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At the very core of the Ignatian Year, on 12 March, a course for families initiated in Selva. "This is a significant date, which led us to choose this particular theme," Maria Grazia Prandino highlighted. This activity was led by her together with her husband Umberto Bovani and Fr Beppe Lavelli. From the fall of Saul to the wound of Ignatius, the focus was directed on the verb "to see" through some lectio prepared by Fr Lavelli and reflections and ideas linked to daily life led by the Bovani couple.  Seeing the invisible"Seeing, challenges many perspectives," Maria Grazia points out. "Our experience as believers is or should be about seeing the invisible, about what goes beyond a the superficial, about seeing beyond, in depth. Faith is believing in what we cannot see. The reward of faith is to see what you believe, said St Augustine.  The dimension of the imagination This is where we realise how much help the imagination can give us, which is much more than a flight of fancy. The use we can make of images is fundamental. For Ignatius, seeing with the imagination allows us to truly see.  The composition of place is not only an effort to use the imagination but becomes a true experience of mystical knowledge to understand how seeing can often be more valuable than thinking".         Feedback "I realised that it is better to see with your eyes closed, and observe with your heart," Marco, from Rome says, "I rediscovered the importance of being at ease in the relationship between a couple," adds Alberto, from Genoa, "and of maintaining boundaries within a relationship," Andrea, from Milan explains.  For Giuseppe, from Latina, "despite keeping the distance and wearing masks, we managed to see beyond. It was a shared challenge during the moments we were together as well as in our personal life". Fifteen families participated in this community experience at Villa Capriolo until 19 March.  The program The materials offered can also be downloaded from the website www.gesuiti-selva.it i Verbi del cammino. This program consisting of biblical words, art and cinema initiated through the meditation on the prayer of Sara and Tobia, in February 2021, by five leaders – Fr. Beppe Lavelli, the Lopez couple and the Bovani couple, the latter animators of the programs of domestic spirituality at the Sanctuary of St. Anthony of Boves. 

The first Belgian edition of the Mission Congress was a success! With more than 1,500 participants on March 18, 19 and 20, 2022, it has been one of the largest Belgian Catholic gatherings this year. It was also bilingual and entirely supported by laypeople. Participants were happy to have intellectually nourish their faith or their understanding of mission through round tables, to have discovered many concrete local missionary initiatives, to have seen a joyful and vibrant Church, and to have met again. Alongside these many activities, moments of mass, adoration and prayer offered us to refocus on the one without whom nothing is possible – Jesus Christ. Pope Francis constantly reminds us that a Christian is called to be a disciple-missionary. Proclaiming the Good News, rooted in personal relationship with the Lord, is the Church’s primary mission, and therefore, ours. The Mission Congress was an opportunity for great visibility for the Society. Many people came to tell us of their pleasant surprise to see the Jesuits so involved – a double-stand, about fifteen contributions to meetings and a status of official partner. Another stand was held jointly with several Ignatian entities, which was another opportunity to strengthen our ties, while the presence of some sixty other exhibitors made it possible to bond with others outside the Ignatian network. Attendance to workshops related to discerning the will of God or the Spiritual Exercises in Everyday Life (SEEL) was high. On the other hand, the Mission Congress gave us the joy of working together on the same project, which is quite rare in an order where one service may be lived in many different ways. In addition, many Jesuit companions took their part by concelebrating, confessing, leading a round table, running a stand, talking on the radio or simply by being present. Thanks to all of them!

On the first Sunday of Lent we began the Spiritual Exercises in Daily Life in our Russian Region. We did not expect such a large number of participants! In total, more than 50 people took part in the retreat. Each participant was encouraged to pray daily with Ignatian meditation and the evening examination of conscience. In addition, on the four Sundays in March there were conferences explaining the method of the Ignatian Exercises and giving an introduction to the week. Moreover, each participant had a weekly conversation with his spiritual companion. Thanks to the availability of materials on the Internet and possibility of online conversations, the retreat was attended not only by citizens of Tomsk,but also Novosibirsk, Barnaul, and Novokuznetsk. On the organisational side, our Lenten retreat involved nine Jesuits working in Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Belarus, as well as one Polish woman from the Christian Life Community in Krakow. The exercises ended on Saturday, 2 April. Victor Zhuk S.J

