In January, I led my first Major Superiors Assembly as president of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific. We devoted a large part of the assembly held in Sydney to what came out of General Congregation (GC) 36.
When we met with Pope Francis during GC 36, we asked him what we should be doing. Instead of giving us marching orders, he invited us to discern God’s will collectively.
Pope Francis visits delegates of General Congregation 36
In response to his invitation, GC 36 asked Father General to review the process of discerning the universal apostolic preferences (UAPs), which was initiated in 1995 by GC 34 and promulgated by then Fr General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach in 2003.
The result was that Africa, China, intellectual apostolate, interprovincial Roman houses and migration became the apostolic preferences of the Society.
Now, we are asked to evaluate the progress of these UAPs and to identify any new ones that may be needed. To do this, we are asked to discern in common. GC 36 mandates that the process “should include the greatest possible participation of the Society and of those involved with us in our mission”. This very important process covering all levels of governance could affect the life and mission of the whole Society of Jesus in years to come.
We launched the discernment process of our Jesuit Conference at the Sydney assembly. We have almost a year to do this across our seven provinces, three regions and two missions; the reports from all six Jesuit Conferences are due to the General Curia in Rome by December 1. The major superiors were enthusiastic and hopeful that the outcome will bring about greater clarity of our apostolic horizon.
Although each province and region has its own pressing concerns and challenges, there was eagerness on the part of the major superiors to receive and respond to the mandate given us by GC 36. It was positively accepted and given the importance that it deserves. By discerning the UAPs, we as a Jesuit Conference will give our own input to the universal Society. Doing so will also aid in our own apostolic planning. Our current apostolic plan is up to 2019 and, in planning for the next five years, we will align our direction and orientation along the lines of the discerned apostolic preferences.
It is my hope that by undertaking this process, we may increasingly become a discerning body and not just a group of people who simply plan, decide and implement. As a discerning body, we become more sensitive and attentive to the promptings of the Spirit. This is our way of inserting more fully into the Church’s mission, which is guided by the same Spirit.
It is also my hope that the discerning process will define who we are and what we do. At stake here
is our identity as much as our mission. Finally, I hope this process will strengthen our bond as a Jesuit Conference participating in the shared mission. Given our differences and diversities, we are called as one corporate body to respond to the universal mission. May the Spirit guide us as we move forward as one Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.
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