July-September 2021

What can we do to reconcile our polarised world?

Cedric Prakash, SJ suggests ways in which Jesuits can work for reconciliation even though the world and the Church are polarized

By Cedric Prakash, SJ

We live in a world today which is broken and fragmented; where divisiveness and discrimination rule the roost; where xenophobia and jingoism polarise ethnicities and religions, classes and castes; where exclusion and exploitation are no longer empty jargon but the painful reality of millions. We have divisions between ideological groups: the left and the right; the progressives and the conservatives. In the Catholic Church, there are traditionalists (who are for a pre-Vatican II Church) as opposed to those who welcome the changes brought by Vatican II. Our world today cries out for healing and peace, based on justice and truth; this, however, will be achieved only if there is reconciliation at all levels.

Reconciliation is defined as “the process of two people or groups in a conflict agreeing to make amends or come to a truce.” There is much more to reconciliation than a textbook definition which could theoretically be relegated to an ‘agreement’ between two warring groups or even a ‘handshake’ after two little boys have quarrelled on an inconsequential matter. Reconciliation is essentially an attitude, a way of proceeding, a radical action, a conversion, a transformative experience, a movement. It is vibrant and leads to the betterment of and for all; it is the way one perceives reality in a given context and how one responds to that, given the inherent conflicts

What then are the challenges to reconciliation which emerge from the dangerously polarised world of today? To understand these challenges, one needs to look at certain pre-conditions which include:

Reconciliation never condones or absolves any wrongdoing.

The classic case in recent times is that of George Floyd in the United States. A white police officer pressed his knee now on the defenceless Floyd till life ebbed out of the latter. It brought to the fore the racial divide in the U.S. of how the blacks are, by and large, still treated in a society which professes equality. No amount of hand-holding or ‘forgive and forget’ will ensure healing if the systemic problem is not addressed and condemned at every level.

2. Reconciliation envisages an environment which not only calls out the wrong but where effective sanctions exist – official and unofficial- to address the wrong.

In India, gender discrimination is mainstreamed: women are harassed everywhere and in every way; domestic violence is on the increase; women have unequal opportunities for employment and are paid less than men. Existing legislation remains toothless, if there is no attitudinal change in a highly patriarchal society which is permissively ignores female foeticide

3. Reconciliation is never actualized, in a selective, one- sided approach which is enveloped in hypocrisy.

The Catholic Church in the United States is currently polarised as to whether President Joe Biden (a devout Catholic) should be publicly allowed to receive the Eucharist – given the official stand of the Democratic Party, which supports the right to choose. The proponents of this position make a case that abortion is not permitted by the Church; strangely enough, these very vociferous ‘Catholics’ see absolutely nothing wrong if their society promotes a ‘culture of death’ in other spheres: the military industrial complex which produces deadly weapons ; the abuse of guns which kill innocent people; nuclear proliferation; continuation of the death penalty in some States; the way illegal immigrants are treated; the consumption patterns of the average American which negatively impacts climate with disastrous consequences to the lives and livelihood of the poor across the globe.

4. Reconciliation necessitates a transparent and consistent search for truth and justice on the part of the perpetrator and the powerful

Conflicts never take place in a vacuum. Neither do injustices. It is, therefore, incumbent on those in power or the actual perpetrator, to take the first step towards healing. This does not mean that the suffering of the victim will disappear; but it does help. Some years ago, the then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd dedicated a day in his country as ‘the National Day to Say Sorry’. In doing so, he wanted every Australian citizen to acknowledge the harm they had done to generations of aborigines in Australia. That act began a journey of healing; merely saying “sorry” does not wipe away centuries of injustice but when it comes from those in power it does help the process of reconciliation.

5. Reconciliation needs a heart of forgiveness on the part of the victim.

One can never forget the pain and suffering one has gone through; for healing, one needs to ‘let go’ of the resentment and the revenge which gnaws at the heart of the victim. Whilst the due process of law and justice needs to take place, (so that crimes are not repeated), the one who has suffered also needs to internalise (however difficult) an attitude of forgiveness in order to move on.