At a recent symposium on synodality in Oxford University, a 70-year-old man exclaimed enthusiastically, “It’s the first time in my [church] life that I’ve been asked for my opinion!” So recounts theologian and author Gerry O’Hanlon SJ, in this interview with Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications. He talks to her about the symposium, entitled The Road to a Synodal Church: Insights and Experiences. which took place in Campion Hall, over 3 days in late March 2022. And he recounts the important input from a Jesuit canon lawyer regarding Pope Francis’ latest document on church reform which has significant implications for lay participation in the institutional church. Dr O’Hanlon is also a member of the Irish church’s synodal committee and he talks about his work in that regard, and explains why he has real hope of change for the better in the future of the church because of this synodal process. Listen to this interview with Gerry O’Hanlon SJ

The war in Ukraine will raise the number of displaced persons in the world to 90 million. Fr. Camillo Ripamonti, president of Centro Astalli, deplored this terrible figure during the presentation of the 2022 Annual Report of the Jesuit Refugee Service, based in Rome. As of today, according to the statistics, by mid-2021, it is estimated that refugees and displaced persons numbered around 84 million, compared to just over 82 million the previous year. In just a few weeks, the number of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived is much more than the number of migrants and asylum seekers who landed during 2021. So, the war in Ukraine, the report points out, shows that these people do  not represent "an invasion, nor a threat to our security". "The crisis we are experiencing in Ukraine," Fr. Camillo Ripamonti, president of the Centro Astalli, told Vatican News, "makes us think of the many other crises we have experienced around the world. We have already forgotten the situation in Afghanistan in August 2021 and the war in the Horn of Africa. So, there are so many crises that form part of that world war of which Pope Francis often speaks".  Arrivals and the lack of reception  According to the report, in 2021, the number of migrants arriving by sea doubled, totalling more than 67,000. 9,500 were unaccompanied minors. There is evidence of torture and abuse suffered by those received in the facility.  Two years after the establishment of the decrees on security, there is still no end to the crisis, which has worsened owing to the effects of the pandemic, which "has aggravated the vulnerability of refugees and social marginality". Even today, about two out of three migrants are housed in Cas, the Extraordinary Reception Centres. The need for an organic plan for integration is even greater, even more so due to the persistence of the pandemic, also considering the immense exhaustion of refugee families who cannot continue living on informal, parental or friendship support networks.  Defying all fear, we need more knowledge and opportunities to meet together, Centro Astalli insists, who, in 2021, welcomed 17,000 people, 10,000 of whom in Rome.  "It is unacceptable and a disgrace for our civilisation that, in Europe, since 2014, 24,600 migrants have lost their lives mainly in the Mediterranean". Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, President of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the EU, (Comece) highlighted. "European countries," he said, "cannot consent to this process of systematic dehumanisation of migrants and refugees, which also dehumanises us.  Click for the infographic of the Annual Report  Click here for the video of the presentation 

The Loyola 2022 Congress took place between 28th March to 1st April 2022 at Loyola, Spain. The Congress acted as a milestone in the “deeper renewal” and alignment of processes of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP) Justice Networks, equipping them to implement the Universal Apostolic Preferences (UAPs) by 2029.  Around 160 participants from all over the world gathered to discuss social and justice issues in light of the Jesuit works.  The Congress led up to the drafting of the "Congress Document": a working document with a set of concrete reflections and proposals that can bear fruit not only in the work of the different justice networks present in Loyola but also in the entire mission of the Provinces of the Society of Jesus. We invite you to read the Congress Document here. If you did not have a chance to attend the Loyola Congress in person or online, you can access the shared folder with all the materials presented in the Congress here.  We also invite you to check the final visual narrative of the Congress made by Marta Romay, coordinator of Fundació Migra Studium.

