When he looks back on his journey, Fr Pedro Chia SJ can point to the “cannonball” moment he was called by God—in two sentences and 16 words: “若不是你，那會是誰；若非現在，又是何時.”(If not you, then who? If not now, then when?) He was in his early thirties, pondering his life’s direction. “Back then, as a spirited young man, I thought I was being dashing by ‘leaving everything behind’ and ‘joining the Jesuits without hesitation,’” he recalled. “Along the way—stumbling and rising, with many ups and downs—23 years of youth have passed just like that.”
On 27 April, after more than two decades of formation in the Society of Jesus, Fr Chia professed his Final Vows of perpetual poverty, chastity, and obedience, along with a fourth vow of special obedience to the Pope. The ceremony took place at the Sacred Heart Church in Guting, Taipei on Divine Mercy Sunday, the same day as the feast of St Peter Canisius. Chinese Provincial Fr Stephen Tong SJ presided over the Mass joined by Fr Louis Gendron SJ, Superior of the Taipei community, and some 35 priests as concelebrants. More than 200 guests attended, including Fr Chia’s two sisters.
In his homily, Fr Tong emphasised three qualities that mark a mature Jesuit formed by the Spiritual Exercises. The first is gratitude. “A loved sinner, called to be a companion of Jesus, has earned nothing by himself; everything is a free gift,” he said, noting that Fr Chia’s profession of Final Vows is in itself an act of gratitude.
The second quality is indifference, as taught in the “Principle and Foundation” of the Spiritual Exercises: not preferring wealth to poverty, health to sickness, honour to dishonour, and a long life to a short life, but possessing the inner freedom to choose what God truly wants. Indifference, Fr Tong explained, enables a Jesuit to “go anywhere” when he is sent on various missions.
The third quality is the frequent engagement with the Meditation on the Two Standards. Fr Tong shared that the crisis of faith often arises from the fear of making mistakes or losing something. He reminded Fr Chia to always choose the way of Christ, even at the high cost of opposition, just as Pope Francis had done in leading the Church.
These same three qualities seem to have guided Fr Chia throughout his journey in the Society, which has taken him across continents. Originally from Malaysia, he entered the Jesuits through the Chinese Province, completed his novitiate in the Philippines, and pursued theology and spiritual studies in Taiwan and Spain. During his Regency, he travelled across both sides of the Taiwan Strait and went to Bolivia for Tertianship. Over the years, he has served in different ministries, ranging from spiritual accompaniment and Magis youth ministry, to Vatican Radio, pastoral work among indigenous communities in the Amazon, and more recently, Media and Communications—highlighted by a face-to-face interview with Pope Francis at the Vatican—as well as fundraising for the Society and the marginalised through the Development Office.
“These rich experiences have broadened my horizons, connected me to the diverse faces of the Church, and revealed God’s wondrous grace,” Fr Chia said. “Without joining the Jesuits, none of this would have been possible.”
Yet he acknowledged that the path has been fraught with challenges and difficulties. “In these 23 years, the Society has made me realise that I am still a flesh-and-blood, vulnerable person. The Formulas of the Institute of the Society of Jesus say this is a ‘pathway to God’ (though it’s not always smooth!). I must always remember to put God first.”
He spoke of the lifelong tension that Jesuits face. “Striving to discern with indifference between prayer and mission, individuality and community, obedience and resistance, chastity and intimacy, poverty and control—so that we may act with inner freedom to do God’s will and learn to not overexert ourselves,” he said. “Only in this way can I gradually let go of myself and offer everything, just as St Ignatius said: ‘Trust in God as if success depends entirely on yourself and not on Him; but use all your efforts as if God alone did everything and yourself nothing.’ I know this sounds paradoxical, but over the years, I have come to feel its truth and meaning more deeply.”
One of the most moving moments at the ceremony came when Fr Chia asked the congregation to applaud his parents, watching via livestream from Malaysia. Addressing them directly, he said, “Thank you for raising me and for generously offering me to God, the Church, and the Jesuits.” He also thanked his siblings and other family members for sharing the responsibility of caring for their parents, which allowed him to devote himself fully to service. He credited his brother Jesuits for teaching him the importance of availability, transparency, and what it means to give everything as a missionary. He expressed gratitude to his mission partners, who have journeyed with him throughout the different stages of his formation and mission.
It may have taken 23 years to complete his formal formation as a Jesuit, but for Fr Chia, it has been an incredible journey. In a lighter moment during his thanksgiving speech, he said that his life might make good material for a book or a movie to promote Jesuit vocations. Then turning to the young people present, he said, “Don’t forget, joining the Jesuits is an option!”
