Author: INI design

By Joe Xavier A., SJ

At the outset I must state that my reading of the style of governance of Fr. Arturo Sosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, might be quite different or even the opposite of what he himself thinks. However, as a Jesuit, development practitioner and human rights activist, I am one of the guys fascinated by his style of governance. This is how I perceive it.

I consider his style of governance as something to be studied in depth, as he foregrounds the governance principles on Ignatian resources and attempts to operationalise these principles effectively by deploying secular tools and learnings, especially in the development sector. I had the opportunity to closely observe him for a short period and had a few opportunities to participate in some public events. I presume, his studies in social sciences as a Jesuit, and his engagement in social ministry and university education has helped him to develop a framework that can meaningfully combine the sacred and the secular, without minimising, contradicting, or extrapolating one or the other, and appreciating the distinctive usefulness of both.

Evidently, as a Jesuit he is rooted in Ignatian resources. This rootedness has helped him acknowledge and appreciate the experiences and learning in the secular arena, believing that the Lord of history guides human history. When Fr. Sosa assumed office in 2016, he introduced a new key position at the highest level of governance, Counsellor for Discernment and Planning. Discernment was not new to the Jesuits but combining discernment with planning was something distinctive. In common parlance, discernment is considered belonging to spiritual realm and planning as a secular activity.

For a few decades the corporates and humanitarian organizations have been grappling with finding the right tool for planning and they invented ‘Strategic Planning’ as a tool for organizational development. The corporate planning tool focused on ‘Unique Selling Point (USP)’, mission and vision, goals, strategies, and activities. The humanitarian organisations preferred the term ‘identity’ to USP. In the place of strategic planning, some organizations also experimented with ‘Results-based planning’ and ‘Outcome-based planning’. This type of planning process meant that the results or the outcomes must determine the activities and not vice versa. While the corporates used such a planning process for expanding their operation and increasing their profits, the humanitarian organisations used similar terminologies to measure the changes that have happened in the lives of the people they served. However, both agreed on the concept of Logical Framework (Logframe) as an effective methodology to conceptualise the planning process, articulated in the form of various templates.

The corporates preferred the term ‘Unique Selling Point’ (USP), an idea that would attract and expand the customer base. The advertising industry was roped in to give visual taste to the USP in the form of images and catchy slogans. The USP images were constructed with a high level of evocative appeal that helped the companies to connect people with products emotionally, sometimes without any rational basis or scientific understanding of the product.

On the other hand, humanitarian organisations, especially the donors, felt that the logical framework clearly gives a sense of direction and goals to be realized in the social change process.

The fundamental question that is dealt with in a logical framework is where the members want to see the organization in the future, say 5 years from now. Note, this is not about next year or a year after, but a reasonably distant future. For some, this might be a pure imaginative exercise. Such an exercise is not done in a vacuum. The organizations undertake various analyses such as SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats) analysis. Strengths and weaknesses are internal dimensions of an organization, while opportunities and threats are external dimensions.

Fr. General foregrounds the governance principles on Ignatian resources and attempts to operationalise these principles effectively by deploying secular tools and learnings.

Some organizations prefer objective analysis, or gap analysis (in terms of governance and administration) and so on. Learning from the past, the members of the organization imagine a distant future and articulate that future as a ‘big picture’ to be realised in 5 years’ time. Such a big picture becomes the guiding star for the organization for the next 5 years. It is this ‘big picture’ that would determine the present strategies and activities, progressively to be undertaken from now on, until the big picture becomes a reality. Assessment and evaluations are done, or progress made is measured not with reference to completion of activities, but in terms of the distance covered in reaching the big picture or the outcomes.

Strategic planning tool mandates that every member of the organization gets involved in the process and the organization also invites external experts to be participants and observers to monitor the process. It is ideal to have an external facilitator of the process. However, the process gets vitiated if the facilitator gets into the content. At the end of the planning exercise, every member of the organization feels that they are owners of the plan, and it is each one’s responsibility to give the best to realize this plan.

Evidence shows that the big picture creates new passion, energy, and power among members of the organization and renews every aspect of the organisation. Some organisations have ended up in making huge structural changes because of the planning process. Such an exercise is not done frequently as it involves a lot of time, energy, and substantial resources.

Fr. General Sosa seems in favour of adapting this type of planning process in the life-mission of the Society of Jesus, but rooted in the Ignatian resources. Firstly, he sees life and mission as one continuum and prefers the use of the term life-mission instead of life and mission.

Secondly, he makes a conscious shift in the planning approach by deploying an appropriate terminology rooted in the Ignatian tradition and converts the secular planning approach into a spiritual process. ‘USP’ or ‘identity’ becomes ‘charism’; ‘strategic planning’ is articulated as ‘apostolic planning’ since we are talking about the primacy of apostolate or mission. We are not an NGO or a business entity. What is termed as ‘discussion’ and ‘reflection’ in a non-religious setting becomes ‘a discernment process’. The mandatory participation of every member takes the form of communal discernment. In the apostolic planning it is not an imagined ‘big picture’ but ‘the call of Christ’, who always invites us to perceive the new possibilities, to courageously take risks and experience the Paschal mystery, as a seed dies to enter a new life.

Methodologically, the process is led by spiritual conversation characterized by active listening, intentional speaking and sharing in three rounds, while being in touch with interior movements. In other words, during the process we do not ask what we can do or what we are capable of realizing, but what God wants from us, say, in 5 years from now, as we believe that the Lord of history is inviting us to be on a different plane in the near future and not to be bogged down by the past successes or our woundedness.

Comparatively, the sacred and secular process of planning might look similar. But the fundamental difference is in prayer and ‘listening to the Spirit’, as Sosa puts it. We can’t plan unless we are praying and listening to the Spirit.

Fr. General Sosa seems in favour of adapting this type of planning process in the life-mission of the Society of Jesus, but rooted in the Ignatian resources.

Let me quote a few texts from Fr. General’s writings which highlight his style of governance that combines the sacred and the secular or communal discernment and apostolic planning. Fr. Sosa does not use terms like ‘sacred’ and ‘secular.’ In his letter on ‘Discernment in Common’, 2017, Fr. Sosa said, “The conviction that God is acting in history and is constantly communicating with human beings is the assumption on which our efforts to discern in common are based. For this reason, we should seek out those conditions that allow us to hear the Holy Spirit and be guided by him in our life-mission… Apostolic planning is a time to let go of many old ways of being.”

In 2021, on becoming better at apostolic planning Fr. General said, “Discernment and Apostolic Planning go hand in hand. We are starting a whole process of planning here in the General Curia and as we begin we want to ensure that we see the big picture and the road ahead – a road where the role played by the Spirit is vital.”

The ‘cannonball moment’ was the foundational experience of Ignatius. The conflict was between the plans Ignatius had for himself and God’s plan for Ignatius. Finally, God took possession of him and Ignatius could understand, probably against his will, what God wanted of him. It is this ‘big picture’ or ‘the call of Christ’ that led him to found the Society of Jesus to serve the Church under the Roman Pontiff. Fr. Sosa well captures this process in his letter on Convocation of the 71^st Congregation of Procurators. He wrote, “The cannonball of Pamplona shattered not only Ignatius’ leg, but also his dreams, and all that he imagined his life might be. Yet out of this moment of confusion and suffering, the Lord invited Ignatius to imagine a new future, and a bigger dream, one closer to Him and filled with hope.”

Let us look at the process of preparation of apostolic preferences. It was a bottom up approach. The members of the entire Society of Jesus were asked to get involved. Probably, for the first time such a massive exercise was undertaken. Probably Jesuits must have begun this exercise with optimism as well as skepticism. Assistance was provided on how to engage in apostolic planning. The pressure to complete the exercise was palpable, as the provinces were asked to send the plan document to Rome. When apostolic plan documents of some provinces were sent back by Rome for lack of clarity, the provinces intensified the process of learning apostolic planning tools.

