Adolfo Nicolas' speeches to refugees published.

Three speeches delivered by Father Adolfo Nicolás, Superior General of the Society of Jesus between 2008 and 2016, and former Provincial of Japan, when on three different occasions he was invited by Centro Astalli to meet refugees have been assembled in a book, edited by Centro Astalli. Fr. Federico Lombardi is the author of the introduction of this book.

“The tone of Fr. Adolfo's words was never that of a prepared and formal speech,” he writes, “they always had an unmistakable tone of genuineness and lived experience. Suffice it to read the beginning of his first speech: "One thing is true: of all the work I have done in my life as a priest and a Jesuit, the four happiest years - in which I felt most at ease as a priest - were those at the Tokyo Migrant Pastoral Centre. There are many things that I did not expect and that I definitely found in my encounter with migrants ... ". So, Fr. Nicolás knew what he was talking about.

The themes of these conversations – being open to the other and the encounter of cultures, overcoming prejudices, welcoming beyond the closure of borders, the importance of education, reconciliation, protection of children ... - do not remain abstract concepts or proclamations of principle, but are spiritual attitudes, normal behaviour, active commitments. The first account of the three reported is about the first months of his generalate. The third, on the other hand, is about the last part and concludes with words that are truly characteristic of his way of being and of the lesson he left us: "We can learn from migrants and refugees how to be merciful to others. We learn from them how to be human despite everything. We learn from them how to look upon the world as our horizon, and not stick to our small, narrow culture. We learn from them how to be citizens of the world». We learn from them and we look upon the world as our horizon.

The text has been launched online through the contribution of the historian Anna Foa, Imam Izzedin Elzir, president of the Florentine School for Education in Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue, and Fr Camillo Ripamonti, president of Centro Astalli.

The opening message of the video by Fr. Arturo Sosa Abascal highlights two aspects: the "conversion of the heart" which "can change the world to make it a place of welcome for the marginalized and for refugees" and "advocacy" which "requires courage to make your voice heard, at times even by going against the grain, in favour of those who have lost their voice or feel too weak to make known their suffering.”

On the fortieth anniversary of Centro Astalli, Fr. Sosa expressed "all his appreciation and sincere thanks for the immense work you are doing to adequately accompany the refugees here in Rome and, more generally, throughout Italy". "The essence, the heart and the meaning of the commitment of Centro Astalli - he continued - are expressed in the words: welcome, hospitality, dialogue, reconciliation, education. And they are reiterated in the speeches of Fr. Nicolás.”  As he continues to highlight the commitment of the Jesuit refugee service (JRS), whose Italian headquarters is Centro Astalli, Sosa stresses how "advocacy is necessary at the frontiers of the countries of the world, and of the Church to ensure that justice is implemented. It has a political dimension, in the noble sense of the word”.

The launching of the book “Come Orizzonte il mondo”, Adolfo Nicolás' speeches to refugees” is available on the Centro Astalli Youtube channel.

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