From September 8 to 13, the European Meeting of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network took place at the Casa da Torre (Soutelo, Portugal), gathering over 40 national directors and coordinators from 18 countries, including Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, the Vatican, Germany, Malta, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Poland, Denmark, Hungary, Austria, and Ukraine. The meeting was attended by Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, International Director, and Fr. Miguel Pedro Melo, SJ, International Vice-Director. Deepening the Mission in the Present Time The first day was dedicated to reflecting on and deepening the identity and mission of this pontifical work in the current context of the Church and the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV. These moments of discernment helped renew the understanding of the Prayer Network as a service of compassion for the world, in tune with the challenges of humanity and the mission of the Church. During the following days, key topics were addressed to strengthen the life and service of the national teams. The role of the national director and their teams was discussed, seeking tools to accompany the mission in each country with greater closeness and effectiveness. Work was also done on the Eucharistic Youth Movement (EYM). There was a deeper focus on the mission of accompanying children and young people in their friendship with Jesus and in living a Eucharistic spirituality. A particularly significant moment was the participation of Fr. Vitaliy Osmolovskyy, SJ, who, despite the difficulties imposed by the war, obtained special authorization to leave Ukraine and share the reality of a mission that unfolds amidst the suffering and hope of his people. His presence led to one of the most moving moments of the meeting when a local group of the Eucharistic Youth Movement from Portugal surprised Fr. Vitaliy with a donation for humanitarian causes in Ukraine, thus expressing their closeness and fraternal prayer. Finally, the last day was dedicated to the shared mission and collaboration with various ecclesial actors, such as Episcopal Conferences, Apostolic Nuncios, and other works of the Church. Fruits of the Meeting At the final Mass, Fr. Cristóbal Fones, SJ, recalled that the Network is at the service of the Church and Christ’s mission, encouraging all national teams to respond to humanity’s challenges through prayer, service, and spiritual formation, especially in favor of peace, identified as the great challenge of our time. The European Meeting was a time of prayer, reflection, and fraternity that strengthened the bonds between countries and renewed the commitment to the common mission.

Father Arturo Sosa visited the Province of Slovenia from 19 – 20 September. A key highlight of his trip was the centenary celebration of the St Ignatius of Loyola House of Spiritual Exercises in Ljubljana which was built in 1925. The celebration began with the Holy Mass presided over by the Provincial, Fr Miran Žvanut, in the presence of Father General. During the homily, Father Sosa explained the importance of having our lives rooted in our relationship with Christ, stressing that every social action must necessarily be enlivened by faith and prayer, not just human planning or technical solutions; otherwise, it risks losing its meaning. Turning his attention to the centenary celebration, Father General described the retreat house as a place where people come to “catch their breath”, withdraw from daily pressures, and encounter God – but also as a place meant to send people back into the world. He explained that a retreat house should be characterized by the double movement of breathing – inhaling and exhaling. While a retreat offers time away from the regular rhythm of life, prayer and discernment should also lead to action. In this regard, those who do the Exercises are to re-enter into the world after encountering the Lord, seeking to better “love and serve” in the concrete circumstances of their own lives. Father General went on to highlight the increasingly important role of lay collaborators in the mission of the Society of Jesus. Citing the Korean martyrs of the 19th Century, whose memory was celebrated during the Mass on 20 September, he pointed out that 92 of the 103 canonized martyrs were lay people. The Mass was followed by a gathering during which Fr Damjan Ristić, accompanied by guitarist Simon Perovnik and violinist Ela Perovnik entertained those present with inspirational music. The gathering also provided the opportunity to share some of the experiences of those who had done the Spiritual Exercises at the St Ignatius of Loyola retreat house in the past. Sonja Pungertnik, the current director of the House of the retreat house, shed more light on its history. She said that the house has carried a lesson for all the people who have “built” it over the years. Recalling its eventful past, she focused on the ability to draw from past experiences in order to inspire both the present and the future. Pungertnik emphasized that today, as a hundred years ago, the need for a place to encounter God remains the same, and it is important to know how to listen and work in tune with the times and according to the needs of people.