In his letter on ‘Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) of the Society Jesus’, Fr. Sosa wrote, “During the next ten years, UAPs will guide us in incarnating the mission of reconciliation and justice in all the apostolic services to which we, along with others, have been sent… With these apostolic preferences, we resolve to concentrate and concretise our vital apostolic energies during the next 10 years, 2019-2029.” In other words, the mission of reconciliation and justice is well articulated as the big picture for the members of the Society of Jesus and their collaborators. The UAPs, Conference Apostolic Preferences (CAPs) and Province Apostolic Plans (PAPs) are roadmaps. Our faithfulness to the charism of the Society of Jesus will be measured, in measurable terms, quantitatively and qualitatively, in 2029. For me, personally, the culture of grounding our life-mission in communal discernment and apostolic planning is the unique feature of Fr. Arturo Sosa’s style of governance. Adherence to this process will bring rich fruits to the Society of Jesus, the Church and the people they serve.

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By M.K. George, SJ

We live in a war-torn world. I am not thinking merely of the cruel war that Russia imposed on Ukraine by invading it. Civil wars and conflicts in our world today currently count up to 62. Equally damaging are the war-like conflicts in families, communities, churches, religious organizations, in short in every human community. Behind all this is the big war in the individual human mind and heart. Faith remains challenged, hope is not anywhere in sight and love is lost.

I have tried to look at the present situation – marked by wars, the failure of religions, the Catholic Church in particular, and propose some ways to respond to these horrifying times.

Wars are threatening the very survival of our planet. No war is safe for anyone on the earth. Think of the deaths, displacements, abuses, destruction of environment and the sheer enormity of human suffering. The latest war in Ukraine is creating a huge food crisis in the world. According to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, “The war in Ukraine is supercharging a three-dimensional crisis – food, energy and finance -with devastating impacts on the world’s most vulnerable people, countries and economies… the war has worsened food insecurity in poorer nations due to rising prices. Some countries could face long-term famines if Ukraine’s food exports are not restored to pre-war levels.”

The conflict has cut off supplies from Ukraine’s ports, which once exported vast amounts of cooking oil as well as cereals such as maize and wheat. This has reduced the global supply and caused the price of alternatives to soar. Global food prices are almost 30% higher than at the same time last year, according to the UN. The situation of oil and the cost escalation has affected every nation.

And the most formidable of all is the threat of a nuclear war which could lead to the annihilation of the earth.

Wars consume resources

When as per records almost 2.7 billion people are not able to eat enough to survive and be healthy, think of what the most powerful countries spend on weapons. The world has spent 156, 841 dollars every minute of 2021 just on nuclear weapons. In one year, the nine nuclear-armed nations – U.S., China, Russia, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the U.K. — spent a total of $82.4 billion on upgrading and maintaining their estimated 13,000 nuclear weapons, marking a 9% hike from the year before, according to ICAN’s (International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons) estimates. If we count also the amount spent on conventional war equipment, it is incredibly high. Amidst the Covid pandemic, the world’s military spending rose to almost $2 trillion in 2020 (SIPRI, 2021). When ‘war is good for business’ we can hardly expect a change in the situation in the near future.

Inner wars

Amidst these wars outside of us, there is an inner war that is consuming every human person, young and old, white, black and coloured, men and women. This is a war created by fear, insecurity, forced displacement, lack of meaning and fear of doomsday because of climatic changes. Looking at the mental health context, an indicator of the strongest form of internal wars, we see that ‘today, nearly 1 billion people live with a mental disorder and in low-income countries, more than 75% of people with the disorder do not receive treatment. Every year, close to 3 million people die due to substance abuse.  Every 40 seconds, a person dies by suicide…’ (Rialda Kovacevic 2021).

For so many youth, men and women, there seems to be very little to hope for and live for.

Failure of Religion and other agencies

In spite of some bold leadership from Pope Francis, Dalai Lama and other religious leaders, the general feeling is that organized religion has failed to help people deal with the above crises in any significant way. The so-called Christian Europe is becoming fast secularized. More and more youth are leaving the Church. A recent survey starkly illustrated Europe’s march towards a post-Christian society. Research shows ‘a majority of young people in a dozen countries do not follow a religion…nearly two-thirds of young people in U K do not pray…The new default setting is ‘no religion’, and the few who are religious see themselves as swimming against the tide” (Bullivant quoted in Sherwood 2018).

Wars are threatening the very survival of our planet. No war is safe for anyone on the earth.

Asia and Africa now show a growth in membership, but nobody can deny that secularisation and anti-Christian values are equally in ascendance. What is very worrying is that in this period of extreme wars, violence, and meaninglessness organized religions have no major impact. How is that religion, especially Christianity, is not able to intervene and help individuals and communities cope?

Instead, Christians seem to be aligning themselves with anti-Christian values and ethos. For instance, the behaviour of Patriarch Kirill I, the leader of the Moscow-based Russian Orthodox Church, in supporting Putin and his war with Ukraine. This shocked even his close friend Pope Francis. The latter was pretty sharp when he told the Patriarch, “Brother, we are not clerics of the state”. On another occasion Pope Francis remarked, ‘The Patriarch cannot transform himself into Putin’s altar boy’.

The loss of credibility of leaders is becoming a universal phenomenon. Just look at the names of various heads of the states across the world, from North to South, East to West, almost every leader seems to be guilty of moral and ethical failures.

Indian Story

Quite a few in the Indian Church seem to be ready for compromises with the party in power. Recent reports of a ‘secret conclave’ in Kerala on the New Education Policy, the call of a Bishop for ‘dialogue’ with a right wing group, and allegations of many covert ‘understandings’ with the ruling party should trouble the hearts of all those who realize the value of a democratic, secular country.

In some countries Catholics seems to have no qualms about joining anti-Muslim moves and escalating Islamophobia, forgetting that after Muslims come Christians and Communists in the hit list.

The reluctance of the Church in India to speak out loud and firm for justice is understandable, as Christians are just a puny minority and the institutional baggage they carry is heavy. But, we need a serious self-examination and collective discernment on how to respond to the rather precarious Indian situation of extreme growth in poverty, inequality, persecution of minorities, and the alleged moves towards the creation of a ‘Hindu rashtra’.

Religiously political and politically religious

No one can ignore politics. Being apolitical is a choice with tremendous adverse consequences. When someone claims he is apolitical or neutral all that he means is that he does not want to challenge those in power. When one keeps quiet in the face of injustice, the more powerful, often the unjust, win.

When as per records almost 2.7 billion people are not able to eat enough to survive and be healthy, think of what the most powerful countries spend on weapons.

Every member of the Church, particularly its leaders, are called to credible involvement in the political and social life of the nation. The most important role is to speak out, when everyone is afraid of speaking out. The Social Teachings of the Church, and most recently the words and actions of Pope Francis prompt proactive action. He said it so clearly: “There are fundamentalist and violent individuals in all peoples and religions – and with intolerant generalizations they become stronger because they feed on hate and xenophobia. By confronting terror with love, we work for peace,” he said.

“In Pope Francis’ call to dioceses to build bridges that overcome societal and economic injustices, it is important to note that those bridges need to be built on the solid foundation of Catholic social teaching – unfortunately our best kept secret.” (T.Magliano 2017)

How can we respond?

