In recognition of the challenges and issues brought about by increased globalisation, the provinces of Japan and Korea have agreed to a greater degree of exchange and cooperation to serve the Society’s mission.
A Theological Cooperation Working Group has been formed to review Jesuit theological formation in Asia Pacific and develop realistic ideas to upgrade the quality of theology taught to scholastics in this part of the world.
The group of 12 Jesuits actively involved in theological formation met with JCAP President Fr Mark Raper SJ from April 17 to 19, and will henceforth meet once a year. It was agreed that members are to be specifically delegated by their major superior and are expected to be deans of theological schools empowered to take and implement decisions.
Some 30 Jesuits from five continents gathered at Boston College in April for a three-day conference on networking within the Society. Also at the conference were lay people, who along with the Jesuits are from various levels of Jesuit governance and apostolic works.
The Society is now at a new stage brought about by a couple of converging factors – the demographic realities and how we can best serve the universal mission today.
Our numbers have been in decline for the last 40 years – from over 30,000 in the 1960s to fewer than 18,000 today. The steep declines in Europe and North America and consistent decline in Latin America have not been offset by the significant increase in South Asia and a small rise in Africa.
Fr Matthias Joon-ho Chae SJ died suddenly, aged 57, on April 1 in his hometown, Daegu, in Korea. Fr Matthias oversaw the rapid expansion of the Society in Korea during the last 20 years. On completing his PhD in counseling in the USA, he was appointed Formation Delegate for the Korean Region. He was later Superior of the Korean Region and then the first Provincial of the Korean Province in 2005. Since 2009, Fr Matthias served as the first Formation Delegate for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific.
While he was in Australia in January, Fr General Adolfo Nicolás SJ responded to questions on vital areas for the Society in the country, including refugees, communications and social justice.
Refugees
How can we advance and expand the educational work that is being done to foster peace-building and reconciliation in post-conflict settings?
Following the launch of A Profile of a Formed Jesuit in late 2011, Jesuit Houses, especially houses of formation, have been studying how they can incorporate it into their programmes. Arrupe International Residence (AIR) is one of these.
The 10 tertians in the Asia Pacific Tertianship completed their six-month tertianship in early March. One of them, Fr John Sullivan SJ, contributed this reflection on the experience.
Fr General Adolfo Nicolás SJ was in Australia in January for the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific Major Superiors Assembly. During his visit, he delivered an address to members for the Australian Province and its companions in which he identified the nurturing and formation of young people as a central concern for the Society of Jesus in the 21st century.