Dear friends,
At last week’s assembly of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific the major superiors reflected on Laudato si’ and issued a declaration that seeks to animate a lively response in Asia Pacific. We urge all Jesuits in our Conference, our colleagues, and all those we seek to serve, to make a thoughtful and generous response to Pope Francis’ plea to reconcile with creation, which is one of our apostolic priorities.
Laudato si’ calls for a personal conversion for each of us, and reminds us that “little daily actions” can transform the world. It is our hope that each Jesuit community and institution will embark soon on a process of discernment toward making concrete changes in our lifestyle.
Migrants and refugees, another of our Conference’s apostolic priorities, featured strongly in our agenda. We keep top of mind those who are most vulnerable and most susceptible to exploitation. Close to one third of the world’s migrants are in Asia; China and the Philippines are among the world’s top 10 suppliers of migrants, and Vietnam and Indonesia in the top 25. More than 40 percent of the world’s domestic workers are in Asia.
Jesuit Refugee Service serves more than 60,000 refugees and asylum seekers in Australia, Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, the Philippines and Thailand, addressing concerns such as the urban refugee situation as a result of policies of closed borders, the continuing persecution of minorities such as the Rohingya and Montagnards, and the repatriation and education of Myanmar refugees in Thai – Myanmar border and in Kachin and Kayah States.
Our assembly was held at the JRS Reflection Centre in Siem Reap, a peaceful yet lively setting that allowed us to experience first hand what it means to accompany, serve and defend the rights of the most vulnerable and those at the peripheries. Several of the staff have physical disabilities as a result of landmines, and we learnt much from them.
The Cambodia mission is dynamic, with plans to do even more in the years to come, as we learnt from the presentation by Fr OH In Don, delegate of the Korean Provincial to the Jesuit Cambodia Mission. Msgr Kike Figaredo SJ joined the assembly to report on the Battambang Prefecture for which he has been responsible for 15 years. This territory, covering more than a third of the country, was entrusted to the care of a Jesuit with the agreement of Fr Peter-Hans Kolvenbach SJ after seeking the supportive commitment of the Jesuit Conference.
Other items on the agenda were Jesuit formation, solidarity in sharing our resources, our five-year apostolic plan, how to manage change, and a Leadership Development Programme now ready to commence this December, and deepening understanding of Islam and Buddhism. Our new JCAP Youth Ministry team won enthusiastic support for their plans for a Magis programme at the Conference level. We reviewed the plans of Jescom Philippines in preparing a feature film on the life of Ignatius
We are preparing for General Congregation 36 which will elect a new Fr General, the 31st in almost 500 years. Our most recent Congregation opened with the words: “the Society of Jesus has carried a flame for nearly five hundred years through innumerable social and cultural circumstances that have challenged it intensely to keep that flame alive and burning.” (GC 35 D2,1). In a few days we will celebrate the feast of St Ignatius. Let us strive to keep alive the flame that he helped to light in our world.
Happy Feast and Blessings in the Lord,
Mark Raper SJ
President, Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
July 24, 2015