In a very simple but insightful article T.H.Warren (2022) wrote of eleven small ways an individual can help mend the world.

i. Have more in-persona conversations. We need to talk. In holding conversations, polite and inquisitive, we become seekers of truth.

ii. Get outside. With modern conveniences and luxuries, more and more people tend to spend all their time inside. Get outside, get to know nature, get to know people, and get to know problems.

iii. Eschew mobs – online and in real life: Mobs always create frenzy. Mob psychology gives a pseudo courage, which makes humans do things, which they would not when they are in their normal senses. The sad reality today is that with advance technology the online mobs are equally or more dangerous.

iv. Read books. Books make you reflect, engage and inspire.

v. Give money away. There is enough to share more at least with the half of the population that is needy and desperately needs help. Cut down on luxuries and reach the money to the neediest. And of course there is the widow’s mite.

vi. Invest in institutions more than personal brands. All over the world institutions are being slaughtered for the selfish benefits of a few. Look at India. The Constitution is getting ignored, Judiciary is silent, and Media is a slave, bureaucracy corrupt.

vii. Invest in children: In the mad rush of living, children are either neglected or pampered. Some are abused. Attend to them.

viii. Observe the Sabbath: Many have no time. The wisdom of the Sabbath has to be retrieved.

ix. Make a steel man of others’ arguments, and not thrash them down to humiliation.

x. Practice patience. Impatience is killing people, animals, and the earth. ‘Ruthlessly eliminate hurry.’

xi. Last but not least, continue to pray. To recall an old hymn, ‘the world stands in need of liberation’. Liberation to love, hope and believe. You and I are called to listen and respond.

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Interview with Vitaliy Osmolovskyy, SJ

Vitaliy Osmolovskyy, SJ, is a Jesuit from Zhytomyr, a city in Western Ukraine. For many years he has worked for social issues. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in law in Zhytomyr, and a Master’s degree in political science at the Pedagogical University in Warsaw. During his studies he actively helped NGOs, working with national minorities in Central and Eastern Europe. He joined the Society of Jesus in 2007, studied philosophy in Padua, Italy and theology at Hekima College in Nairobi. He worked for a year and a half for the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) in Ukraine and the UK. He is in the process of writing his Ph.D. thesis at the Jesuit School of Theology, Santa Clara University, U.S. He has been training in Judo at a professional level for many years and has completed level II – Dan.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine began on 24 February 2022. It is more than four months since the war began. How much has Ukraine suffered? How many people have died so far? How much of Ukrainian territory is now in Russian hands?

In 2014 Russia annexed Crimea. In 2015, certain districts, cities, towns, and villages of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions came under Russian control. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine calls them ‘ Temporarily Occupied Territories of Ukraine.’  It is a term in Ukrainian law to refer to areas occupied by Russia .

A Reuters report dated 02 June 2022  says Russia is currently occupying about 20% of Ukraine’s territory. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy told Luxembourg’s parliament in a video address, “We have to defend ourselves against almost the entire Russian army. All combat-ready Russian military formations are involved in this aggression,” he said, adding that the front lines of battle stretched across more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles). 

As a result of the Russian invasion, almost 4,600 civilians have died. The U.N. says most people died from explosive weapons like heavy artillery, rocket systems of salvo fire, rockets, and airstrikes. More than 1159 men, 810 women, 127 girls, and 168 boys, as well as 176 children have been injured.

Now they say the war is limited to the eastern region. How is daily life for Ukrainians in other parts of the country?

Most of the fighting is taking place in the eastern part of Ukraine, but artillery shelling and bombing occur throughout Ukraine. This means that every day Russian troops fire at various buildings of the entire country. After such shelling, a lot of women, children, and older people die. After four months of this war, the world may be a little “tired” of the topic of Ukraine. However, the people in Ukraine are fully determined to help and support their soldiers who are putting up a valiant fight against the aggressor. People of Ukraine are also trying, to the best of their ability, not to neglect cultural life, recreation, such as cinema and other forms of entertainment. These activities are important for our mental health and stability.

The efforts of international bodies like the U.N. and the sanctions imposed by the U.S. and the European Union have not been able to stop the war. What will help stop the war?

In my opinion, organizations as the U.N., the European Union, the OSCE, and human rights organizations have no effective way to stop the war.  The war in Ukraine once again showed their inability to do anything or change the situation just like in the wars in ex-Yugoslavia, Rwanda, Syria, and Afghanistan. Also, the war in Ukraine has shown how corrupt these institutions are, where many politicians directly support Russia, although it has proved, time and again  to be an unscrupulous aggressor.

It was ridiculous and pitiful to watch the OSCE simply running away from Ukraine, leaving their employees, all citizens of Ukraine, to be captured, tortured and killed by the Russian army. This was similar to what the Taliban did to Afghans who had worked for the Americans, after the U.S. left the country.

What is the role played by the Orthodox Church in this conflict?

The Ukrainian Orthodox Church, like all other representatives of religions and churches – Catholics, Protestants, Muslim – plays a huge role in supporting the fighting spirit, and the humanity of the soldiers in this war. It does it through spiritual accompaniment, sacraments, and chaplaincy.  

How have Catholic priests and the religious responded to the war?

Catholics, like everyone else, are trying to help the Ukrainian army, volunteers, and civilians as much as possible. Catholic institutions have started houses and shelters for refugees, and orphans, and centres that distribute food, and humanitarian aid.

What is the contribution of Jesuits and Jesuit bodies like the JRS toward  helping Ukraine and the refugees in other countries like Poland?  

A team called “Jesuits for Ukraine” was created soon after the war began to coordinate efforts to deliver aid to Ukraine in the Polish provinces of the Society of Jesus. The priority for our team is to deliver aid to Ukraine and to help the Ukrainian refugees to settle in Poland and other countries. We have financially supported works run by Jesuits: two refugee houses in Lviv and a house in Khmelnytskyi, which is now a stopping point for refugees, and we have also given support to institutions that are our friends. 

We have also contact with organizations from other countries, which help Ukraine. We have helped several of them send large amounts of humanitarian relief material to the appropriate places on the border. At the moment, we keep in contact with organizations from western countries, which want to host refugees. They organize transport for them, as well as accommodation and necessary care in their country. In Poland, we are mainly involved in the process of organizing accommodation for refugees.  First of all, it means preparing lodging and gathering the necessary equipment and also collecting necessary funds. These activities are undertaken by Jesuit communities and parishes locally, as well as by the Jesuit Refugee Service in Poland.

JRS Poland is a ministry with many years of experience in working with refugees, and as such has become a central hub for coordinating refugee assistance in the Polish Provinces of the Society of Jesus. The JRS staff have set up a form, through which people and institutions willing to accept refugees can register. They also provide information on how to do this efficiently and its current legal framework. At the same time, JRS Poland is constantly sending aid to Ukraine. The activities of the Center could not cover such a large area, if not for the many people who have volunteered to work there.

In addition to providing basic security, there are, of course, many other needs that we try to meet. In Warsaw and Poznań, some psychological assistance for refugees has been offered.  In Opole, a meeting place for Ukrainian children and mothers has been opened. Warsaw-Rakowiecka parish started to renovate rooms to open a kindergarten for Ukrainians. Our team has also begun to raise funds for scholarships for Ukrainian students. This goal is supported by Jesuit schools in the U.S. In Nowy Sącz Jesuits are preparing to start a Center for Ukrainians. The Center plans to host cultural events and offer psychological aid. The Jesuit university in Kraków, Poland, besides providing lodging for refugees and collecting aid for Ukraine, is also conducting courses in the Polish language for refugees from Ukraine.

We are aware that this is just the beginning of a huge undertaking, which is to provide help for Ukraine and welcome refugees in Poland. For this reason, we are continually raising funds.

How can Jesuits in other countries across the world help Ukraine and its people now?

Soon after the war began many Jesuits and Jesuit provinces around the world responded by sending financial help to Ukraine. Some provinces sent food, clothing, and medicines. We also receive cooperation from other religious organizations and orders.

Are Ukrainians in other parts of the world helping their country at this moment of its gravest crisis?

Definitely! First of all, a large number of men returned and signed up for volunteer battalions that strive to defend the country. A lot of help has come from the Ukrainian diaspora around the world. Many artists perform concerts around the world to raise funds to support. Many national teams organize matches to raise funds. You can see many Ukrainians who make use of their talents and skills and work in different cities in order to support Ukraine and establish peace on earth.

