The Archbishop of Yangon, Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, delivered an inspiring talk to the students and staff of Stonyhurst College, a Jesuit school in the United Kingdom, when he visited on Saturday May 21. He spoke of the role of the Catholic Church and the struggle for religious freedom in his country Myanmar.
Jesuits and colleagues in the Asia Pacific region are gathering in the Philippines next month to discuss and share how transformed lifestyles are moving a more meaningful and effective response to environmental and social concerns in their ministries. The three-day environmental reflection workshop will be held at the Culture and Ecology Centre in Bendum, Bukidnon from June 6 to 10, and is organized by the Reconciliation with Creation programme of the Jesuit Conference Asia Pacific (JCAP).
There are “the cracks in the planet”. As we mark Earth Day today, I am reminded of the startlingly fresh and visionary way Pope Francis called on all – not just Catholics – to be aware of the acute distress of our planet, our “common home” last year. In his encyclical letter Laudato si’, Francis calls us to appreciate our moral responsibility to care for this wounded world even as we rejoice in the marvels of creation, the wonder of human life, the beauty of the stars, the forests and the macro- and the micro systems of our universe.
In our latest annual report, we look back on a year of key milestones throughout the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, recall the Pope’s visit to the Philippines, review the history of the Arrupe International Residence, continue our dialogue with Buddhism, and learn about the impact of the Spiritual Exercises in China. Also, JCAP President Fr Mark Raper SJ reflects on the Conference’s growth and the importance of collaboration in mission.
Jesuit Refugee Service Europe has launched a campaign called “I Get You” to map, network and strengthen local initiatives of refugee welcome in Europe.
Across Europe, citizens have opened their doors to people in search of safety – migrants and refugees – sharing meals, learning languages and simply being together. The goal of I Get You is to identify and bring together community building initiatives for local citizens and refugees in nine European countries.
A large motor home has become a beacon of hope for the Catholic community of Maitland-Newcastle Diocese, as the mobile base of Fr Richard Shortall SJ — one of two Missionaries of Mercy in Australia.
“It’s a little bit larger than what you might expect for one person,” Fr Shortall says of the motor home. “It can comfortably sleep two or three people. However, I need to carry a lot of equipment and resources with me, since most of the communities I am visiting lack these.”
A new app is providing a fresh take on the 500-year-old prayer created by St Ignatius of Loyola. Reimagining the Examen is a fresh and customized prayer app inspired by the Examen, a practice that helps you review your day in the presence of God. With unique Examens tailored to various moods, needs and situations, the app invites you to pray from where you are, wherever you are.
Asia Pacific has been dubbed the world’s engine of growth, but at what and whose cost?
China has been hailed by the world as an economic success story. Three decades of uninterrupted growth has lifted more than 600 million people out of poverty, and although there are still roughly 150 million people living in poverty in the country, China’s economic success is the envy of the developing world.
Pope Francis is at the centre of a new national television series that began airing in Taiwan on April 16. Entitled “Oh My God – Hello Pope!”, it was developed by Jesuit-run Kuangchi Program Service (KPS) which believes this is the first weekly TV series in Asia about the pope.
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific is inviting Jesuits, collaborators and friends to participate in a conference on sustainability. Entitled A Call to Dialogue on the Sustainability of Life in the ASEAN Context, the meeting will be held in Sanata Dharma University in Yogyakarta from August 8 to 10, 2016.