On 11 September 2025, JCEP had the joy of welcoming two newly appointed European Provincials: Fr Pavel Bačo SJ, Provincial of the Czech Province (BOH), and Fr Ronny Alessio SJ, Provincial of the Euro-Mediterranean Province (EUM), which includes Albania, Italy, Malta, and Romania. They were accompanied by Fr Gonzalo Villagrán SJ, newly appointed Socius of the President of JCEP. The visit began at the Chapel for Europe, where the Provincials discovered the ecumenical mission of this Jesuit-led space at the heart of the EU Quarter. They learned how the Chapel offers a place of prayer and reflection for people engaged in European affairs, while also fostering dialogue between Christian traditions. At the Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC), staff presented their work in Brussels and highlighted collaborations with other Jesuit institutions across Provinces and the wider Society of Jesus, including global initiatives such as the ongoing COP30 campaign. The encounter gave the Provincials a deeper insight into how JESC connects Ignatian spirituality with social, political, and ecological issues in the European context. A joint coffee break with the team of JRS Europe followed, providing an informal moment of fraternity before the Provincials continued their visit at the JRS offices. Welcomed by Director Fr Alberto Ares SJ, they engaged in dialogue about projects underway across Europe and the pressing challenges of migration and asylum. The exchange reaffirmed the shared Jesuit mission to accompany, serve, and advocate for refugees and forcibly displaced people. The Provincials also met with the Coordinator of Religious Teachers at the European Schools of Brussels, Annie Thumelaire. They gained insight into the opportunities and challenges of teaching religion in a multilingual, multicultural setting. This series of encounters offered the Provincials a living picture of Jesuit apostolic engagement in Brussels—spiritual, social, intellectual, and educational. Their visit confirmed the richness of collaboration across Provinces and institutions, as Jesuits and their partners seek to respond together to the Universal Apostolic Preferences in the European context.

On the evening of 25 September 2025, the Chapel for Europe gathered with its ecumenical friends to celebrate the Ecumenical Opening Prayer, marking the start of a new social year. The evening was both prayerful and joyful, as participants from different Christian traditions came together in a spirit of fraternity and common faith. This year, the celebration was inspired by the anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, whose reflection on the Trinity continues to unite and challenge Christians today. In this spirit, the community prayed together for a world of peace—entrusting to God the many situations of conflict, division, and suffering that weigh heavily on our societies. The prayers, hymns, and silence created a moment of shared hope and renewed commitment to Christian unity. The Opening Prayer also served as a symbolic new beginning for the Chapel’s activities, offering a space for ecumenical encounter and reflection in the heart of Brussels. The gathering reaffirmed the Chapel’s mission to foster dialogue, mutual respect, and collaboration among churches, and to connect faith with the pressing challenges of our times. The Chapel for Europe, located in Brussels, is an ecumenical initiative supported by different Christian traditions and religious orders. Founded in 2001, it seeks to be a place of prayer, reflection, and dialogue at the heart of the European institutions. The Chapel welcomes people of all faith backgrounds who live and work in Brussels—especially those engaged in European affairs—and offers a space where spirituality, culture, and politics can meet in a spirit of openness, peace, and unity. The Chapel for Europe extends their heartfelt thanks to all who joined for this celebration and look forward to walking together during the coming year.

The Collège Loyola has just opened its doors in Marseille, marking the arrival of a third Jesuit educational institution in the city. In its inaugural school year, 48 students in the equivalent of “sixth grade” have been welcomed, in what is envisioned as a future community of some 500 pupils. The new college is located in a developing quarter to the north of the city, still under construction, and its first cohort arrives in a space without inherited traditions—“a great white canvas,” as one educator put it. The launch day, Tuesday 2 September, was described by staff and students alike as historic. After initial class time with homeroom teachers, the students participated in a theater workshop to foster awareness of their new role as secondary-school pupils. Teachers, many transferred from the established Jesuit école de Provence in Marseille, showed strong dedication, immersing themselves in the challenge of making the new college come alive. The motto for the endeavor is “la grâce du commencement” (the grace of beginning). That phrase captures both the excitement and the fragility of starting fresh: the administration acknowledges the uncertainty ahead (“no one knows what the future holds”) but also approaches it with trust and readiness to commit deeper to the project. In preparation for this first year, the Jesuits undertook careful groundwork. Plans had been laid for staffing, pedagogical orientation, and integration into the local context. The challenge is not only to offer quality education but to foster social, cultural, and academic diversity—reflecting Marseille’s own cosmopolitan character—and to turn that diversity into a strength rather than a division. From day one, the school community sees itself as more than a new building. The educators envision a spirit of collaboration and mission, rooted in Jesuit identity, to guide students toward not only academic formation but moral, spiritual, and communal growth. The fact that many of the staff came from long-standing Jesuit institutions helps link this fresh beginning to a living legacy of education in Marseille. Though still in its infancy, Collège Loyola is being built on hope. The school aims to become a lasting presence, a place where students can grow in knowledge, empathy, and service. This venture stands as a bold testimony: even in a changing urban and social environment, the Jesuit educational tradition seeks to sow seeds of excellence, inclusion, and faith for decades to come.

