Typhoon Vicente reached Hurricane Signal 10 overhead as the half yearly Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) Major Superiors’ assembly continued calmly indoors in Macau’s Colégio Mateus Ricci in the last week of July. From the meeting room window, the bright umbrellas of some of Macau’s annual 30 million visitors could be seen at the Ruins of St Paul, a reminder of the 500-year Jesuit history integral to the identity of the former Portuguese colony that is now a Special Administrative Region of China.
The major topic for reflection and planning was the spiritual process initiated by Fr Adolfo Nicolás with the Provincials at their January assembly, following his letter of November 2011 on “The Renewal of Province Structures in Service of Universal Mission”. A demographic study of the ages and distribution of Jesuits, and a comparative study of financial resources assisted deliberations on changing governance arrangements.
Fr General has reminded the Society that this process is not simply about our changing demographics, nor is it about the new circumstances brought by globalisation. The process is about the mission of Christ.
In this light the governance reflections are anticipated to include and lead to a greater sense of unity among Jesuits in the Conference and across Provinces, the strengthening of the authority of the President and of the Conference in Society governance, and increased cooperation in mission. Outcomes will include more effective deployment of people, which will mean a greater alignment of Jesuits and companions to mission.
This discussion led well into the search for personnel for key international and Conference assignments – tertian instructors, delegates for formation and studies, a secretary for pre-secondary and secondary education, and a coordinator for the growing number of migration services. An administrative assistant to the President also has to be recruited, as Fr Benedict Jung will be recalled to his Province in early 2013.
Fr Joseph Daoust’s report on the Society’s international houses, such as the Gregorian and the Biblicum, was a part of this discussion, as Asia Pacific is under-represented in these works.
Better governance will also mean greater economy in our institutions and use of financial resources.
Clearly the small units such as Thailand, Myanmar, Timor Leste and Malaysia-Singapore look to be helped by cooperative arrangements, such as combining for formation programmes and institutions, and by planning apostolic initiatives across several countries. Already the conversations among the ‘chopsticks’ members (China, Korea and Japan) begin to bear fruit in joint initiatives of solidarity.
Many examples of cooperation are already in place, for example the Myanmar-Thai joint novitiate, the new international Juniorate in Yogyakarta, the International Theology Programme in Manila, and the cooperation in migration apostolate projects. These demonstrate that the Society is not simply international or multinational, but transnational. It is anticipated that increased cross postings of Jesuits and companions will lead to new possibilities that in turn will bring new ferment.
What applies to individuals applies in many ways also to institutions. There is today a demand for greater flexibility and capacity to respond to new challenges. This implies more horizontal governance, giving capacity for faster adaptation.
Over the next months, these questions will be raised at each Conference gathering, for example with the Formators and Treasurers, at the Workshop for Local Superiors, and with the Scholastics and Brothers Circle, seeking advice and input. In January and July next year options for re-structuring must be presented to Fr General so that he can discern and make decisions that will lead to new arrangements being in place by July 2014.
During the four-day meeting held from July 23 to 26, the Major Superiors were also briefed on the contemporary challenges facing the Chinese Province and on the new opportunities and challenges brought by recent dramatic changes in Myanmar. In addition, Fr Danny Huang and Fr Joe Daoust reported on their participation in the Nairobi Procurators’ Congregation, emphasizing how the African context promoted understanding and solidarity for the life of the Society in that vibrant continent.
The Major Superiors also agreed on a protocol for JCAP Provinces to act in response to disasters. This follows Fr General’s appeal on the same topic (The service of the Society of Jesus in times of disaster, 12 March 2012) and provides a step-by-step procedure to be followed by the Province whose people are affected by disaster, and for solidarity actions by JCAP and its member Provinces. Asia Pacific is four times more likely to experience “natural hazards” than Africa, and 25 times more likely than Europe or North America.