JCAP President Fr Jun Viray SJ meeting Pope Leo XIV © Vatican Media
The Major Superiors of the Society of Jesus did not quite know what to expect when we met with Pope Leo XIV on 24 October. Many of us were accustomed to Pope Francis’ warm fraternal approach, his ease in addressing us as brother Jesuits, and his natural openness in conversation. While we anticipated a positive encounter with Pope Leo, there was, understandably, a quiet sense of uncertainty.
That feeling eased almost immediately upon his arrival. The Holy Father carried himself with a simplicity and familiarity that made him appear very much at home among us—his fellow religious. What struck me early on was his reference to the papacy not as a position but as his current mission or assignment. This is precisely the language we Jesuits use to describe the movements of our own lives: we go where mission calls. For Pope Leo, it was clear that what mattered most was not the role itself, but the mission the Lord had entrusted to him at this moment. His warm greeting, his gentle manner of speaking, and the authenticity of his smile all set a fraternal and welcoming tone.
In the opening of his address, Pope Leo acknowledged that we are living through a change of epoch—“an age marked by rapid shifts in culture, economics, technology, and politics”. He spoke candidly about artificial intelligence, ecological degradation, populism and polarisation, consumerism, individualism, and indifference. Yet, he reminded us that it is into this very world that Christ continues to send His disciples. He affirmed that the Society of Jesus has long been present in precisely these complex spaces.
Three points in particular deeply resonated with me as a Jesuit.
First, Pope Leo recalled the words of St Paul VI and Pope Benedict XVI, both of whom described the Society as serving “in the most difficult and extreme fields, at the crossroads of ideologies,” and as being called “to serve at the frontiers”. He reiterated this conviction with clarity: “The Church needs you at the frontiers—whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual, or spiritual.” Hearing these words from the Holy Father was both affirming and energising, reinforcing the very heart of our charism.
Second, he invited us to a renewed openness to the Holy Spirit: “When the Spirit leads the apostolic body elsewhere for a greater good, this may require letting go of long-cherished structures or roles—an exercise of Ignatian ‘holy indifference.’” In our own meetings as Major Superiors, we had been discerning the need to re-examine governance structures so they might better serve the mission today. Pope Leo’s encouragement to let go of long-held structures when they no longer advance the mission was inspiring. Such inner freedom—rooted in Ignatian “holy indifference”—is what allows us to go boldly to the frontiers.
Third, the Holy Father reaffirmed the Society’s Universal Apostolic Preferences as “privileged paths of mission… frontiers calling for discernment and courage”. His confirmation meant a great deal to us. It reassured us that the directions we have embraced in service of faith, justice, and reconciliation remain aligned with the Church’s mission. Equally moving was his reminder that the effective living out of these Preferences requires us “to remain close to Jesus.” It felt like a fraternal exhortation on what truly lies at the centre of our vocation: a deep, personal relationship with Christ. He continued, “From this rootedness you will have the courage to walk anywhere: to speak truth, to reconcile, to heal, to labour for justice, to set captives free. No frontier will be beyond your reach if you walk with Christ.”
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Read: Pope Leo’s full message to the Major Superiors
Watch: Steadfast in Mission: Fr Jun Viray SJ on the Meeting of Major Superiors
Related article: Listening to the call of the Spirit: Meeting of Major Superiors in Rome
