In late 2025, Father Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, undertook an official visit to the Holy Land, reaffirming the Society’s long-standing commitment to accompaniment, education, and reconciliation in one of the world’s most fragile contexts. The visit formed part of his broader mission of listening to Jesuit communities and partners serving at the frontiers of faith, justice, and human suffering.

Rooted in Jesuit History and Mission

Father General’s pilgrimage carried deep symbolic weight. More than five centuries after Ignatius of Loyola’s thwarted desire to remain in the Holy Land, the Society continues to maintain a small but dedicated presence there. Father Sosa explicitly framed his visit as a moment of learning—listening to Jesuits, collaborators, and institutions striving to serve amid prolonged conflict and instability.

A central moment of the visit was Father Sosa’s encounter with the leadership and community of Bethlehem University, where Jesuits collaborate closely with the De La Salle Brothers. Serving more than 3,300 Palestinian students, the university faces extraordinary challenges due to movement restrictions, security checkpoints, and the ongoing impact of war.

University leaders described how daily commutes that once took minutes now consume hours, if travel is possible at all. Yet despite these obstacles, enrollment remains steady and the institution continues to integrate professional education with ethical and social formation. Father Sosa was particularly struck by testimonies of students continuing advanced medical training under extreme conditions, including service in Gaza amid devastation—concrete signs of hope sustained through education.

Listening to Suffering, Calling for Discernment

Following his return, Father General addressed the wider Society and its partners in a letter reflecting on what he had witnessed. Rather than offering political analysis, he posed a spiritual and moral question: How will the faithful respond to suffering? His reflections emphasized compassion, proximity, and discernment in common as essential responses to entrenched violence and human pain.

This emphasis echoed a recurring theme of his leadership: the need to remain present where suffering is greatest, not as problem-solvers, but as companions who listen, pray, and act together.

The Holy Land visit also underscored a broader Jesuit posture of availability to the universal Church and the pope, rooted in the Society’s founding charism. In contexts where political solutions remain elusive, Father Sosa highlighted the distinctive Jesuit contribution: sustained presence, education for the future, and the quiet labor of reconciliation carried out with local communities.

Continuing the Mission

Far from being a symbolic gesture, the 2025 visit strengthened ongoing relationships between the General Curia and Jesuit works in the region. It reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to walking alongside those who refuse to surrender hope, even amid fear, displacement, and loss.

In the Holy Land, Father Sosa’s presence served as a reminder that the Jesuit mission there—small in number but deep in impact—continues to bear witness to faith, justice, and the possibility of peace through steadfast accompaniment.