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By Mukti Clarence, SJ

Lebanon, the fascinating country where I spent six healing months, is an icon of Christian faith and hope in the troubled Middle-East. It is a place of vibrant spiritual heritage, spirit of ecumenism and secularism, although it has become a place of constant conflict.  A Christian environment dominates many pockets of Lebanon. Church steeples with crosses or statues of Virgin Mary are seen across the country.  Many may not know that 30% of Lebanon’s population are Maronite Christians and the President of Lebanon is always a Christian.

Currently, for many reasons, Lebanon is going through a highly challenging period of its history. Its currency is fast becoming worthless. Fuel and essential commodities have become highly expensive. The power supply is irregular. Politics is paralyzed. The local people are losing hope. Surprisingly, this bleak scenario did not affect my tertianship in any way.

Actually, my Province wanted me to go to Dublin, Ireland for my tertianship. But I couldn’t get a visa to Ireland in time. The president of the European Jesuit Conference suggested that I apply for the Lebanon Tertianship program and the Provincial of Ireland agreed to support me financially. This is how I landed in Lebanon for my tertianship.  

The Jesuit house is at Bikfaya town, situated at an altitude of 900 meters, about 45 minutes from Beirut, the capital city. It has a pleasant, moderate weather across the year. This house is the oldest residence of the restored Society in the Near-East province, where earlier missionaries used to learn Arabic.

Fr. Dany Younès, former Provincial of the Near-East Province, is the tertian instructor. He is a Lebanese with a Ph.D in theology. Being a former Provincial, he has a rich experience and a broad vision.  He is both a man of head and heart. We were nine tertians, coming from India, South Africa, Rwanda, Congo, Poland and France.

I began my Jesuit tertianship in Lebanon in September 2021, after having been a Jesuit for 21 years and a priest for 7 years. I confess that I needed this time for my renewal, because I had started feeling I had no energy. My priestly ministry had become a routine, mechanical work. The inner longing for the divine and prayer were slowly snuffing out, and the meaning and purpose of my life was getting blurred. Therefore my tertianship came at an appropriate time.

I think I gained in these three areas:

Identity: My tertianship helped me discover my identity. Exploring one’s identity includes seeing oneself through the eyes of God and acknowledging one’s vulnerabilities and appreciating one’s strengths. So it entails both psychological and spiritual dimensions.

I prayed over ‘the appraisal report’ gathered from different companions of mine. I met with the tertian instructor frequently. I shared a lot with a tertian companion. In addition, sustained periods of silence, reflection, contemplation, spiritual reading, and various classes and sessions helped me pinpoint my identity. Now, I can confidently say that God constructs my identity, and I respect His making.

The Jesuit house is at Bikfaya town, situated at an altitude of 900 meters, about 45 minutes from Beirut, the capital city.

I pondered how I relate to myself, God, others and nature – how I give meaning to my dignity and self-respect – how I realize my commitment to my religious call and apostolic responsibility – my goal and origin – my moral compass, personal beliefs, desires and character. I came to see that my identity is that I am a loved sinner and so my entire life should be a response to His love.

Intimacy: My tertianship increased my intimacy with God and my beloved Order. Intimacy refers to the feelings of closeness, connection, care, belonging, trust, safety, affection, and ease among many. My long retreat, daily schedule, meaningful liturgy, prayer hours, and long walks accompanied by a meaningful conversation with companions helped me get close to my Lord and my God. I experienced God as someone very personal and so prayer became easier and tastier.

I discovered different modes of prayer from the books of Frs. Anthony De Mello and James Martin. Silence, Lectio Divina, meditation, contemplation, the examen, gratitude exercise, mindfulness, Vipassana, petitionary prayers and ultimately simple conversation and pouring ones’ heart to God helped me realize that my Lord is a loving and compassionate God, and he wants me to be the same. The 4^th Week of the Spiritual Exercises confirmed my God-image, who is full of love and wants to remain in communion with me and others. I realized also that love inevitably includes justice.

Regular classes on the Jesuit history, Constitutions, spirituality and autobiography of Ignatius and his letters made me wonder how fortunate I am to be a member of such a wonderful group of men. I felt blessed to have chosen such a Congregation. Reading about the Jesuit saints and the Blessed filled my heart with a desire to be true to the Jesuit legacy. I felt the urge to become a fire that kindles other fires for God and his people. 

Integrity: The challenge to become an integrated person was one of the persistent topics of our discussions during the tertianship. I always looked up to some of my fellow Jesuits who were integrated people, in whom no contradiction was found. They walked the talk. During my tertianship I realized I could try to live an integrated life, despite frequent failures. Our deliberations explored the relevance of an integrated life at personal, community, apostolic and governance levels. We realized that when integrity is absent we lose credibility. The last six months of my tertianship in Lebanon helped me experience inner freedom. This period of formation has made me believe I could hear God’s voice, experience his joy and love, and therefore live my life working for the poor and the marginalized. I will always look back on these six months I spent in this historically significant and beautiful country of Lebanon with joy and gratitude. 

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By Sahayaraj Stanley, SJ

A book that brings Pope Francis’ reflections on “Our Father,” the prayer that we love praying day after day.

I am happy to speak about a book that I recently enjoyed reading. This is a book that brings Pope Francis’ reflections on “Our Father,” the prayer that we love praying day after day and the very prayer that Jesus taught us.

This is a small book of 141 pages. It has ten chapters, with a preface by the Holy Father and an afterword by Marco Pozza, an Italian journalist who interviewed Pope Francis.

In this book, Our Father – Reflections on the Lord’s Prayer, the Holy Father says, “’Our Father’ gives me a sense of security – I do not feel uprooted.” I do not have the sense of being an orphan.” He recalls the words of Jesus to his apostles, “I will not leave you orphans” (John 14:18). The sense of being an orphan is a recurring theme in this small book. Pope Francis talks a lot about the love of the father, the love of the family, and the love of the grandparents, and emphasizes the fact that we are never abandoned as orphans in this world. He says that the world has lost the meaning of fatherhood and so suffers from ‘orphanism’.

The Holy Father points out that many of us would like to hold God as our “private property.” Instead of calling Him as “Our” Father, we want to possess Him as “MY” Father! One can understand how, in this age of market monopoly, this ‘patenting’ of God by the selected few in countries like ours is done systematically!

The Pope points out that today’s fathers are not ready to spend time with their children. He says that fathers should “waste” time with their offspring. Citing work or other reasons, today’s fathers fail to spend time with their kids. The absence of the father creates a vacuum in the lives of children. Are we ready to become ‘responsible fathers?’

The sense of being an orphan is a recurring theme in this small book. Pope Francis emphasizes the fact that we are never abandoned as orphans in this world.

Father in heaven: For the Pope, ‘heaven’ means the greatness of God, his omnipotence. Though God is great, he is close to us and walks with us.

Hallowed be Thy Name: God’s name needs to be revered and hallowed. But are we doing that? Don’t we fight in the very name of God? The Pope’s question is very relevant. When we pray, we need to ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit helps us to live well, to live with wisdom and love, and helps us do God’s will.

Thy Kingdom Come: The Holy Father here talks about the expression: “The protagonist of history is the beggar.”Luigi Giussani, an Italian theologian, coined this provocative statement. Giusssani writes that Christ begs for the heart of humans, and our heart begs for Christ. Pope Francis points out that the Kingdom of God belongs to material as well as spiritual beggars. Therefore “To say ‘Thy Kingdom Come’ is to be a beggar.

The Holy Father says that this Kingdom project of God needs our cooperation. God needs our participation, but above all, the kingdom of God is an initiative and a gift of the Lord.

Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven: If we are sincere and open with the Lord, we will be able to do his will, because God does not conceal his will. He makes it known to those who seek it.

Give us this day our daily bread: Pope Francis reiterates what he has been saying all along: The Eucharist is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak. It is our duty to feed the hungry. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Pope Francis says that feeding the hungry is an ethical imperative for the universal Church.

Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us: Forgiveness is connected with shame. If shame leads to forgiveness, it is grace. The Holy Father talks about three characters in the New Testament: Peter, the Good Thief  and Judas. We know the story of the first two. Regarding Judas, after betraying Jesus, he goes to the high priests, but they wash their hands. With guilt suffocating him, Judas goes and hangs himself. The Holy Father points out: If he had found Our Lady, things would have changed!

And lead us not into temptation: We know that recently the Pope changed this line. According to the Pope, God never tempts us. Temptation is the work of Satan. So, for Pope Francis, “Lead us not into temptation” is not a good translation. He says, “do not let us fall into temptation” – could be the correct translation. Therefore ‘lead us not into temptation’ is now changed into ‘do not abandon us to temptation’.

Deliver Us from Evil: According to the Holy Father, evil is not something intangible that spreads like the fog of Milan. Evil is Satan, a person who is very cunning. The Lord tells us that when Satan is driven out, he goes away, but after a certain period of time, perhaps after several years, he comes back with more cunning and tricks than before. He does not forcibly enter a house. No, Satan is very courteous; he knocks at the door, or rings the bell, and enters with his typical seductive charm, along with his legendary companions. This is the meaning of the verse’ “deliver us from evil.”

Citing poet Leon Bloy, the Pope says: “He who does not pray to God – prays to Satan.”

At the end of the book, the Pope quotes Goethe: “What you have inherited from your fathers, you must earn again to make it your own.” For us, the Our Father is an inheritance. However, it is not enough to inherit it; I must earn it to be able to truly call it my own. This is why it is important to return to our roots. Above all, in this rootless society, we must return to our roots, earn them again.

I found these words of Goethe very powerful, as they made me think of our Jesuit legacy. Our Society of Jesus has a very rich, long, legendary legacy. By becoming a Jesuit I have inherited this rich legacy, but if I do not earn it again and make it my own, I may not be worthy of being a Jesuit.

What the Pope says about the grandparents is interesting. The Holy Father says that we learn life from our grandparents, including our basic prayer life. He talks about his grandmother. That made me realize I was unlucky. I learnt my basic lessons about life, including family prayers, from my parents. I was not fortunate enough to learn anything from my grandparents. They were dead when I came of age! I’ll suggest that you read the Holy Father’s book to understand and appreciate better the sacred prayer that Jesus taught us, asking us to call God, ‘Our Father’.

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 By Arockiam Savarimuthu, SJ

“Why don’t you ask the Jesuit Fathers of the Sacred Heart College (SHC) to give you some of their lands in Kodaikanal?” asked the District Collector of Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.

“We want justice, not charity” was the sharp reply of Mr. Suppiah, one of the leaders of the freed laborers of Kodaikanal to the question of the District Collector. The Tamil Nadu Government had promised before the Supreme Court of India to provide each family of the laborers with two acres of agricultural land. But the laborers had to hold public protests in front of the Collector’s house in Dindigul for almost fifteen years to force the Government to fulfill its promise. During one of those protests, the Collector held a meeting with the labourers at which he asked the question with which I began this article. That was when Mr Suppiah responded they wanted justice – not charity.

The workers told the Collector that the SHC Fathers had done what they could – and that it was Government’s duty to do what it had promised 15 years ago. The laborers seemed to have better understood the meaning and purpose of the Jesuit properties in Kodaikanal than many Jesuits themselves. For I remember the fears of some Jesuits about the repercussions of the bonded labor struggle on their coffee plantations. While some Jesuits and their critics could only see the contradiction between their huge properties and the struggle for the rights of the oppressed, the struggling laborers could see how these could be a source of liberation and empowerment for them also. After all, have not the middle and upper classes (castes) benefited from the economic and institutional strength of Jesuit (and Catholic) missionaries till now?

The Tamil Nadu Government had promised before the Supreme Court of India to provide each family of the laborers with two acres of agricultural land.

‘A Royal Battle on Kodai Hills’ was the title of a front-page article written by Mr. T.N. Gopalan in The Indian Express on the struggles of the families of these bonded labourers in the Perijam forests of Kodai hills. About 200 of them lived there in the deep forests, not because they wanted to. They were cheated and looted, not once but three times. Their ancestors were taken to Sri Lanka in the late 19^th and the early 20^th centuries by the British to clear the bushes and create tea plantations on the hills of central Sri Lanka.  After they slogged and labored to harvest tea – one of the most flourishing export commodities of that country -, they were disenfranchised in 1960s by the Sinhala-dominated Sri Lankan Government.

Under an agreement between the Governments of India and Sri Lanka, about two lakh labourers were repatriated to India and rehabilitated in the dry regions of Tamil Nadu during 1970s. The housing contractors and the rehabilitation officers in India were no less cruel and exploitative than their British and Sri Lankan masters.  Their rehabilitation was so poorly executed that most of them were given lands in forests in the Nilgiris and Palani hills – again leading to their exploitation by forest contractors and logging companies in Kodaikanal hills.

It was to bring some relief to these laborers in Perijam forests, Fr. Thomas Joseph of Madras-Mylapore arch-diocese started Maithri (an organization for the relief and rehabilitation of Sri Lankan repatriates) and sought the help of Madurai Jesuits to manage it from SHC in Shembaganur. I was appointed in charge of this work in June 1985. I carried on the usual relief activities of distributing medicine to the wounded, maize and milk powder to the hungry, and running balwadis for the children in thatched sheds in the forests of Kodai hills. As days went by, I was growing uncomfortable with balming the wounds of exploitation. For, the workers there were by no means lazy or irresponsible. They toiled from 6 am to 10 pm and yet they were poor and hungry. Obviously they were not only denied their due wages but also their basic needs and freedom of movement to procure them.

A case was filed in the Supreme Court of India and a series of street protests by the workers in Kodaikanal town and Dindigul, the district head quarters were organized.

I discussed this issue with some Jesuits engaged in social action and lawyers in Madurai. After a meeting on the issue, a group of us went to the Sub-Collector of Kodaikanal, Mr. Gurnihal Singh and submitted a petition on the sorry state of the laborers. On receiving the petition, Mr. Singh immediately took action. He visited the area, conducted an inquiry and ordered the release of the laborers and payment of back-wages by the contractors. The next day the Sub-Collector was transferred from Kodaikanal!

And thus began a long battle for justice. A case was filed in the Supreme Court of India and a series of street protests by the workers in Kodaikanal town and Dindigul, the district head quarters were organized. After an inquiry for about five months by a one-man commission, the Court ordered the release and rehabilitation of labourers by the Tamil Nadu Government with a grant of two acres of agricultural land, two milch animals and a house to each family. The Court also reinstated Mr. Gurnihal Singh, the Sub-Collector, who was transferred overnight for his just, courageous act.

On 31 July 1986 there was a rally that ended with a public meeting in Kodaikanal to celebrate the verdict of the Supreme Court in favor of the laborers. Speaking at the meeting, Mr. Henry Tiphagne, Founder, People’s Watch, who took the case to the Supreme Court, said that as a lawyer it was only his duty to fight for the rights of the laborers. Mr. T.N. Gopalan, the journalist, who brought the issue to light, talked of his education from school to college at the expense of tax-payers, said that it was a debt he was repaying by writing about the plight of the laborers in Indian Express.

The person who spoke after him was Swami Agnivesh of Bonded Labor Liberation Front who followed the case in Delhi. Referring to some workers trying to touch his feet in respect as he walked through Kodaikanal streets during the rally, he said, “The food I eat and the clothes I wear are the result of your sweat and blood. I should rather touch your feet and honour you”. What came to my mind was the Gospel incident of Jesus washing the feet of his apostles. Isn’t it what Ignatius means by the third degree of humility in one of his meditations?

