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s2smodern

On 5 November, the Jesuit review choisir celebrated its 60th anniversary in Geneva. The opportunity for its director Pierre Emonet SJ, and for the Provincial of the Jesuits in Switzerland Christian Rutishauser SJ, to pay tribute to all those who have enabled the journal to become what it is today. This special event also saw the launch of a short story competition for young writers which will result in the publication of a collection of fifteen of the best original texts co-published with Slatkine.

To mark this anniversary, choisir’s editorial team, headed by its editor-in-chief Lucienne Bittar, decided to shake things up a little and entertain the hundred or so guests with two hours of literary readings interspersed with music. As most of the guests were friends and loyal readers of the journal, and equally passionate about literature, the result was an evening filled with pleasure and sharing. The fact that the writers themselves were there to lend their own unique voice to their prose added extra soul to the stories and won over the audience’s hearts.

Thank you viele male!

Having travelled from Zurich especially for the occasion, Provincial Christian Rutishauser SJ used his speech to highlight the importance of a strong Jesuit presence in Geneva. For him, the launch of the journal in 1959 was a judicious choice. He noted that Jesuits in French-speaking Switzerland were quick to pick up on the changes taking place within the Catholic church which was “no longer seeking to act as a bulwark against modern times, but to support believers” in the changing society. Geneva’s Fathers listened to their contemporaries’ needs and reacted by launching a journal offering guidance, discernment, information and fundamental knowledge. Tools which are still very much needed today to help us “live in a responsible and free manner, as Catholics, and as citizens, in a multicultural society.”

Be bold

Speaking just before the Provincial, the director of choisir, Pierre Emonet SJ, also made reference to the founders’ perspicacity in their desire to “provide French-speaking Switzerland with a journal of Ignatian inspiration which is neither strictly confessional nor a simple mouthpiece for directives from the Catholic hierarchy, but ecumenical, which encourages readers to think about their own responsibility, their freedom, by sharing thoughts and analysis, to help them make choices. In a word, a journal for discernment.” He went on to say, not without a touch of humour, “The main thing is not to wallow in or lament the past, but to envisage the future with realism and gain new momentum, without thinking too much about retirement, even though we are 60.” He thereby expressed the wish that in the future, as in the past, Jesuits are able to adapt and show flexibility by working alongside laypeople to guarantee the longevity of a publication as important for the formation of adults as the journal choisir.

Showcasing the young generation

Before moving on to the recreational part of the evening, Pierre Emonet SJ and Céline Fossati officially launched the “Short story competition for young authors” open to all writers under the age of 35, Swiss or living in Switzerland, writing in French and having been commercially published no more than once (full rules are available on the journal’s website www.choisir.ch). They were delighted to announce that a jury of professionals from the world of publishing and books will select the fifteen best stories. An exciting project enthusiastically welcomed by the writers present as well as by the Provincial and the guests. Let the celebration of words continue!

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s2smodern