Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ with Fr Johan Verschueren SJ at Bethlehem University
Following his pilgrimage to Jerusalem and Bethlehem, Fr General Arturo Sosa has released a letter calling on Jesuits and lay companions worldwide to confront pervasive human anguish with compassion and action.
In his letter titled “How will the faithful respond to suffering?” released on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Fr General Sosa describes a “normal abnormal life” marked by conflict and displacement in regions including Gaza, the West Bank, Ukraine, Myanmar, Haiti, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He shares encounters with Palestinians and Israelis enduring loss, oppression, and dehumanisation, where empathy risks being politicised.
“For far too many, the sounds of the weapons of war have become part of the rhythm of daily life. Losing friends and loved ones to violence has become normal. The hatred that fuels these conflicts has become the only language spoken: yelling without understanding. We have become more invested in being proven right than trying to build a better world. And because of that, the spectre of war and death hangs over even our most sacred moments.”
At the heart of his letter is a clarion call to speak out against violence and build bridges of reconciliation.
“To all People of Good Will, I offer an invitation to raise our voices together and insist that violence is a choice, never inevitable. The world needs not more weapons, but builders of bridges. We need hearts willing to understand before judging, to heal before condemning, to welcome rather than exclude. When we look upon those who suffer, we cannot remain indifferent or distant. Their pain is a call to our responsibility for our faith and our world.”
Fr General Sosa also urged his brother Jesuits to recommit to our foundational mission of serving at the edges of society. He insists on immersion in local realities—learning the people’s languages and understanding their cultures—to bridge divides and promote reconciliation.
“Across decades and generations, it is our inability to see the “other” that has prevented us from responding to suffering as we should. Removing the obstacles that prevent us from experiencing life with the other is difficult, but necessary – not just so that we can respond to the suffering of others, but so that we can attend to our own. Seeing the others for what they are – brothers, sisters, friends, fellow humans – is the only way for us to move forward.”
He spotlights the Holy Land as a pivotal frontier, where Jesuits must stand as “lights among the darkness” alongside ministers, humanitarian workers, teachers, community leaders, and ordinary individuals who resist injustice daily.
Fr General Sosa’s appeal extends beyond the Holy Land to the broader Jesuit networks. His words resonate deeply with our Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in our priorities to respond to the call of poverty, migration, climate displacement, and social injustice.