Two months after the outbreak of war: short report about relief efforts in polish provinces of Society. Solemn dinner in Gdynia community with guests from Ukraine For the first time in the history of Poland, more than 2,9 millions of refugees have arrived in our country. Previously, migrants tended to avoid Poland. Partly probably because the more developed countries of the European community were more attractive. The Jesuits in Poland have so far run one centre for refugees. Now, the scale of migration from Ukraine has led many Jesuit institutions in Poland to engage in relief efforts for Ukraine. In many Jesuit works, Jesuits and their collaborators have spontaneously organised themselves to receive refugees. Often, it was possible to receive people relatively quickly, because the communities had guest rooms. It was enough to adapt them by organizing kitchen annexes or laundry rooms. In Gdynia and Wroclaw, it was decided to designate parish rooms for the reception of refugees. This in turn required additional renovation work: the appropriate furnishing of rooms, the installation of showers, cookers and washing machines. Thanks to these measures taken in March, we were able to welcome 24 people in Wrocław and 12 additional people in Gdynia. Very different life situations Point distributing humanitarian aid in Jastrzebia Góra The refugees received in our homes are in very different life situations. Some of them fled from the east, leaving their homes in the midst of warfare. Others come from western Ukraine and some of them, after spending a few weeks in our homes, have already decided to return to Ukraine. The vast majority of those hosted are women with children. Each situation is unique - there are mothers with disabled children, infants, elderly people but also young people and people in their prime. These people are very grateful for the help they have been given and volunteer to help. In Gdynia, the guests became involved in reloading incoming humanitarian aid, in Bytom they volunteered at a local food distribution point. Many have also already found work. Last month was special as hosts and guest celebrated together Easter. Language courses Some Jesuit institutions are involved in organizing Polish language courses for refugees. Such courses have been opened at the Jesuit University in Kraków, at the Jesuit Social Centre in Warsaw, at the Jesuit Education Centre in Nowy Sącz, and at the Parish of St Ignatius Loyola and St Andrew Bobola in Jastrzębia Góra. A total of 240 people attend classes in all of these places. In Nowy Sącz, apart from offering a language course, art and integration classes for children and young people were also organised. Since the initiative is very popular, a small cultural centre for Ukrainians will soon be opened. The premises for this point have already been refurbished. Humanitarian aid There are also ongoing campaigns to send humanitarian aid to Ukraine. In this kind of relief efforts especially engaged is community in Gdynia. Six large transports from the West have already arrived there. In total, they have been loaded with over 75 tones. The imported products are segregated in Gdynia by a team of over a dozen volunteers, and then distributed to various places in Ukraine. They were sent, among others, to Rivne, Lviv and Kharkiv. In addition, in Gdynia, as well as in Jastrzębia Góra, in Jesuit parishes, there are local points distributing food, clothing, chemical products and cosmetics. In March, every day about 100 people a day came to the point in Jastrzębia Góra for help. At the same time, employers began to advertise job offers in the point's building. Jesuits for Ukraine Humanitarian Aid transport from Ireland - to Gdynia In March and early April, our team "Jesuits for Ukraine" supported the efforts of the Malta Volunteer Service, the Friends of the Saint Omer Foundation for Transatlantic Values, Kirchen Helfen - Prättigau and JRS Portugal. Thanks to the commitment of these organisations, 477 refugees have found new homes in Switzerland, France and Portugal. Find more information on the special web site Jesuits for Ukraine It is now two months since the outbreak of war. After the first, often spontaneous, actions, the time has come to organise and coordinate the aid efforts wisely. This is all the more urgent, because every day there are more and more displaced people. Krzysztof Dudek SJ