In this Ignatian Year, dedicated to the 500^th anniversary of the conversion of St Ignatius, one needs to look into the challenges in internalising and radiating reconciliation in our polarised world of today. GC 36 in ‘Companions in a Mission of Reconciliation and Justice’ states, “we recognize the signs of God’s work, of the great ministry of reconciliation God has begun in Christ, fulfilled in the Kingdom of justice, peace and the integrity of creation. GC 35 recognized this mission. The letter of Father General Adolfo Nicolás on reconciliation and the teaching of Pope Francis have given this vision greater depth, placing faith, justice, and solidarity with the poor and the excluded as central elements of the mission of reconciliation. Rather than ask what we should do, we seek to understand how God invites us – and so many people of good will – to share in that great work.” (D.1 #3). Earlier GC 32 was unequivocal stating, “the mission of the Society of Jesus today is the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement. For reconciliation with God demands the reconciliation of people with one another”. (D.4 #2)

GC 35 spells out these challengesthat“as servants of Christ’s mission we are invited to assist him as he sets right our relationships with God, with other human beings, and with creation.” “Our world is the theater of a battle between good and evil,” the Holy Father reminded us: and so, we again place ourselves before the Lord in the meditation on the Two Standards. There are powerful negative forces in the world, but we are also aware of God’s presence permeating this world, inspiring persons of all cultures and religions to promote reconciliation and peace. The world where we work is one of sin and of grace”. (D.3#18)

The challenges to promote this ‘great ministry of reconciliation’ in our world which is one of sin and grace include:

To begin with oneself

Beginning with his own conversion- the cannonball movement, St Ignatius shows us that reconciliation begins with oneself. In the parable of the Prodigal Son, we have the dynamic of realisation, remorse, repentance, restoration and reconciliation. The Church gives us the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Fifty years ago (June 1971), the Synod of Bishops in the document ‘Justice in the World’ said,”in the face of the present-day situation of the world, marked as it is by the grave sin of injustice, we recognize both our responsibility and our inability to overcome it by our own strength. Such a situation urges us to listen with a humble and open heart to the word of God, as he shows us new paths toward action in the cause of justice in the world…while the Church is bound to give witness to justice, she recognizes that anyone who ventures to speak to people about justice must first be just in their eyes. Hence we must undertake an examination of the modes of acting and of the possessions and the life style found within the Church herself.”

To take sides

In the Spiritual Exercises, the exercitant is invited to take sides. Our stand must be visible and vocal: on the side of God, his suffering people and our common home. It cannot be otherwise. This is easier said than done; to live the gospel without compromise is a difficult mission. Fr Stan Swamy did so all his life and had to pay the price. Only when we make it clear on whose side we are, we will be able to begin the movement towards reconciliation.

To be inclusive

The reality which grips India today impinges on the rights and freedoms of all citizens: the migrant workers and farmers; the incarcerated under the draconian Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and citizens reported to be under surveillance. One can no longer indulge in the “sin” of diplomatic niceties and correctness. Jesus never did so. We have to get out of our comfort zones typified by our ‘compound walls’. We need to make common cause with like-minded people and movements of our times – to collaborate with all women and men of goodwill.

To engage in advocacy

Reconciliation is also a matter of being aware of facts, of the truth. It means maintaining public relations, interacting with the media and leveraging with decision-makers who can determine policy. GC 35, “urges all Jesuits and all partners engaged in the same mission, particularly the universities and research centers, to promote studies and practices focusing on the causes of poverty and the question of the environment’s improvement. We should find ways in which our experiences with refugees and the displaced on one hand, and people who work for the protection of the environment on the other hand, could interact with those institutions, so that research results and advocacy have effective practical benefits for society and the environment. Advocacy and research should serve the poor and those who work for the protection of the environment.”(D.3 #35)

To be prophetic

Reconciliation is a call to play a prophetic role in today’s ‘dark times’ plagued by growing communalism, casteism, corruption, consumerism and criminalization of society. In order “to announce the good news”, one has“to denounce what is wrong.” We have been complicit by our silence. Prophets take a stand – we have to do likewise! We need to encourage prophetic voices and to create prophetic approaches, to respond to the reality around us.

Reconciliation then is both a possibility and a must. In Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis provides us with a cue, “Peace in society cannot be understood as pacification or the mere absence of violence resulting from the domination of one part of society over others. Nor does true peace act as a pretext for justifying a social structure, which silences or appeases the poor, so that the more affluent can placidly support their lifestyle, while others have to make do as they can. Demands involving the distribution of wealth, concern for the poor and human rights cannot be suppressed under the guise of creating a consensus on paper or a transient peace for a contented minority. The dignity of the human person and the common good rank higher than the comfort of those who refuse to renounce their privileges. When these values are threatened, a prophetic voice must be raised.” (# 218)

Fr. Cedric Prakash, SJ (GUJ) is a well-known human rights, reconciliation and peace activist. He is a writer who writes regularly for Catholic and secular magazines. A recipient of several international and national awards, Cedric is currently engaged in Advocacy work.

