What does it mean to serve the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised? For starters, it means more than providing them with services. It also means more than giving handouts – monetary or in kind. It means more than helping to give the poor a voice.
For an answer, the social ministries across the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific drew inspiration from history, from a small group of Jesuits dedicated to promoting social apostolate activities in this region from the 1960s to the 1990s – the Committee for the Development of Socio-Economic Life in Asia (SELA for short).
Their reflection resulted in a reimagined commitment for the Society of Jesus in Asia Pacific – “to be with, to think with, to act with, to pray with” the poor, the vulnerable and the marginalised.
“We see that our collective role as the social sector in the Society of Jesus needs to be sharpened in these four dimensions. The service of faith and the promotion of justice demands that we remember in all our works ‘to be with, to think with, to act with, to pray with’ the poor and marginalised,” said Fr Benny Juliawan SJ, JCAP Co-ordinator for the Social Apostolate.
In the statement which emerged from the Social Apostolate meeting in August 2015, Jesuits and collaborators urged that greater effort be made in its provinces and regions the following areas:
To be with: Being with the poor is an indispensable part of the life and mission of the Society of Jesus, the basis of our authority and a life-line of hope for all in need. Our provincial planning and formation need to be guided by a criterion of meaningful presence with the marginalised in at least three aspects:
- Having a committed and relevant social apostolate working closely alongside the poor and vulnerable,
- Providing opportunities for those in formation to be immersed in these communities,
- Living common lifestyle that witnesses to solidarity with the poor.
To think with: Our social ministries need to deepen in social analysis and discover new paradigms and approaches in responding to the challenges of today. Central to this attempt is the unique perspective and voice of the poor themselves. At the same time, the social sector needs to step up its role in forming others, bringing greater awareness about the poor, the issues of social and ecological justice, and the signs of the times. It needs to play a more prophetic role in provincial deliberations, keeping the justice dimension alive, and animating other sectors so that their work is fruitfully contextualised in present social realities.
To act with: Increasingly, our desire to be transformative in the world calls for us to collaborate with others in civil society, other faiths, and in international coalitions. In such collaborative efforts, we must encourage the poor themselves to be agents of change. Within the Society, the nature of today’s problems also requires the social, pastoral, intellectual, educational and other sectors to act together. Across provinces, the social apostolates need to improve networking and sharing of resources, as well as identify common priorities and take concerted actions in advocacy.
To pray with: Finally we acknowledge God’s initiative in responding to the cry of the poor and of creation. As God’s co-operators, our work is a process, open to failure, but anchored in hope, prayer, and individual and communal discernment. It is this path which enables the transfiguration of all our experiences and the suffering of the poor.
Related story: The Asia Pacific face of the promotion of justice