Past pupils of Crescent College Comprehensive SJ are volunteering to help those who are critically wounded in the war with Russia and feed departing women and children. They are working with an organisation called the Gorta Group on the Slovakian-Ukraine border, supplying medical equipment for a Ukrainian hospital and flour for bakeries. Their collaboration with an Garda Síochána was covered on RTE news on Sunday, 3 April 2022. Liam O’Connell SJ, former headmaster of Crescent College Comprehensive SJ, reports on the work of the past pupils. He says: “Shane Leahy (Crescent 1992) is at present a volunteer with the Gorta Group, on the Slovakian-Ukraine border, working on logistics in supplying a hospital 240 km into Ukraine, in Ivano-Frankivsk. “He works with Ray Jordan (Crescent 1988), and also with David Geary (Crescent 1990) who is advising on legal structures and chasing down insulin. David is the nephew of Irish Jesuit Ronan Geary and a regular visitor to Cherryfield Lodge Nursing Home in Dublin.” Shane Leahy comments on the two initiatives of the Gorta group that are currently taking place to support the Ukrainian people. He states: “They were able to deliver 40 cubic metres of medical equipment to the hospital in Ivano-Frankivsk on Saturday. These were some of the first medical supplies to cross the border from Slovakia to Ukraine. This was implemented under the approval of the Ministry of Health in Kyiv. “The hospital delegation met with employees of the Gorta Group who are on the ground here, at the Slovak-Ukraine border and transferred the equipment, directly. The town where the hospital is situated is now under attack, so it’s critical that they received the supplies. The supplies are mainly for critical wound care.” Shane continues: “Another critical initiative that the Gorta Group is involved with is supporting bakeries in Ubl’a [on the Slovakian-Ukraine border] to feed departing Ukrainian women and children. We are working with another excellent Slovak NGO 1317 to provide the flour for a bakery in Ukraine who is baking bread for these women and children. “We are simply providing the special flour required to bake baguettes from Bratislava. The people in Ukraine are doing the rest on a voluntary/pro bono basis as they are on a war footing.” Speaking on 5 April 2022, Shane Leahy said: “Just to update we successfully delivered 8 generators into Ivano-Frankivsk (this was the site of the hypersonic bomb) on Saturday/Sunday which were very generously donated by the Kirby Group. Ruairi Ryan, who organised and delivered the generators to Slovakia, has all his children in Crescent. “We also had a delivery of large generators from Gorta/Self Help Africa funds, together with 12 trucks/vans of medical supplies, that was delivered by 28 Garda”. Click here for RTE coverage ». Click here to donate to the Fundraising Page ». The Gorta Group will be putting people’s generous donations towards ongoing, much needed support for the hospital, and for bread production.

To follow in the footsteps of Ignatius, on the same road travelled 499 years ago, from Gaeta to Rome, and rediscover what it means to be inspired by Ignatian spirituality today. With this desire, about eighty young people, aged between 15 and 30, from Albania, Romania and various regions of Italy (Sicily, Calabria, Campania, Abruzzo, Lazio, Tuscany, Liguria Piemonte...), together with two religious sisters and about ten Jesuit fathers, accompanied over the weekend by the Provincial, Roberto Del Riccio, walked 20 kilometres a day between 22 and 25 April.  The questions and the stages  As in every pilgrimage, each participant arrived with his or her own question, desire, burden: to make sense of his or her life, to face a problem, to find a way forward. "The journey challenges us and helps us discover new resources, it teaches us to achieve goals with perseverance and to open ourselves with awe to the beauty of the places we pass through", explains Fr. Marco Colò, EUM's  coordinator of the initiatives for the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St Ignatius and who accompanied the young people.  The route included three stages - Formia/Fondi, Velletri/Pavona, Appia Antica – a question was distributed during each stage as a guide for times of prayer and sharing:  - how can one become a reformer in this world? This is all about the theme of leadership. Faced with the uncertainties of this era, a young person either retires - and we know that depression, which has increased during the pandemic, is prevalent among youth during the present times - or sets out to reform society. Ignatius the Reformer can be our guide. And Laudato si and Fratelli Tutti are also important indicators.  - How can one find God in every situation? Here we are at the heart of Ignatian spirituality. And yet there is always something amusing about what this really means. For example, you learn to find God in all things if you celebrate with your brothers and sisters and are accustomed to spending time on the Word.  - What type of church do we dream of? Ignatius was a natural lover of the church, as he was aware that from the church, he received the greatest gift: faith. Even if the Church put him to the test, this love has always remained alive and strong in him. Finally, he has been a reformer of the Church.  The day, from silence to witnesses  Before the journey, each day began with praying a psalm and meditating on Gospel texts, chosen from episodes featuring people on a journey: Jesus and Peter on the water, Emmaus, the disciples learning the great gap that existed between their way of seeing things and that of the Lord as they walked towards Jerusalem.  The first part of the walk took place in silence to allow time for personal prayer. This was followed by a time of sharing in twos, while walking. Halfway through the walk, some insights were given on the figure of Ignatius. And, at the end of the day, mass was celebrated. The evening was dedicated to encounters with witnesses from the areas they walked through: a lay president of a social cooperative in the diocese of Gaeta, a priest who has refurbished an old monastery and made it a place of welcome particularly for those who arrive there with deep hurts, a nun from the monastery of Der Mar Musa. A time to review events rounded off the days.  "Dreams transform reality"  "At the end of the pilgrimage, notwithstanding the tiredness, the joy was visible on the faces of the participants, who began to sing as they entered Rome. And even in their own words, the young people said they were grateful for this powerful experience, which shed light on their lives," Colòrecounts. One of the phrases uttered by one of the witnesses whom they met along the way and shared during the concluding Mass was: "Dreams transform reality". Ignatius, a pilgrim and dreamer, also transformed reality, allowing the grace received from the Lord to be poured out onto the people he met. Finally, Father Provincial, at the end of Sunday's Mass, launched the proposal for a synod of young people from the Ignatian family network. A small seed sown, a shared dream, which we hope will germinate next year.  Jesuits EUM 