On Wednesday, 10th September, Ursula von der Leyen delivered her annual State of the Union speech, the first of her second term as President of the European Commission. She styled it as a call to unity for a Union embattled, fighting for an independent place in a hostile world. If her previous exercise, in September 2023, appeared to us a bit too self-congratulatory and falling short of taking Europeans’ worries seriously, this speech was definitely an attempt to address head-on the challenges facing Europe: geopolitical, social, and ecological. Her opening on continued support for Ukraine was not unexpected. While forceful, it was also fairly consensual thinking, stressing the need for more sanctions as well as more European help for Ukraine’s institutions and defense industry. Her obvious frustration with European divisions on Gaza was perhaps less expected, announcing reduced cooperation with Israel where the Commission has the authority to do so, along with propositions to the Council to suspend part of the Association Agreement or to sanction violent settlers and nationalist ministers. Finally, confronted with a shifting world order, courtesy of Trump, Putin, and Xi, von der Leyen defended her policy of pushing for more trade alliances (Mercosur), all while minimizing the impact of US vagaries and attempting to make the EU less reliant on China.  In the line of listening more to citizens, social concerns took a front seat. Actions on a quality jobs act, on a strategy against poverty or on various living costs aspects (energy, housing, food, cars) were announced. In a broader societal context, her intervention also focused on the traditional press and social media, defending the role of the former as democracy’s backbone and promising to protect children from the dangers of the latter.  Ecological concerns also popped up here and there in the speech. A mention of farmers as “custodians of our lands and oceans, our biodiversity.” A development on the circular economy. A defense of electric cars. A recognition of the impact of climate change on forest fires. A reminder of the goals on emission reduction, those already agreed for 2050 as well as those proposed by the Commission for 2040. This said, while there is much we can agree with, we must point out underlying concerns on how these various challenges are tackled and what is missing in the speech.  It is obvious when it comes to ecology: policies apparently must be sold for their tangible economic (opening new markets) or geopolitical (independence) benefits they bring. They also favor, as often, a very technological approach, with a focus on “green” energy. If a circular economy is mentioned, it is in a narrow perspective of having the materials to produce ever more. If that is what it takes to save elements of the Green Deal (thankfully mentioned), so be it. But one cannot help but wonder if this technological mindset is at the level of cultural change required to confront the roots of the ecological crisis. On social aspects, the main worry is evidently the lack of strong competences of the EU, which could lead to disappointing results. Time will tell. Von der Leyen also calls for “all of society, all lawmakers and all stakeholders to come together” in tackling the housing problem. This presupposes a healthy society, in which civil society is vibrant and local initiatives are supported. The approach of the Commission with civil society will be under test in the coming months and years. Funding for civil society initiatives will probably be reduced under the upcoming financial framework. Even more fundamentally, a delicate balance will have to be found by the soon-to-come Democracy Shield aiming to fight disinformation without smothering free speech and association. On geopolitics and trade, the silent part is what constitutes just trade. As for now, it is mostly considered through the lens of Europe’s interests and competitiveness. How political, social, and environmental concerns will survive this focus is anyone’s guess. The recent undermining of the due diligence directive is not inspiring a lot of confidence. Neither is the treatment of the migration question. Considered only under the perspectives of increasing returns of denied asylum seekers and of the fight against human trafficking, the approach is purely defensive, with little thought given to the root causes of migration. Sadly, nothing new here in the last two years. But all this might be missing the point. Von der Leyen evidently attempted to offer bridges to the various partners of her coalition in the Parliament: keeping competitiveness at the front while defending some social and climate goals, defending her deal with Trump while playing up her red lines on digital regulations, pushing for a rearmament of Europe while saving humanitarian principles for Gaza, … If indeed the goal was to find unity, this was in vain and the debate that followed was a sad demonstration of it.  If automatic criticism from the extremes in the assembly was to be expected, the desire to find a new common ground was mostly absent. The leader of the EPP used the moment to taunt the other centrist parties under the tune of “we won the elections, now apply our program.” The answer of the S&D was a strong denunciation of von der Leyen’s agreement with Trump. Only Renew seized on von der Leyen’s speech, running with her calls for institutional changes (right of initiative for the Parliament, generalization of qualified majority voting) and pushing it further. But while there might be merit in the idea that part of the paralysis of the EU is due to its functioning, it is only a small part. The reality is that divisions run deep among countries and political families. Those divisions were sadly on show yesterday. Benoit Willemaers SJJESC Secretary for European Affairs