions of Asia Pacific, and as usual reviewed both the ‘frontier’ mission challenges as well as some normal business.Three newly appointed provincials, Frs Yoshio Kajiyama (JPN), Colin Tan Chin Hock (MAS) and Liem Thanh Pham (VIE), were welcomed in the assembly, and Fr Sumita Shogo (JPN) was farewelled. Fr Mark Raper took up responsibility as major superior of the Myanmar Mission on 24 January.
Fr Nicolás reflected with the provincials on the frontiers faced by the Society in many parts of the world, on the how the Gospel orients us, and Ignatian principles guide us, in undertaking the discernment and planning required. Each province now has developed clear protocols for behaviour in the area of professional standards, so reports this were on the agenda too.
Fr Nicolás spoke of the significantly increased role of Conferences in Society governance, of how smaller numbers and changing communications bring provinces to share resources more closely, even in day-to-day life and apostolates. Across the Society of Jesus, for example in Spain and in the USA and more recently in the Caribbean, the cooperation among regions and provinces is leading to a reconfiguration of how responsibilitiesare distributed among them. The provincials reviewed with Fr General governance challenges in our own Conference, notably in our younger regions, such as Myanmar and East Timor, where rapid growth engenders optimism but also calls for leadership. Significant changes in older provinces indicate that a thorough re-visioning of our own Conference entities may be called for. Fr General indicated that he will write a letter on this topic soon, since the commission on the formation of provincesrequested by GC35 has presented its first report.
The formation of Jesuits for our mission,which is at once universal and inculturated, was discussed in depth with Fr General, using a draft document called The Profile of a Formed Jesuit in Asia Pacific. Envisaged as a workbook, the Profile will help Jesuits who are preparing for ministry as priests or brothers become aware of the many expectations on them and of the steps to take in that preparation. It was noted that the principal responsibility formation lies with the one who is studying, so the workbook will be used by those in formation to track their own progress, as well as those who guide them.
The assembly included staffing and plans for Arrupe International Residence in Manila and increased collaboration within the Conference for Jesuit formation, including formation for leadership and in Ignatian spirituality. The provincials reviewed development of the international theology programme at Loyola School of Theology (LST) in Manila. There are high expectations that LST will attend more explicitly to the Asia Pacific context of our ministry. The report of the recent scholastics and brothers colloquium on Islam was welcomed and a plan for the next one in two years on ‘reconciliation with creation’ was approved.
The provincials approved the budget for the Conference and set up a new fund for supporting apostolic works. The budget supports apostolic life of the member provinces, such as Social Ministries, Communications, Education, Relations with Islam and with Buddhism among others. Updates to the ‘mapping’ of social initiatives were welcomed, a report of which is now on the JCAP website jcapsj.org. Work done to prepare our engagements regarding migration and Reconciliation with Creation was commended.
There were also presentations on Jesuit works in Myanmar, Timor Leste, Thailand, Micronesia, Cambodia and China, including an update on the transition of Colégio de São José. The Society has been administering Colégio de São Joséon behalf of the Diocese of Dili for some 15 years, and will hand it back to the Diocese at the end of 2011. The Region is preparing to open a new education project to commence in a small way in 2013.The urgent needs of the Pakistan mission were given consideration, given that the Sri Lanka Province and South Asia Conference are hard pressed to support this important engagement.
On the same trip, Fr Nicolás visited Bangkok in Thailand to meet with Jesuits and other collaborators of that country, including some who came from Myanmar to converse with him. He also visited Phnom Penh in Cambodia, and spent time with the Jesuits of Malaysia and Singapore.
The next meetings of the JCAP assembly of provincials are scheduled for Chiang Mai, Thailand in July 2011, and Sydney, Australia in January 2012