Jesuits from the Czech Province have been thinking about how to make the prayer of the Examen available to as many people as possible. On the initiative of the new vocation promoter, Samuel Privara SJ, a mobile phone app was created, which offers 30 instructions on how to look back on the day and find God in your own life. As the inspiration served Mark Thibodeaux's book and proper experience with this prayer. The first version of the app was of course created in Czech and also in Slovak. Very soon, Jesuits from Hungary and Switzerland were also interested in it, so a version in Hungarian and German was also created. Most recently, an Italian version is available. The app runs on iOS and Android platforms. It can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play, searched by keyword for each language: CZ "Ignaciánský examen", SK "Ignaciánsky examen", GER "Das ignatianische Examen", IT "Examen ignaziano", HUN "Ignáci Examen".

Bad Schönbrunn - This year, the Eco Summer Camp will take place for the second time from 25 August to 1 September 2022. The positive feedback and suggestions from the participants last year have encouraged the team to continue to focus on a holistic approach and at the same time enrich it with new concepts. The 70 participants will experience how we can change the world of tomorrow in intergenerational dialogues, new formats of encounter and in exchange with experts.  To ensure that the Eco Summer Camp 2022 will also be a success, preparations are already in full swing. Most of the experts have already confirmed their participation, the application portal is open and the new methods are being developed. In addition, the entire Lassalle-Haus will be available this year, so that in addition to an increased number of participants, more opportunities for encounters will also be possible.  "The goal of the Eco Summer Camp remains the same: To inspire women and men deep in their hearts for a more sustainable way of life, to encourage them in their actions and to give them the space to realise new ideas," explains Valerio Cirello SJ, organiser of the camp. Young adults are given the opportunity to meet experts from research, politics and business in an informal setting, whether over a meal, a walk or even strolling around together in the beautiful park of the Lassalle-Haus.  A new feature this year will be the exchange between different generations. In addition to young adults aged between 18 and 35 (about 60 people), there will also be about 10 participants who are over the age threshold or even already retired. "This step is deliberately intended to seek dialogue between the generations in order to learn from each other and at the same time to broaden each individual's view of the whole," says Cirello.  Similarly, at this year's Eco Summer Camp, it will no longer be a requirement to hold an academic degree. "Rather, we want to support a community of many, because we are convinced that the consequences of climate change are felt in all areas and therefore everyone can bring about change in their respective circumstances," explains Jesuit Cirello.  The central element of the Eco Summer Camp remains the holistic pedagogy that unites head, heart and hands. This year, a special emphasis will be placed on the "hands" and thus on the shared experience, such as sustainable cooking. The aim is to provide participants with concrete practices to make a difference in their everyday lives and to inspire their environment with sustainable issues.  In order to raise awareness of the Eco Summer Camp and to make it easier for interested parties to find a week of this kind, the Eco Summer Camp will not only be available on the Lassalle-Institut's homepage and on Instagram, but will also soon be available on its own website.  Jesuits ECE 

