GC 36 : Signs of the Times

“Wherever in the Church, even in the most difficult and extreme fields, at the crossroads of ideologies, in the social trenches, there has been and there is confrontation between the burning exigencies of man and the perennial message of the Gospel, here also there have been, and there are, Jesuits.”  (Pope Paul VI address to GC 32, 3rd December 1974).

 GC 36 comes at a momentous time in the history of the church. We Jesuits, who owe a special commitment to the mother church, need to read the signs of the times and emerge with a creative response that is path breaking. What are the signs of our time?

1. Pope Francis Effect: The electrifying presence of our elder brother, Pope Francis, has set the world on fire with the Christian love.

2. Threat to Secularism in India: The rising Hindu fundamentalism is turning out to be a major threat to Christians, especially in India.

3. ISIS terror: ISIS at the global level is threatening the world with religious persecutions and imminent terror attacks.

4. Falling Numbers: Europe was known to have facing the drought for religious vocations. The story from India, given the circumstances, may not be much different from Europe, in the near future.

5. Refugees:  The ever progressing world of ours is creating increasing number of refugees, who have nowhere to go. The victims of poverty and hunger cry especially in the third world countries need a hand that cares.

6. Existential quest: There rising restlessness in the human heart more than ever today and the felt need for global interdependence.  The challenge of superficiality Vs depth is haunting the humanity.

                   Can the upcoming GC 36 reflect the deeper nuances of the signs of our times and emerge with a creative response? The words of Pope Benedict XVI, to GC 35( on 21 Feb, 2008), “the Church needs you, relies on you and continues to turn to you with trust…”, can serve as a source of inspiration in this regard.