Father Bernhard Bürgler SJ looks back on his time as Provincial of the Jesuits in Central Europe. Where does the young province stand, in which the Jesuits and employees from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, Lithuania and Latvia came together in 2021? What challenges and prospects are there for the common future?

Father Bürgler, where does the province stand three years after its founding?

A lot has already happened, but I still see the province as being in the process of being re-founded. We have established good structures and processes in various areas, for example in the economic and apostolic areas. These structures help us to fulfil our work and our mission. At the same time, there have been many encounters and exchanges among each other. My impression is that, despite the outstanding issues, all members of the order are happy with this province and no one fundamentally questions it.

As provincial, you were particularly challenged when things weren't going well or caused problems. What did you enjoy most about leading the province?

What gave me the most joy was getting to know my fellow brothers, meeting and talking to them and the employees in the regions. Seeing what moves them, what they are passionate about, what they do and how much good is being done for the people there. This diversity and wealth in our province and its regions has always impressed me. I was also pleased when we managed to work together on solutions, shape the future and create the conditions for the message of Jesus to reach people.

This task is not necessarily getting any easier.

We, as a whole of society and the Church, are in the midst of major processes of change that bring with them a great deal of uncertainty, worry and fear. In this context, we must continually clarify who we are, what we want and what we can do. Only from this self-assurance can we shape our apostolate and our community. This process of concentration, reduction and transformation has a difficult side, but also a very exciting one, because new things can emerge.

Where do you see the challenges of the future?

A key challenge is passing on the faith to young people and the next generation. How can we convey the richness of Jesus' message in a language that people today can understand and absorb? Our task is to seek and find contact with today's world and society. Looking inward, this requires adapting the provincial structures to the specific places, people and activities, as well as to our resources. This raises questions such as "Where do we want to be?", "What do we want to do?", and "How do we help young brothers and employees to work well together in the service of the Kingdom of God, wherever they are?".

What prospects do you see for the province?

For me, the four Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Jesuit Order are important: showing the way to God, standing by the side of the disadvantaged, accompanying young people and caring for the earth as our common home. We can be inspired by these preferences and bring them into time and place. This opens up perspectives for our actions and work as Jesuits.

Another perspective is to shape this process of searching and finding even more jointly, with non-Jesuits, with partners and employees.

We can also maintain places where people can find nourishment for their lives from the message of Jesus. In the future, comprehensive pastoral care will no longer be possible everywhere, which is why church places and spiritual centers are in demand. We have such places and can create more, for example churches, retreat houses, educational centers, schools and much more.

What are the challenges of managing a cross-border province? 

In the Central European Province, many different aspects and different factors and influences come together, all of which need to be taken into account in order to do justice to the whole. The particular challenge is, in addition to the diversity of the social, political, legal and cultural situation in the associated regions, a different way of being a Jesuit and a different way of being a co-worker, and with that, different perspectives on the whole.

At the same time, the cross-border province brings us a little closer to the origins of the Society of Jesus, because the first Jesuits in the 16th century also came from various kingdoms and countries in Europe. This cross-border, international community was important to the founder of the order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola. We experience this again in our Central European province and it is also a sign in our time, in which nationalistic thinking is on the rise.

What helped you most in dealing with the complexity in the province?

That was the personal encounter. When people met and got to know each other, talked and listened to each other, it helped to promote mutual understanding. And that happened by actually going and driving to places, to institutions, to people. We all had to learn to look beyond our own place or country to the new, large province. In recent years, I have seen both Jesuits and non-Jesuits broaden their perspective. We are called upon to no longer think only of Austria, Germany or Switzerland, but also of the other regions in our province. That applies, for example, to the apostolic areas in which we are active and their institutions such as schools, universities and much more. This process of growing together in the province is in full swing.

Are there any examples? 

A good example is Lithuania, which is very different from the German-speaking regions in terms of language, geography, culture and history. Getting to know the places, the people, and also the brothers who were persecuted under the Soviet regime broadened our perspective incredibly. Another example is Sweden, where the visit really helped us to feel that the Catholic Church and Catholic life have a completely different dynamic and vitality than ours, a dynamic that is characterized by growth and joy. A third example is the interplay between apostolic and economic perspectives. In the new province, the individual apostolic fields are networked across all regions by a delegate, while administration and economic concerns are anchored regionally due to the different legal situation. Bringing people from both areas together was important so that they could meet, get to know each other's perspectives and learn from each other.

Can you describe a specific experience that positively surprised you?

In Lithuania, the brothers work more in different areas at the same time than in other regions of the province: for example, in school, in church and in retreat work. Everyone has their own priorities, but also helps the others. The tasks are seen more as joint work. The organization of the communities in which the Jesuits live is less structured in Lithuania than in Germany or Austria. Living together is more informal, spontaneous, based on relationships and friendships. There is less structure but no less community.

Now you could say that taking complex situations and structures into account is a hindrance to efficiency. What do you say to that? 

Our mission is to proclaim the message of Jesus to people. This means that we have to respond to people and their situations. They are the focus. That is why I see complexity as an opportunity and a possibility. It is a mutual enrichment, a mutual learning and inspiration that I can use for my own situation. What helps with this is the common ground in Ignatian spirituality, which we deepen and expand through training and further education for Jesuits and non-Jesuits. It emphasizes the importance of pausing, reflecting and, while remaining faithful to the principles, being flexible for the specific situation on site. 

What advice would you give to your successor?

Saint Ignatius is said to have said: "Trust in God as if the success of your work depended solely on God and not on you. But use all your diligence as if nothing depended on God and everything depended on you." My advice would be to keep this interplay of your own effort and trust in God in balance and to orient yourself by it. A second advice: Don't lose your sense of humor!

This challenging and sometimes difficult task offers the chance to grow even more into the Order and to get to know it from a different perspective. I have the impression that I have become even more of a Jesuit during my time as Provincial, because such an office opens up opportunities that not every member of the Order has - both in the Province and in the worldwide Society of Jesus.

What’s next for you?

I am taking a sabbatical year, I have some free time to reorient myself, to delve deeper into certain things and then to feel what comes next. I will certainly enjoy the time without the previous responsibilities and without the pressure of deadlines and I see this opportunity as a great concession from the order. I am looking forward to it.