Applications for the Magis 2022 in Croatia are open... as are the hearts of volunteers that await you :) More than 100 young people are preparing the experiments to give glory to God and offer you an amazing experience of His love through the communion and sharing, the beauty of nature, artistic and cultural goods, good deeds and delicious food. Basic information may be found by clicking Here.   This year there is an offer of 34 experiments (!!!). From hiking, living a contemplative life, helping in a refugee camp, sailing, filming in an island, etc. The offer is very wide and adapted to everyone's desires and vocations. Get to know all the experiments here.       Application form is open till 12th of June, but some experiments are already almost full... so the one who's fast gets the blast :)  Steps for registration and application process are available here. Once you're registered you may see all the "goodies", e.g. the details for each experiment as listed in application form.If you want to help us in reaching the Jesuit youth some of the features are available at this link: FEATURES. See you in Croatia! AMDG

On 6 and 7 May, at the via Petrarca site in Naples, the first conference of 2022 will be held online. It is promoted by the Scuola di Alta Formazione di Arte e Teologia (Safat) of the Pontificia Facoltàdell'Italia Meridionale (PFTIM) Sezione San Luigi, in collaboration with the Fondazione Culturale San Fedele of Milan and with the patronage of the Fondazione Posillipo. Dedicated to the theme "What type of sacred art is relevant today?", the two-day event will take an interdisciplinary approach towards this topic and art critics, artists, philosophers, liturgy experts and other experts in the field will participate.  Creativity and spirituality In Western culture, and in Europe in particular," Hernandez the director highlights, "we are in a historical moment when we are probably overcoming an intellectual schizophrenia that had, in the last century and a half, separated artistic creativity from the spiritual dimension, from the deepest roots of our religious and spiritual traditions and, above all, from the demand for deeper meaning, which lies in every human heart and which leads the heart to recognise its own limits and turn to something that is much higher. This is therefore a privileged time to interpret this reunion between art and spirituality, which is not a return to the past but a rediscovery of the past with new fruition. Rediscovering this intrinsic link between art and theology, between art and mystery, has a totally new fruition compared to a thousand or five hundred years ago. The time of schizophrenia has been a time to discover this relationship: the conference aims precisely to show that art is searching for and meditating profoundly on the mystery, but it is also aiming to be of help to the more explicitly sacred spheres that are searching for new languages, a search that the Church itself finds difficult to pursue".  Art and theology The School of Higher Education in Art and Theology of the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, St. Louis Section, has been carrying out its activities since 2006, with the aim of focusing on the relationship between art and the sacred, both in the historical-artistic and theological perspective, as well as in the perspective of communication and understanding and production of art and its proposed mechanisms and fruition. The years and the experience gained have allowed a constant evolution that led to the turning point, in 2020, with the establishment of the Diploma of Art and Theology, a unique award in Italy. 

Under the auspices of the Jesuit Hekima University College, Nairobi the African Consortium of Law and Religion (ACLARS) is holding their annual meeting 15 – 18 May. This year’s theme is that of “Law, Religion, Health and Healing in Africa” which is particularly apt given the recent and ongoing pandemic.  The role of women and the place of the family, covid vaccine hesitancy, African independent churches, traditional healing and medicine, gender violence and the legal regulation of health are just some topics among the many being discussed. Hekima University College is the largest English-speaking Jesuit theology college in Africa with over fifty Scholastics and other Religious and is delighted to be hosting this conference as it brings together over one hundred religious, government, senior academics and others from across the globe. We are especially pleased that there will be many from across the continent itself who are familiar with health and healing at the grass roots level. The conference is being hosted for the College by Dr James Campbell, SJ and will include talks given by Dr Orobator, SJ, President of JCAM, and Dr Okoria, SJ, College Principal.