Where is God in the Pandemic?

Michael Amaladoss, SJ responds to the question, ‘Where is God in the pandemic?’

By Michael Amaladoss, SJ

People, experiencing the pandemic – the number of people dying all across the world, with no sure remedy in sight – may be tempted to ask this question. This question, of course, betrays a particular vision of God. God is seen to be the Creator and Master of the universe. He is managing everything. If this is so, why isn’t God doing something to control the pandemic?

Before trying to answer this question, I would like to evoke another moment in history when the same question could have been asked. Almost 2000 years ago, outside Jerusalem in Judea, on a small hillock, three people were hanging on crosses and dying. One of them was Jesus, who was proclaiming the arrival of the Kingdom of God. But there he is hanging on the cross. One could very well ask: “Where is God here on Calvary?” People, who believe that Jesus is divine, could very well ask further: “Why is God hanging on a cross?” The disciples may not have been full believers yet. But at least Mary knew who Jesus was. She remembers the words of the angel at the annunciation. And she could very well ask the question: Why is God hanging on a cross?Jesus, of course, rises again and shows himself to Mary and his disciples. But even then the question would not go away.

It is true that God created the world. But God created the humans as free persons. They were not automatons whom God could manipulate, as dolls in a show for children. They were free beings who could do what they wanted. We know from the story in the book of Genesis that the first humans chose precisely to do what they wanted – eat the forbidden fruit -, not what God wanted. We know what happened.They were driven away from the garden. They had to work for their food, suffer and die. Actually, in the very first generation, Cain killed Abel. History has been a story of conflicts, wars and murders. Where is God in all this?

Actually, it will be helpful to consider what kind of world God has created. He did not make a perfect cosmic machine that runs to order according to a pre-determined plan. Science tells us that the world has evolved following a big bang. The planet earth slowly cools down. Plants and other living beings emerge on the land and the sea. Finally the humans also come into being. Scientists still discuss whether there was only one original couple (in Africa?) from whom the whole human race evolves or there were many couples in many places. We still do not know whether there are other living beings, even intelligent ones in other stars and planets of the world. At the moment we occasionally hear about Mars and the possibility of finding water and perhaps forms of life there. We cannot either affirm or deny it. The humans too evolve and spread across the earth. God is not micro-managing all this process of evolution. God lets things evolve according to natural laws.

Once God has created living human beings with intelligence and freedom, God does not interfere with their evolution and development either. The humans evolve, spread across the universeand create their many languages and cultures. They have the earth and all its resources at their disposal. The humans are free to use them. But unfortunately they are also free to abuse them. So at the moment we see the humans destroying creation in various ways. They are even planning to migrate to other planets like Mars. Some would say that, over the centuries, the earth may become so unlivable that the humans will have to migrate to other planets like Mars.

God has not, however, left the humans totally to themselves. As late as a few thousand years ago, he sent leaders like Moses and the Prophets and finally God’s own Son Jesus Christ. Their goal is not to bring about some miraculous transformation. Talking only about Jesus Christ, whom we believe to be God-become-human, he proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God. This will not be a miraculous intervention of God. The Kingdom that Jesus proclaimed is to be a community of freedom, fellowship and justice. By establishing the Church, Jesus showed that such a community is possible. The only commandment that Jesus gave was to love each other as He loves them. This love has to be shown, as He himself did, in serving, sharing and self-giving. The early community was commissioned to do this and had some success. We read in the Acts of the Apostles: “All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people.” (Acts 2:44-46)

But such practice did not last long. Even within the, so called, Christian world there have been divisions, conflicts and wars. In the 16^th century when routes were discovered to Asia and the Americas from Europe, the Christian countries in Europe colonized the rest of the world, exploited the people there and in the name of culture and science, destroyed creation too. Great numbers of people lost their lives, not only by natural calamities like the pandemics, but also by wars and famines. There have been plagues in the past too in which thousands of people lost their lives. Some of these pandemics may have come out of nature, of course abused by the humans. Others may have been human made. We hear of many saints who lost their lives assisting the people who were suffering from some form of the plague. One such saint that comes to my mind immediately is St. Aloysius Gonzaga. Mother Theresa and her sisters help many people suffering in that manner. There have been many others, known and unknown.

