A painting of Fr Pedro Arrupe in the Borgia Chapel of the General Curia | Jesuit Media | General Curia Communications Office
I was baptised a Catholic in December 2022, on the Feast of St Francis Xavier. I still remember watching a YouTube video about Fr Pedro Arrupe shortly after my baptism. It was shown to us by Fr Benny Hari Juliawan SJ, the former Indonesian Provincial. I was instantly amazed, especially after hearing Fr Benny’s explanation. I felt a huge thrill of admiration for Pedro Arrupe, whom I consider an outstanding Jesuit.
After that, I continued to learn more about him. He has given me plenty of insights for reflection in my spiritual and daily life. Here are some of the lessons I have learnt from the great Jesuit Superior General.
- God never leaves us alone, especially in our toughest moments
One night, Pedro Arrupe was arrested by Japanese officials and spent Christmas as a prisoner. During his time in prison, the Japanese people whom he had previously taught and introduced Christmas carols to sang for him. God continued to guide him and offered him a glimmer of hope through these people. God never leaves us alone, even in our toughest moments.
- Be kind, always
Fr Pedro Arrupe was serving as novice master in Japan when the atomic bomb exploded in Hiroshima. He was a living witness to that tragedy. He put the medical knowledge he had gained in Spain to good use to help many people wounded by the bomb. His experience made me reflect that tragedy cannot erase compassion.
- Don’t give up
Fr Pedro Arrupe was appointed Superior General at the 31st General Congregation in 1965, succeeding Fr Jean-Baptiste Janssens SJ. He led the Society during a period of profound transition following the Second Vatican Council and became a central figure in its renewal. The more I learnt about his role in guiding the Society Post Vatican II, the more I admired him, especially as someone who is also a Vatican II enthusiast.
Pedro Arrupe taught me resilience through the way he led the Society amid the challenges and crisis of the post-conciliar years, including the sharp decline in the number of Jesuits. His leadership showed that Jesuits and lay people could share a common commitment to faith and service. He did not have an easy time as Superior General, yet his perseverance taught me not to give up easily.
- Be a man formed by the Spiritual Exercises
The 32nd General Congregation, held from 1974 to 1975, is regarded as one of the most important General Congregations of the 20th Century, especially because of Decree 4, Our Mission Today: The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice. This decree called the Society of Jesus to engage more deeply with the pressing social realities of the world and to treat the promotion of justice as an essential dimension of the service of faith.
Decree 4 also received criticism and disagreement from different groups, both within the Society and the wider Church, including concerns expressed by the Holy See. During that time, religious engagement in humanitarian and advocacy work was still developing in many places. Fr Arrupe emphasised the importance of responding concretely to human suffering.
One phenomenon that affected me deeply was the Jesuit response to the Vietnamese “boat people”. After the Vietnam War, hundreds of thousands of people fled by sea, and many died during the journey. Struck by their plight, Fr Arrupe called for a worldwide Jesuit humanitarian response, which led to the founding of the Jesuit Refugee Service in 1980.
My reflection on Fr Pedro Arrupe is closely connected to the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises, which continue to shape my own effort at personal transformation. Fr Adolfo Nicolas emphasised at the 36th General Congregation on the transformative purpose of the Spiritual Exercise. For me, Pedro Arrupe is a man deeply formed by the Spiritual Exercises.
The author during his baptism into the Catholic Church
- Be humble
In 1971, Fr Carolus Putranto SJ, then a first-year novice, had a memorable encounter with Fr Pedro Arrupe at Girisonta, the Jesuit novitiate in Indonesia. Even though Fr Arrupe was the Superior General, he listened attentively to the young novice and treated their conversation as important. This genuine attentiveness left a deep impression on Fr Putranto and revealed Arrupe’s humility.
What also amazes me is Fr Putranto’s vocation journey. Nineteen years after that encounter, in 1990, he was appointed Provincial of the Indonesian Jesuit Province at only 39 years old, making him one of the youngest Jesuit provincials in Indonesia.
When I imagine myself as a first-year novice speaking with Fr Pedro Arrupe and being received with such respect and attention, I am filled with consolation. I see this moment as a sign of God’s work through Fr Arrupe’s humility and later through Fr Putranto’s leadership as provincial at such a young age.
- The importance of friends
During the First Spiritual Exercises I joined and practised, one of the most meaningful parts for me was the second week, particularly the contemplation of The Last Supper. In my contemplation, I imagined other figures in place of the 12 apostles, such as Jesuit provincials or other Jesuit priests. I also imagined Fr Pedro Arrupe sitting beside me at the Last Supper.
This experience of grace touched my heart and helped me love the Eucharist more. It also helped me see Jesuit priests as my friends. I felt a strong inner stirring, as if Fr Pedro Arrupe were saying, “Kenzhi, you are my friend.” That emotional and spiritual experience affirmed for me that Fr Arrupe was not a distant or exclusive Superior General, but someone who could also be my friend.
- It’s okay to be human, with faults and weaknesses
Seeing Pedro Arrupe as a human being, like us, is how I would like to end these reflections. Recognising his humanity has inspired me and continues to teach me that it is all right to feel deeply human, even in moments of regret, pain, and worry. Fr Arrupe knew suffering, especially during his imprisonment in Japan.
During one of the hardest times of my life, I have found comfort in remembering that I, too, am human: someone who experiences emotions, makes mistakes, faces failure, and continues to try to do my best. I see Fr Arrupe’s incredible work not as the achievement of someone without weakness but as the fruit of a human person sustained with the help of God’s grace and by the support of others.
Pedro Arrupe is my idol in the best sense—an inspiration, a friend, and, above all, a human being.