The Jesuit formation house in Dindigul, Beschi Illam (called Beschi College earlier) invited Mr. Gurnihal Singh to speak of his experience. At the end of his speech, somebody asked him about what motivated him to visit the laborers in the forests and order their release. He simply said that he was only doing his duty for the salary he received. Moreover, as an IAS officer, he was only following the Constitution of India which commanded that a sub-collector should release any person held in bondage anywhere in India.  What a great country India would be if only our education could produce citizens with similar thinking and consciousness! During the process of rehabilitation of the freed laborers, Kodaikanal revenue officials were trying to identify land for distribution to the laborers in Gundupatty area. In one case the laborers refused to accept a piece of land because it was taken from a poor widow. Their argument was that the government should take land for distribution from wealthy people who had encroached plenty of government land, and not that of a woman who was as deprived as they were. I became more and more convinced about what Jesus said about the poor and the persecuted. Blessed are they because theirs is the Kingdom of God.

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By V. Joseph Xavier, SJ

Blended learning is a new approach to learning. While it was adopted earlier, the pandemic imposed it on every educational institution. It combines online and face-to- face learning to create a more student-oriented and student-led learning experience (Sharma, Monica, 2019). Many organizations and private universities and institutions are seeing the benefit of using blended learning.

They find the mix between face-to-face learning and technology-based learning enriching and beneficial. Learning becomes fun and exciting.  

What is blended learning?

The essence of blended learning is that, learners integrate face-to-face learning and online learning to their advantage.  Blended learning is the combination of different teaching models (Chen et al, 2013).  The University Grants Commission (UGC) on its ‘Concept Note on Blended Learning (2021)’ says that blended learning, is not a mere mix of online and face-to-face mode.  It is a well-planned combination of meaningful activities in both the modes. The blend demands consideration of several factors, mainly focussing on learning outcomes and the learner-centred instructional environment.  It includes many modes of learning – face to face learning, online learning and distance or virtual mode. It also promotes use of vocational courses, multi-disciplinary courses and multi-modal approaches there by focussing on Blended teaching-learning”. 

The context of Blended Learning in India

The UGC, in its 547^th meeting held on 29 May 2020, decided that Higher Education Institutions should be allowed to teach up to forty percent of syllabus of each course through online mode and the remaining sixty percent syllabus of the concerned course could be taught in offline mode.  The New Educational Policy (NEP 2020) too recommends it. “Given the emergence of digital technologies and the emerging importance of leveraging technology for teaching-learning at all levels from school to higher education, the NEP 2020 recommends blended models of learning. (Hindustan Times, 2021)” 

Advantages of Blended Learning

The learner and the educator can interact with one another easily, even outside the class room. It encourages closer collaboration among the learners as they share ideas through group work and discussions, online and offline. The learner gets individualised support from teachers to meet her specific needs. She has greater access to learning materials from many sources like online platforms, blogs and learning management systems. 

Since the student can learn at her own leisure, it gives her a sense of ownership over learning. Comprehensive evaluations are possible. Through machine learning, she gets a real assessment of her performance. She can have online access to material from any library across the world.  

She learns by herself and this increases her research skills. She becomes self-driven, and  she takes responsibility for her learning. She can focus better, will have lower anxiety level and experience less peer pressure.

Parents can have access to the learning of their children. This provides better support, increases communication, and they have control over their children.   

Problems related to blended learning

The Indian education system, by and large, has been top-heavy.  The learner is not encouraged to learn on his own.  He is spoon fed and the examination system is memory based.  When students are used to this system of learning, it may be difficult to introduce the blended learning, which is heavily dependent on individual initiative. The student may be reluctant to accept this mode of learning. 

It has been found that students do not do the assignment or do not understand the modules assigned to them (Anil Kumar, 2021).  Some of the students have a tendency to copy from others. Online evaluations of students’ assignments  have revealed that quite a few students copy from the outline sources without understanding what they copy or they sit together and copy from one another. 

Since they are used to the old mode in school, introducing this at the higher education institutions is difficult. Blended learning should be introduced from the early stages as done in many affluent countries. (Chen et al, 2013)

Individual differences among the students and their aptitude may not be taken into account, when institutions switch over to blended learning. Another thing that may be lost is the social aspect of learning. Studies showed (Anil Kumar, 2012) that the students sensed a loss of social life and ‘cohort cohesion’. They found it difficult to reconcile the differences between virtual and physical learning.

While blended learning went well with the well-to-do students from urban areas, poor students and students from rural areas found it difficult to cope with the digital mode as they could not buy the gadgets needed for the blended mode. The rural areas suffered from irregular power supply and lacked the needed band width. 

Some of the faculty did not know how to integrate online learning with offline learning. In some places the ratio of faculty and students were too large for effective and regular interaction with students.

New role for teachers & students

Blended learning alters the role of the teacher. The teacher who was a knowledge-provider in the traditional mode becomes a coach and mentor in blended learning. He gets a more accurate picture of how each student is learning. Technology gives him detailed information about the specific skills the student is able to use at a given time.  He could intervene, if needed, at an appropriate time, and give the student needed support. He gets to know their struggles and to coach the student.  

Blended learning alters the role of the teacher. The teacher who was a knowledge-provider in the traditional mode becomes a coach and mentor in blended learning.

But for blended learning to be effective, the teacher should be willing to learn.  He should access, analyse and aggregate data.  He should use the data as an integral part of the planning process for each of his students. He must be open to new teaching strategies.  He should have wide range of content knowledge as he has to guide each student.  He should vary the instruction depending on the needs of each student. He must be a model learner who is able to show his students how to find information and answers. He must be an expert in leading students in project-based learning. 

This new mode requires the teacher to be able to apply his knowledge to find answers. He should learn to reason out, integrate and demonstrate knowledge. Only then he would be able to guide the student to interpret and analyse information.  

In blended learning, the student looks up to the teacher for guidance more than the traditional teacher.  Hence he should be a subject-expert and at the same time a collaborator with the students in their effort to learn.  

He should be patient and give opportunities to students to learn at their own phase.  He must learn to differentiate the learning preferences of students and help them accordingly. As their evaluator, he must be able to give effective feedback to students.    

Blended learning changes also the role of the student. He is enabled to become an active learner. He acquires knowledge by his own efforts and has control over his own learning.

The Indian Context

Development of technology in teaching and learning is the future of education all over the world. Many institutions, in semi-urban and rural areas may not have the required technology. They do not have the resources to make the required technology available to the faculty and students. A greater ratio of teachers and students is another requirement for successful blended learning.  

It was found that many poor students could not afford a laptop.  During the Corona lockdown, many students had to walk several kilometers to have access to net.

The present set of students, who were used to face-to-face learning, were all of a sudden introduced to online teaching, learning and evaluation.  So blended learning should start from the school.

For rural students the advantages of face-to-face learning are many. It improves their communication and social skills, and imparts values. They get better prepared for the job market.  Blended learning, on the other hand, encourages an individualized culture.

Conclusion

With all its advantages and disadvantages blended learning seems to be the future of education. There is no way of going back to the old, traditional mode of learning. Therefore educational institutions and governments should do all they can, without any delay, to make the best use of it for the sake of students, who have been affected in many ways by the pandemic that cruelly disrupted their educational and personal lives for more than two years.

References

Kumar, Anil:  Blended Learning in Higher Education Institutions:  A Comprehensive Study,  Proceeding of International Conference on Business Management and Information System, 2012 

Monika Sharma:   The Changing Role of Teacher in Blended Learning, www.allresearchjournal.com, 2019  

Shengjian Chen,Yun Lu:  The Negative Effects and Control of Blended Learning in University, International Conference on Education Technology and Information System (ICETIS 2013) 

UGC:  “ Blended Mode of Teaching and Learning – A Concept Note, 2021

Hindustan Times: Can blended learning be the way forward in higher eduaction?,  2021 

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By P.R. John, SJ

(Responding to INI’s questions, the Principal of a well-known Jesuit theologate reflects on the significance of a hugely popular tribal festival in Telengana, India)

This tribal festival, called Medaram Jatara, seems to attract huge crowds from various States of India. What could be its appeal? What exactly could draw so many people from so many places?