We are now living in the midst of a pandemic – the Corona pandemic – that has been affecting and killing thousands of people across the world, now going beyond a million. Let me now come back to our question. Where is God in this pandemic? The first thing that we have to be clear about is the origin of the pandemic. The source of this pandemic is said to be some virus affecting bats in a lab in Wuhan in China. But now scientists exploring the case have said that this virus, which may have had its origin in bats, has been manipulated by scientists there and enabled to attack the humans. Probably this may have been planned as a weapon in a situation of war. But it got out of hand, infected the people working in the laboratory in Wuhan and through them affected other people and has now spread across the whole world and affected millions, killing at the moment at least a million persons. It remains an unanswered question whether it spread among the humans by mistake or it was done consciously. So this is not a God-created virus, but something man-made. But, whatever be the source of the virus, when there are people dying in thousands, where is God?

God is not miraculously intervening, killing the virus and healing the people in miraculous ways.This is not the way God functions in the world God has created where there are free humans. God leaves it to the humans to seek to do the needful. The humans have got busy. Some, like the medical personnel, doctors and nurses, have cared for the sick and some of them have lost their lives in the process. Others, who are scientists, have sought to analyze the virus and discover medicines for it. Governments across the world have been inoculating their people with these injections to protect them. They have also adopted methods like lockdowns and have advised people to use masks, keep social distancing and wash hands. That some people in some areas do not observe these precautions is one reason why the virus is still active. But it has been controlled in other places where the people have been observing the restrictive protocols. The governments have also tried to vaccinate as many people as possible in the countries across the world. Some poor countries are even give the vaccine free of cost or at cheaper rates. On the other hand, some private hospitals are making money by charging the patients exorbitantly.

So we can conclude now. God has not caused this pandemic. But now that this pandemic is there where is God and what is God doing? God is handling the problem in the usual way. God is present and active in and through the humans: the doctors, nurses and other care givers, some of whom have nobly sacrificed their lives in the process; the scientists who have worked hard to discover the vaccines; the companies that produce them and the government that is vaccinating the people as many and as soon as possible and finally the many people who are praying. So God is there helping us, free humans, to help ourselves. Hopefully, we will be free of the virus shortly!

Fr. Michael Amaladoss, SJ (CEN) is an internationally known theologian, who has authored several books and articles. He has served as Principal and Rector of Vidyajyoti, Delhi and Jnanadeepa Vidyapeeth, Pune. As a General Assistant, he served at the Jesuit General Curia, Rome for twelve years. A trained Carnatic musician, Amal has composed music for a number of popular Tamil hymns.

All about ‘Apostolic Preferences’

In an exclusive interview to INI Fr. John Dardis, SJ, General Assistant, explains the significance of UAPs and PAP

Interview with Fr John Dardis, SJ

Please tell us the history of UAPs. When did this practice of Jesuits discerning and discussing to fix their preferences or priorities begin?

The 36^th General Congregation asked Fr General to review the Society’s apostolic preferences. The process was launched in late 2017 with a letter of Fr General. After that:

Communities and works made a discernment on where they felt the Lord was calling the Society for the next ten years.
They sent the fruits of this discernment to their major superior who in turn had a discernment of their own.
Each Conference of Provincials made a further discernment in the light of the material received. Conference Presidents sent the fruits of their discernment to Rome.
Finally, in January 2019, for over a week, Fr General met with his Extended Council of about twenty-five people.

GC 36 had asked for maximum participation. Starting at the base, with communities and works, was a way to involve people, to give encouragement and to say “Even if you feel you cannot do a perfect discernment you can still make a beginning. Don’t be afraid”. It was a way to move through any resistances and to rediscover that the Holy Spirit works in every person.

At the start, while there was clarity about the task of discerning Apostolic Preferences, there were some hesitations. Some people felt “How can we – working locally, in Mumbai or in Caracas, in Kenya or in Manila – how can we know what Universal Preferences should be?” Father General gave key leadership at this moment. He said, “Do not doubt but trust. You know more than you think. Go ahead. You know a lot through global media and in our globalized world. Be courageous!”

There was flexibility and room for innovation. Guidelines were given …but not in a narrow way. Some Provinces decided to do a really extensive consultation. Other Provinces – especially if they had already gone through recent processes of restructuring or planning – did something more limited.

Discerning serious issues takes time. When the material arrived in Rome, there was an amazing congruence already; so much so that some people were saying, “The results are obvious. Do we need so many days? Maybe it will all be done quickly.” But we needed to ponder the issues in our hearts, not just in our heads. We needed time for prayer; time in small groups; time to listen.

