Planting a tree | Catholic Student Network of Northern Thailand
Fr General Arturo Sosa SJ is urging the whole apostolic body of the Society of Jesus to “unite our desires, wills, and plans to take better care of our Common Home,” inviting all members to contribute their ideas, time, and resources.
In his latest letter addressed to “friends in the Lord,” Fr General Sosa shared the results of a survey conducted by the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) on how the Society, as a universal apostolic body, is responding to the fourth Universal Apostolic Preference: To Collaborate in the Care of Our Common Home.
The study, he said, showed that while there have been many positive developments and significant progress across Jesuit regions, provinces, and conferences of major superiors, challenges remain.
Among these, Fr Sosa highlighted the need to ensure that the voices of the poor and marginalised are always included in apostolic planning. He also stressed the importance of improving collaboration both among provinces, regions, networks, and conferences, as well as with other groups beyond the Society’s apostolates.
“We are all called to share and celebrate the gift of Ignatian spirituality and its pedagogy, embracing a culture of responsible stewardship for sustainable and integral development, being close to the poor and their critical challenges, and promoting public policies that will ensure actions agreed upon to reverse worldwide environmental degradation,” said Fr Sosa.
He outlined specific objectives the Society can pursue, such as replacing fossil fuels as the primary source of energy generation, controlling environmentally destructive mining and exploitation, and preserving water sources, lands, and biodiversity.
While SJES is tasked with leading the Society of Jesus in her faith commitment to social justice and ecology, Father General emphasised that caring for our common home is “the responsibility of all of us”.
He reiterated that ecological justice is inseparable from social justice, stressing that protecting the environment also means addressing issues like poverty, inequality, and the rights of marginalised communities.
This reflects the interconnected nature of the Universal Apostolic Preferences, a mission, which the Society of Jesus received from Pope Francis.
As Fr General Sosa affirmed:
“Collaborating in the care of our Common Home means fulfilling our moral responsibility to renew our relationships with God, with one another, and with all creation.
“Collaborating in the care of our Common Home means walking with the poor and vulnerable as climate change intensifies their suffering and perpetuates the causes that produce unjust structures.
“Collaborating in the care of our Common Home means accompanying youth, whom Pope Francis honours as those ‘who are building the future today, in the present’.
“The environmental destruction caused by the dominant economic system not only affects those currently living on earth but also conditions and jeopardises the lives of future generations.
“As expressed by Native American Chief Seattle: ‘We don’t inherit the earth; we borrow it from our children.’”
