Saturday, January 25, 2025

With the migrants – In search of peace



24 Jan 2025

By Pierre Bélanger, SJ

Jesuits and their partners in mission are present at the very heart of the world. They are sensitive to the challenges of our time. They reach out especially to those in need of support. They want to help create a better world for everyone.

This is what emerges from the 2025 edition of the yearbook published by the General Curia of the Society of Jesus: Jesuits 2025. More than 40 articles and 10 personal testimonies provide food for thought on two key issues facing our times: forced migration and the search for peace for so many peoples suffering from war and other divisions.

The cover is striking: Rohingya refugees persecuted in Burma had fled to Bangladesh. They were forced to take to the sea again, and have now landed in Indonesia in the hope of finding a welcoming home.

The section on support for migrants

• highlights many facets of the work of JRS, the Jesuit Refugee Service;
• presents several examples of the welcome given to migrants by groups linked to the Society of Jesus;
• helps to raise awareness of the challenges of internal migration, particularly in South Asia;
• introduces the testimonies of Jesuits and JRS team members who have themselves been refugees or stateless.

The section entitled ‘In search of peace’ helps us to reflect on the meaning of peace according to Sacred Scripture, on the implications of reconciliation between individuals and peoples, on the dangers posed to peace by capitalism and its pursuit of profit, and on what it means to pray for peace. It presents several peace initiatives with which Jesuits have been or are associated, in the Holy Land, in India and Pakistan, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, in Northern Ireland... But also projects that help people who are trapped in labyrinths of destructive tensions.

What a rich collection of articles! Above all, how rich is the commitment of the Society of Jesus to helping build societies where life will be better! Download ‘Jesuits 2025’ in the language of your choice. You can also request one or more paper copies, at a low price, to distribute to those around you by contacting us here.




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