India is a cradle of pilgrimages. We have kumbhmelas, pushkaras and jataras. They are integral to the ethos of Indian people. Jatara, a Telugu word, means a ‘fete,’ ‘temple festival’ or a ‘collective gathering of people’. These religious gatherings take place following the lunar calendar and the devotees come together to experience a deep spiritual ecstasy, joy and reconciliation. The people of Telangana are fond of jataras. Many jatara stories fascinated me during my school days. Sammakka Sarakka Medaram Jatara attracts huge crowds because of the ‘moral values’ and the ‘patriotic feelings’ that it arouses. The festival helps the people relive the value of ‘freedom and self-respect’ exemplified in the martyrdom of Sammakka and Sarakka. The devotees perceive godliness in these two women who they believe hear their prayers, and protect and bless their land.

Who are girijans? Do they still live in forests? How many are they in Telangana? How do they make a living? 

Girijans are forest dwellers and they continue to live in forests. According to the Telangana Tribal Welfare Report 2018-19, there are 32 scheduled tribes in Telangana belonging to Koya, Gonds, Pardhan, Andh, Kolamas, Chenchus, Thoti, Konda Reddies, Lambada, Yerukala, Nakkala and Kammara. The tribal population account for 9% of the total population in the state. Their main occupation is hunting and agriculture, piggery and basket weaving. They have vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants. Some groups try to make a livelihood from sooth saying.

Tell us about the legend of Sammakka and Sarakka that is celebrated at this festival. 

In the thirteenth century, the girijan region of Khammam and Warangal districts of Telangana faced a severe drought which dried up the lakes. As a result, their chieftain Pagididda Raju, husband of Sammakka, could not pay the tribute to the Kakatiya King, Pratapa Rudra. The King sent his army to collect the tribute from girijans. This resulted in a war between the Kakatiyas and the girijans. Many, including Sammakka’s children – Sarakka and Jampanna – lost their lives trying to defend their land and people. Hearing this, Sammakka too joined the forces and fought valiantly attacking the Kakatiya army. Stunned by her bravery, the Kakatiya king invited her for peace talks. Being furious at the loss of her family and people, Sammakka refused to come to terms with the king and continued the fight. She promised her people that she would always defend and protect them. Though she managed to chase the Kakatiya army away, Sammakka got stabbed from behind. Wounded though she was, with undeterred spirit, she walked into the forest towards a hillock called  Chilakalagutta. When the girijans went in search of her, they only found a box containing vermillion (Kumkum) and a few bangles. Eventually the Kakatiya kingdom was defeated and overthrown. The girijans believe it was the effect of Sammakka’s denunciation. The devotees of Sammakka celebrate her valour and sacrifice, and the protection she offers her people, the girijans.

What happens during the days of the festival?

Two weeks before the full moon night in the month of Magha, the Koyas go to Chilakagutta to bring the sacred pots containing golden Kanikalu signifying Sammakka and Giddaraju to Medaram to celebrate the festival. During the procession, some of the Koyas offer oxen as sacrifices. Then a week later, the Koyas erect a sacred pandal (tent) for the deity at Medaram. In the third week, the Koyas belonging to the Kokkera group bring the golden Kanikalu wrapped in a black silk cloth and hand it over to the priests who belong to the Siddhaboyana group. Kannepalli, a girijan village near Medaram, is the abode of Sarakka. The idol of the deity is kept in a small thatched hut. One day before the arrival of the deity Sammakka, the Koyas belonging to Kaka group bring the idol to the sacred pandal called gadde (raised platform or the throne), erected specially at Medaram, and hand over it over to the priests. On two gaddes, one for Goddess Sammakka and the other for Sarakka, the priest places bamboo poles smeared with vermilion (for Sammakka) and turmeric (for Sarakka).

The festival helps the people relive the value of ‘freedom and self-respect’ exemplified in the martyrdom of Sammakka and Sarakka.

The ceremonial ritual begins after a holy bath, which they believe purifies them and absolves them from sins, in the river Jampanna Vagu, named after the memory of Jampanna, son of Sammakka. Coconut and jaggery are the main gifts offered to the deities, though animal sacrifice is a common phenomenon at the jatara. The koyas and the other neighboring girijans believe that the deities are the most powerful goddesses and offer coconut, rice and jaggery to the deities. Some of the devotees who had earlier vowed to offer Niluvetthu Bangaram (gold weighing equivalent to the individual’s weight) gift jaggery as a substitute for gold.  They also offer chicken, sheep and goats as sacrifices. On the third day, after the full moon day, they send both the deities Sammakka and Sarakka to their respective permanent abodes viz.. Chilakalagutta and Kannepalli.

Does Sammakka make you think of similar heroines – in the Bible and real life?

Sammakka-Sarakka Saga remind me of prophetesses like Deborah (Jges 4:4-5), and Huldah (2 Kings 22:11-20), queens like Esther (Esth 1:10-11) and Judith, others like Jael (Jgs 4:11, 17-22), Tamar (Gen. 38) and Ruth (3:1-13). The mother-daughter duo comes across as a paradigm for heroism, sacrifice and commitment to the liberation of the “little” people, the Dalits and Tribals. Like Shiphrah and Puah, the Hebrew midwives who acted against the Egyptian Pharaoh opting to defend the lives of Hebrew children (Ex. 1:15-22), Samakka dares King Pratapa Rudra. She epitomizes Shakti, power, and the sheer feminine energy, the primordial creative principle underlying the cosmos that challenges the hegemonies of culture and religion, and the subversive politics of discontent and dissent against all forms of injustice and violence. By deifying Sammakka, the girijans affirm that she is a nurturant mother who protects her community, responds to human problems, heals their sicknesses, and mediates between humans and the gods.

The revolutionary potency of the Sammakka-Sarakka symbol has been the inspiration for certain radical groups that have taken socio-political mileage out of this festival. Sammakka, who was stabbed from behind, reminds me of Sr. Rani Maria, stabbed more than forty times and lying on the side of jungle road, soaked in her own blood. We know that she was eliminated because she dared to feed and shelter the tribal poor of Udainagar against exploitation and harassment.

As a theologian, what do you think of the significance of this festival? 

I see similarities between the Sammakka-Sarakka saga and Jesus’ paschal mystery. The mother-daughter duo voluntarily sacrificed their lives in their battle against the powers of death and darkness, against the Pilates and Herods of their time. “No one takes it (his life) from me,” says Jesus, “but I lay it down of my own accord,” Jn 10:18. Their blood becomes the seed for a new religious future. In their wounds, the girijans affirm, they are healed. Isn’t this a great echo of the servant song (Is 53:5)? This is what is celebrated at the Eucharistic altar when we remember Jesus’ life as a sacrifice, as a “ransom for many.”

Sammakka, like Jesus, “builds the maternal, compassionate, sensitive, bearing relationship among people.” Besides, one can’t miss the parallelism between Sammakka walking into te forest with the arrows that have pierced her body and blood flowing and Jesus’s final journey via dolorosa (sorrowful way). Moreover, the exemplification at the gadde of the smeared bamboo poles – vermilion (for Sammakka) and turmeric (for Sarakka) – reminds me of the two beams that make up the cross?

The Sammakka-Sarakka saga has simply captured the imagination of the tribal people. The goddesses are alive today in the personal and collective memory of the girijans, who believe that the goddesses have been bestowed with divine powers to guard and defend the defenseless. At a time when female foeticide, infanticide, rape, molestation, kidnapping, abduction, battering, dowry deaths, murdering, and trafficking for Sammakka-Sarakka saga is a shining example of determined and courageous resistance. We may look at Sammakka as one who, by emptying (kenosis) herself, takes us to the ineffable mystery of God. She and her family do not cling to their lives but are ready for martyrdom to save their people. Sammakka gave herself totally to her community. Her death has become a life-giving memory etched in the collective consciousness of girijans. She died, but rises year after year, and lives in her people at Medaram.