On April 5, at the Sorbonne, the Contemporary Disputation association showed and explained what disputations were through an artistic performance and a public controversy on the weaknesses of our democratic systems. The Contemporary Disputation association, launched by the journal Études, aims to stage philosophical debates inspired by medieval disputatio. "In a context where it is increasingly difficult to debate, where tweets and other fake news make and break opinion, where words give way to violent behaviours, it seemed vital to bring back the art of conversation, quality arguments, depth and respect”, said Fr. Guilhem Causse S.J., professor at Centre Sèvres (Jesuit University in Paris). To do this, disputation is key. Already practiced in several Jesuit schools and at the Centre Sèvres, a disputatio is a subject debated over by several people, some being “in favour” and others “against”. It is an oral and collective exercise. It is a very good tool for training and exercising judgment, since one may have to argue ideas that are not theirs at the start. The goal is to debate in an atmosphere of intellectual emulation, to base oneself on the adversary’s arguments and to go beyond them. A group of students and members of civil society from diverse cultural and social backgrounds met for a few weeks to build arguments and practice. On April 5, on the eve of the French presidential elections, the disputatio took place in the Sorbonne’s amphitheatre with philosopher Jean-Claude Milner and several participants – an unprecedented experience at the crossroads of philosophy, politics and art. The audience attended controversies, an inaugural conference by Jean-Claude Milner on democracy and its weaknesses, and debate workshops. “The challenge is not to shine, but to work together for a better understanding of the world. Participants experience that a relationship that is expressed in regulated discussion bears truth. Although they do not reach a consensus, as they each keep their own opinions, they may reach a regulated dissensus, as Paul Ricoeur would say, upon which our democracies rely", explained Guilhem Causse S.J.

Geneva - The Jesuit cultural magazine "Choisir" in French-speaking Switzerland will cease publication on 31 December 2022. The continuous decline in the number of subscribers as well as Jesuits in French-speaking Switzerland are the reason for this decision, announced the director Pierre Emonet SJ and the editor-in-chief Lucienne Bittar. The changeover from a monthly to a quarterly issue with two thematic dossiers per issue since 2016 and the expansion of the internet presence had also not been enough to increase subscriber numbers again. With a special issue in November 2022, one of the great works of the Jesuits in western Switzerland will thus be discontinued after 63 years. "Choisir" was published by the Jesuits since 1959 "to offer readers a Christian-inspired publication that responds to the world's debates, points out avenues of research and promotes dialogue". Topics covered included spirituality, theology, philosophy, ethics, politics and social sciences, art and literature - anything reflecting contemporary reflection to, as the name suggests, "help readers make a choice". All published editions are to continue to be made freely accessible in digital form at www.choisir.ch. The Society of Jesus will continue to be present in French-speaking Switzerland and will provide information about the Order's activities on the website www.jesuites.ch. Jesuits ECE

After the Ignatian gathering in Marseille on All Saints' Day 2021, the Jesuits organized an event on March 12, 2022, at the heart of the Ignatian year. On the anniversary date of the canonization of Saint Ignatius of Loyola and Saint Francis Xavier, Jesuits under 50 years old and all those working in the apostolic service to young people met in Paris for the event “Together, let’s hope more”. To accompany young people “In this somewhat gloomy time for the world and for the Church, we wanted to live fully the third Universal Apostolic Preference which guides the mission of the Society of Jesus: To accompany young people in the creation of a hope-filled future. To help the youth, we wanted to begin by cultivating this hope among ourselves, young Jesuits”, explained Fr. Manuel Grandin S.J., delegate of the Provincial for the Young Adult Ministry. Coming from France, Belgium and Luxembourg, they were invited during this day to find the roots of their vocation and to nourish hope. They talked about their missions and their vocation through various workshops. They also met Fr. François Boëdec S.J., Provincial. Back to Montmartre In the evening, they went to the Butte Montmartre, a historic place for the Society of Jesus, as on August 15, 1534, Ignatius and his first companions pronounced their first vows in a small chapel on that hill. Then, the Jesuits as well as friends and “partners in the mission” gathered for an evening of Ignatian praise, which included testimony, songs and walks in the Montmartre district. “We wanted to thank Ignatius and Francis Xavier for inspiring our dreams and actions. The testimony of their lives can help us reflect on what kind of holiness we are called to today.”