We finished the discernment with some iconic moments. Starting from the chapel of Madonna del Strada in the church of the Gesù, we made a short procession to the tomb of St. Ignatius. We lit candles for the different apostolic Sectors and Regions of the Society, for the Society as a whole, for those working in the General Curia, for those in formation and for our collaborators. We then processed to the tomb of Pedro Arrupe, singing “En Todo Amar y Servir” and then on to a small chapel in the scholastic house of the Gesù. After that we moved to the rooms of St Ignatius where Fr General celebrated Mass.At the end of the process, general council members felt consoled, joyful and energised.

Are the UAPs more indicative in nature – i.e. tell Jesuits, ‘These are the urgent, important issues’ or do they obligate them to prioritize these?

The preferences give orientations, compass points, that guide local provinces and regions as they discern priorities and actions for their local situations.

How did Fr. General finally come to declare these four as the UAPs? Could you describe the process?

After the meeting of the extended council the General himself took some time to pray. He f0rmulated the preferences, taking care especially to express them as calls to action. You can notice that the preferences are expressed not just as single words such as “Faith” or “The Poor” or “The Youth”. Rather they are expressed with verbs of action:

To show the way to God…through the Spiritual exercises and Discernment
To walk with the poor, the outcasts of the world, those whose dignity has been violated, in a mission of reconciliation and justice
To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future
To collaborate with Gospel depth for the protection and renewal of God’s creation

Fr Sosa sent the fruits of his prayer to the Pope who confirmed these four preferences as a mission for the Society.

Can you tell us about what you learned, what you gained from this process?

From this process of the UAPs we learned a lot, we received many graces and arrived at a deep clarity. We were aware that we were following what the First Companions did in Venice: praying and sharing together, making ourselves available to the Pope and to the mission of the universal Church. Since we want to play our part in making the Kingdom of God become real in our world today, we should ensure that our dreams and desires are aligned with those of Jesus, so as to follow Him joyfully with humility and in poverty. We learned that discernment gives us all a valuable tool and that a discerning lifestyle is key. Discernment is fundamentally about a desire to be with Jesus and having our lives aligned with Him. Discernment does not depend on learning some new skills – although skills can help – but about having a discerning will and living with a generous spirit.

Once the UAPs are announced after a long discernment process, all that the individual Province have to do would be to implement them in their own context, right? Then why should each Province come up with its own Province Apostolic Preferences (PAPs)? If each Province could have its own PAPs, what happens to UAPs? Who will implement UAPs?

Implementation is key and for good implementation you need involvement at every level. We don’t want the UAPs to be words on a page. And we don’t want a top-down planning with priorities imposed from above. The UAP are expressions of how the Spirit is calling the Society as a whole; but the Spirit speaks locally, not just globally. So each province or region has to continue discerning. The Spirit is leading us….we have to keep listening …every day. We cannot just do a ‘once in ten years’ discernment …and then say “Ok, that is over. Now we take back control”. No! We need to learn that the Spirit is in charge and to learn humble dependence.

What was the feedback from Pope Francis, a Jesuit?

The most important point Pope Francis made was that the first preference is primordial – the call to show the way to God through the Spiritual Exercises and Discernment. This is the foundation. And we cannot show the way to God unless we ourselves are trying to find the Way.

Are women left out or would they find their place among the marginalized and youth?

One of the graces of the process was to learn that we needed outside help. And we got it – from a woman! Dr Christina Kheng from Singapore facilitated the discernment process of the General Council. Having someone who was outside the General Curia structure opened us to new perspectives. It gave us flexibility; it gave us a whole different way of seeing things. An accomplished Spiritual Director and skilled in management and planning, Christina made her interventions in a simple but profound way. As a woman she brought a sensitivity and a different style of listening that was invaluable. Local provinces and regions are invited to involve lay people and other religious – women as well as men – as they discern the way forward.

Is there any mechanism in place to examine how far the Jesuits have adopted these apostolic preferences as their own?

Almost every province or region has allowed itself be guided by the UAPs and has taken them as key orientations for their planning. We see this in the apostolic plans that arrive here for the approval of Fr General. Also the annual letters that come to Rome give important feedback. And the upcoming Procurators’ Congregation in 2023 will be a chance to “take the temperature” of our life and mission in the context of the UAP. The Society is finding consolation in the UAPs.

If Jesuits let themselves be guided by these Apostolic Preferences, what will they gain in their daily lives?

Having to think beyond the local stretched our imagination. We saw the Trinity contemplating our broken world and we asked: “How can we help? How can we serve?” These are questions for the everyday life of each Jesuit. If we keep asking them, we will find renewal and hope; we will be more and more His companions; we will be true contemplatives in action.