Social justice has long been at the heart of the mission of the Society of Jesus. Our mission today is the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement. This makes the social ministry a fundamental aspect of the work of the Society of Jesus, and perhaps the broadest of all Jesuit ministries in terms of scope and reach.
As the social sector in the Society of Jesus, our collective role across the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific is “to be with, to think with, to act with, to pray with” the poor and marginalised. Hence we provide direct services to those in need; do social and cultural analysis; encourage theological reflection on questions of injustice; advocate for change; and campaign alongside others striving to make our world a more just place. Across our provinces and regions, there is a range of engagements from local social services within provinces and regions to work with the prison services, indigenous persons and for others in need. There are also several Jesuit social justice organisations working for peace and justice for all of those in need.
In addition to these, the Jesuit Conference has committed to two priority engagements in social justice – Poverty and Reconciliation with Creation.