Members of the Commission on the Role and Responsibilities of the Society of Jesus have embarked on conference-level listening sessions—essentially conversations where we can revisit the objectives of the Women’s Commission in view of the results of our global survey undertaken from 2022 to 2023 and within the context of our own conferences.
Each conference is represented in the Commission by two (or three) members who belong to the different ministries and apostolates in the conference. Our Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP) is represented by both myself and Fr Simon Yi SJ.
The objectives of the Commission on the Role and Responsibilities of the Society of Jesus include the following:
- To evaluate the appropriation of Decree 14 of General Congregation (GC) 34 in the life and apostolates of the Society
- To evaluate the participation and position of women and the structures of collaboration at all levels in institutions of the Society of Jesus and its apostolic works. This evaluation will necessarily include an evaluation of structures of collaboration in our life and mission.
- To make recommendations to the different levels of leadership in the Society of Jesus to strengthen the mission of the Society with the active participation of women
- To make recommendations that will enable the effective promotion of practices in our apostolic works that embody mutual respect, care, and solidarity between men and women as an integral dimension of our way of proceeding, in accordance with Church teachings and what have been asked by recent General Congregations.
The most recent of these listening sessions was with the Jesuit community in Arrupe International Residence on 14 September. After sharing the JCAP results of the global survey, the conversation focused on recognising tensions and acknowledging the opportunity to further deepen the conversation on improving ways of working and collaborating with women.
A second sharing session further surfaced common reflection points across the different groups, concluding with expressions of hope for the future. Some groups highlighted that “openness is there, but there must be trust and understanding of context,” while others spoke of the “ways that Jesuits can healthily and productively collaborate with women”.
One reflection called our attention to the fact that while there is much to celebrate, there is still much to learn and room for growth, all while remaining respectful of the tapestry of cultural contexts and identities.
There is still quite a road ahead for the Women’s Commission as the listening sessions from all six conferences wrap up at the end of the year, and the work towards the final report and recommendations begins. It has been a most fruitful and unexpected journey for many of us in the Commission, and we take courage from Fr General Arturo Sosa’s call “to collaborate with the work of the Commission and to take steps with renewed audacity to embody the spirit of Decree 14 of GC 34, interpreted in the light of the Universal Apostolic Preferences, with a deepened understanding of the faith that does justice. We seek to contribute to the original plan of God to restore ‘a loving relationship of respect, mutuality, and equality’ (GC 34, D 14 §6) among all human persons.”
Maria Elissa “Melissa” Jayme Lao is an Associate Professor at the Political Science Department of the Ateneo de Manila University. She is also currently a board member of the Women and Gender Studies Association of the Philippines (WSAP) and a member of the Commission on the Role and Responsibilities of Women in the Society of Jesus.