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Interview with Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ

For this exclusive interview he granted to INI magazine, Cardinal Michael Czerny, SJ spoke to Fr. Pavulraj Michael, SJ, Professor, Gregorian University, Rome and a member of INI’s Editorial Board. Cardinal Czerny, 75, has already made a spectacular and inspiring contribution for migrants, refugees and HIV/AIDS victims. He talks of his birth in Czechoslovakia and childhood in Canada, his life as a Jesuit, the creative initiatives he started in Canada and Africa, his work at the Jesuit General Curia in Rome and now in Vatican as Prefect ‘ad interim’ of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. He shares also what he thinks of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the massive exodus of refugees it has caused.

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A Ukrainian Catholic boy praying pic.twitter.com/gDnUzlAbBb

— Sachin Jose (@Sachinettiyil) March 22, 2022

Good morning Cardinal! Thank you for the interview. Can your remarkable work for migrants and refugees be traced back to your family history? Your family left Czechoslovakia, where you were born, to settle down in Canada. 

Sometimes life takes strange turns. Human maps start in one place, embrace the planet and return home. Veľké  Slemence, the border that connects Ukraine to Slovakia, is about 500 kilometres from Brno, in the Czech Republic. Both cities belonged to a state that no longer exists today, Czechoslovakia. It was there, 75 years ago, that I was born. When I look back, it seems like fiction. I left Brno in 1948, at the age of two. My mother, Winifred Hayek Czerny, had been interned in the Terezin camp during World War II. Her parents were Catholics, but her grandparents were born Jewish and so she was classified as Jewish by the Nazis. My father, Egon Czerny, was also a Roman Catholic, but he was interned in the Postoloprty forced labour camp because he refused to divorce my mother. After the war, as soon as they were able, the Czernys looked for a chance to live elsewhere and went to Canada. That is my story and I am happy about it. 

Could you tell us about your vocation to the Society of Jesus? How did it happen?

Sure. Ten years after we arrived, I was lucky enough to enter the best secondary school in Montreal. Loyola High School was run by the Jesuits. There began a new journey. I had a great admiration for the Jesuits. I appreciated their life in community, their studies, their intellectual capacity, their commitment to the poor and their missionary service. All this combined with God’s call and, after graduating from high school, I entered the Society of Jesus in the novitiate in Guelph, Ontario.

You founded a Centre in Canada that dealt with social justice issues.

Inspired by what St Ignatius says in the Spiritual Exercises, I have a great desire to follow and serve Christ in the poor and excluded and oppressed. I was interested in literature, philosophy, social sciences, but I wanted to spend my life in a context that was not the university, but social. The option to live for ten years in a poor neighbourhood of Toronto gave me a helpful perspective, where I co-founded the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice, which helped with various social issues in Toronto, across Canada and in Central America.

What took you to El Salvador at a very difficult, challenging time for that country?

I went to El Salvador, in the years 1990-1991, to continue the work of the six Jesuits who were killed by the military, precisely for their commitment to the poor who had to resist terrible exploitation and repression. My work at the University of Central America was as director of its Human Rights Institute and as Vice-Rector for Social Outreach. In 1992, Father General called me to Rome and for 11 years I served as secretary of the Social Justice Secretariat at the Jesuit Curia.

You founded the African Jesuits AIDS Network and directed it for some time. What inspired you?

It was after my work at the Jesuit Curia that I went to Africa. I founded and directed the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), in support of African Jesuits and their colleagues engaged in the struggle against HIV/AIDS. I did this for 8 years, Then in 2010 I came back to Rome as councillor to Cardinal Peter Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

At this moment – the first week of March, 2022 – the whole world is watching thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their country because of the Russian invasion that began on 24 February and taking refuge in neighbouring countries. What do you think of this immense tragedy? 

In the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, we are echoing the words of Pope Francis, pronounced during the Angelus on Sunday, 27 February 2022. The Holy Father said, “Time and again we have prayed that this road [the war] would not be taken. And let us not stop talking; indeed, let us pray to God more intensely.” 

I also want to emphasize what the Pope and the whole Church have expressed several times, namely that “Those who wage war forget humanity. They do not start from the people, they do not look at the real life of people, but place partisan interests and power before all else. They trust in the diabolical and perverse logic of weapons, which is the furthest from the logic of God. And they distance themselves from ordinary people, who want peace. Ordinary people are the real victims in every conflict, who pay for the follies of war with their own skin.”

In the face of so much destruction and suffering, what can be our response as Christians and as citizens?

The Holy Father invited everyone “to make 2 March ‘22, Ash Wednesday, a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Ukraine. A day to be close to the sufferings of the Ukrainian people, to feel that we are all brothers and sisters, and to implore God for an end to the war.” I think we should do this throughout Lent: we must not cease to fast and pray, day after day, until the weapons fall silent and a reasonably just resolution has been found. We must join the Holy Father to care for the weakest, the most vulnerable, the elderly, those who seek refuge in these times, mothers fleeing with their children.” The Pope has pointed out that “those who come seeking refuge are our brothers and sisters. It is urgent that we open humanitarian corridors for them. We must welcome them.”

So everyone has to contribute to reconciliation, justice and peace.

Each and every one should take up what the Pope asked us to – pray and fast so that this war comes to an end quickly. We should welcome the refugees. We should keep telling those who are fighting what the Pope said so forcefully at St Peter’s Square: “With a heart broken by what is happening in Ukraine, I say,  “Put down your weapons! God is with the peacemakers, not with those who use violence.” Let us not forget the wars in other parts of the world, such as Yemen, Syria, Ethiopia…”

You have worked at the Jesuit General Curia in Rome for a long time. Now you are working in the Vatican Curia.  

I take the same perspective as Pope Francis: the power centre is not Rome. The Roman Curia is a magnificent hub of services to the local Churches. This understanding frees us from certain aspects of government that are too centralized and allows us to see beyond Rome to the periphery. Though the Roman Curia’s structures and traditions sometimes isolate us from each other, my overall experience is positive.

In the last five years I have been one of the two under-secretaries of the Migrants and Refugee Section, which works under the direct guidance of the Holy Father. Pope Francis is very much interested and personally follows the work: he listens, he encourages, he advises and often accepts our suggestions. Our challenge, in the Migrants & Refugees Section, is to be attentive to the many needs of people on the move throughout the world, and to support the Church accompanying them pastorally in their urgent needs. It is the local community which hears their calls and responds with generosity and sensitivity. So it is a joy to work with Pope Francis in the Roman Curia in support of the local Church all over the world.

Pope Francis made you a Cardinal in 2019. Does being a Cardinal make any difference?

Whether as a Jesuit priest until recently or now as a Cardinal, my work is the same – aimed at helping in all possible ways migrants and refugees. My journey continues. Now as Prefect ad interim of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development I have wider responsibilities.

Pope Francis has called the whole Church to prepare for the Synod of Bishops on Synodality. How do you understand the Church as synodal? What will be the effect of synodality on the Church as we know it?

It is immensely meaningful. It is an extraordinary step to put this ancient Church in motion. Synodality is the deep idea of the Second Vatican Council. After fading from view for a few years, we now have a Church that wants to accompany the world that needs us tremendously, because if we do not rediscover faith and hope we cannot continue to live on this planet; we will not have the moral strength to take care of our common home. The magisterium of Pope Francis repeatedly invites us to use the method of Vatican II. What do I mean by this? It is to rediscover the spiritual joy of being the people of God and the need to enter into dialogue with today’s world, serenely, without being defensive, to meet the other, the different. And synodality has to do with rediscovering ourselves as the sinful but forgiven people of God, with the real desire to dialogue and walk together, with those of other beliefs and with the whole of humanity.

This means having an inclusive mentality, reaching out to the whole of humanity. For example, the charitable and social services of the Church reach out to everyone in need, not just Catholics, going beyond caste, creed, religion and ethnicity. With Vatican II we rediscover ourselves as children of God, with Laudato si’ we learn to care for our common home, and with Fratelli tutti we learn to treat each other, not as strangers but as siblings.

Thank you, dear Cardinal.

Thank you.

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