ECE-Province Symposium in Vierzehnheiligen. Munich - Jesuits in Central Europe support the commitment of young climate activists and want to strengthen their own commitment to a socio-ecological transformation. At their annual “Province Symposium” in the Bavarian shrine Vierzehnheiligen, 155 Jesuits addressed the climate emergency and the resulting need for a socio-ecological transformation. Vincent Gewert and Lea Bonasera, both active in the climate justice movement, were invited as external speakers. In their presentations, they reported on the current state of the climate crisis. It will probably no longer be possible to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. On the contrary, there is currently a danger that we are on the way to a world that is three degrees hotter. "The climate crisis is an existential crisis that threatens our livelihoods and thus the very possibility of social prosperity. If we do not pull the lever to a post-fossil society immediately, we will certainly exceed the 1.5 degree limit" says Provincial Bernhard Bürgler. Rapid action is necessary, as tipping points in the climate system can already be reached at a global warming of 1.5 degrees. Tipping points are critical thresholds in the Earth system, which, if exceeded, trigger an uncontrollable escalation spiral. The Provincial emphasises that the climate issue is also a question of global justice. For those who have contributed least to the climate crisis are affected first and most severely. Many people in the Global South have already been feeling the effects of global warming for decades. By 2030, the economic cost of the climate crisis in countries of the Global South could be 580 billion annually. "The role of the Church is to support the poor and oppressed of the world, as well as to work for the protection of livelihoods and the common good. This is where we Jesuits in the rich Global North have a duty and this is how Jesuits from the Global South take it to us," said the Provincial. There is growing social resistance to further investments in fossil energy and infrastructure. Against this background, the Jesuit meeting also dealt with the current protests by citizens of the "Last Generation" such as Lea Bonasera, who are using blockades to demand an end to the financing of new fossil infrastructure at home and abroad. In this context, 11 people were arrested again this week and their police detention was extended by up to six days. Jesuit Jörg Alt sees the necessity of such actions. He himself took part in the “EssenRettenLebenRetten” action of the "Last Generation" and is currently awaiting his criminal trial for particularly serious theft. "There may be times when non-violent civil disobedience or civil resistance is necessary to make a preoccupation with urgent issues unmissable and unignorable. Locking up protesters in rows without addressing their well-founded and urgent concerns cannot be a solution. As soon as this happens, and the activists assure us of this, the blockades and disturbances will come to an end," said Jörg Alt. At its annual meeting, the ECE-province also reaffirmed its intention to strengthen its own commitment. Part of this substantive orientation is the founding of the Social-Ecological Centre in Nuremberg.

The Spring Assembly of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials took place in Rodizio, just outside Lisbon in Portugal, from 25th – 30th April.  Only the second Assembly of the Conference to take place in person since the outbreak of Covid-19 in February 2020, the meeting brought together the sixteen major superiors of Europe and the Middle East along with their President, his Socius, and three General Assistants from the Jesuit Curia in Rome to discuss the work of the Conference and some of the challenges facing the Jesuit mission on the continent and in the world.  The Assembly took place in the St Ignatius Retreat House which occupies a beautiful hillside spot and looks out over the Atlantic Ocean. Some of the Provincials managed to slip down to the long sandy beach for a morning walk, though not for a swim.  Ukraine The tragic situation facing Ukraine was at the forefront of everyone’s mind. Delegates listened to those among them who had faced some of the direct consequences of the war, notably the fresh wave of refugees who had found hospitality in several neighbouring countries. Fr Alberto Ares SJ from JRS-Europe also presented the organisation’s response to the multi-faceted crisis which was unfolding in the east.  Safeguarding The superiors also found time to address the question of safeguarding, a priority for all the Provinces and Regions, the work of the Jesuit European Committee for Primary and Secondary Education (JECSE) and the European Leadership Programme being run from the Jesuit office in Brussels. There was also an extended discussion on zoom with the conference of African Provincials (JESAM).  Meeting university students The Portuguese Jesuits are known for their remarkable tradition of work with young people. After a visit to two important Jesuit sites in the centre of Lisbon, the delegates joined a large group of university students for Mass and an outdoor meal. “It is amazing to see so many young people praying together with such simplicity and joy,” commented one of the delegates.  Prayer, mutual support and discernment The final day of the Assembly was devoted to meetings in regional groupings. President of the Conference, Fr Franck Janin SJ, expressed his satisfaction with proceedings: “It is vital for the major superiors of the Society to gather every few months for prayer, mutual support and to discern what the Lord is asking of us in an increasingly complex and suffering world,” he said. “The Jesuits want to accompany young people and the marginalised as a way of responding to Pope Francis’ call to create a synodal Church.”  Damian Howard S.J., Provincial BRI 

First vows, last vows, diaconal ordinations and priestly ordinations.