30 Oct 2025
When Fr Xavier Jeyaraj, the former Secretary for Social Justice and Ecology, set out to compile a volume that detailed the commitment of the Society of Jesus to social justice, his aim was simple: gather some key documents that showed how the Jesuits responded to the struggles of the world. This idea, which sprouted during the 2019 jubilee of the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat (SJES) at the General Curia, has now taken the shape of a two-volume, over-1500-page collection – the most complete record of how the Jesuits have been involved in social justice since 1891.
The volumes are titled A Journey of Faith Promoting Justice (1891-2024). Volume one brings together relevant Complementary Norms of the Constitutions of the Society from 1996 where references to social apostolate were formally included. Alongside these are the Decrees of various General Congregations of the Society of Jesus.
Also included in volume one are letters from Superior Generals of the Society that are relevant to social justice, beginning with Wlodimir Ledóchowski and continuing through Arturo Sosa. Some of these texts were previously available only in Latin, and about 20 of them have now been translated into English for the first time, thanks to Alex Dewitt, a Jesuit scholastic from Canada, and many others acknowledged in the volume who helped in translating from other languages.
In 1891, Pope Leo XIII’s encyclical Rerum Novarum planted the seed for Catholic Social Teaching, which has developed over the years through papal encyclicals, conciliar documents, and episcopal statements. This tradition has addressed, among other issues, labour, economic justice, political authority, human rights, and more recently, ecology and migration.
Some might think that the Society only began addressing issues of social justice during the 31st or 32nd General Congregations in the 1960s and 70s. Fr Jeyaraj reminds us that already in 1892, at the 24th General Congregation led by Father General Luis Martin, the Jesuits spoke about the rights of labour and the need for Jesuit involvement in similar matters.
Every chapter begins with an introduction, which provides a context. Volume one has three chapters of official documents. Volume two, for its part, deals with discourses, talks, statements, conversations, and interviews with Superior Generals on matters related to social justice. This begins with Father Pedro Arrupe, who, as Superior General, was able to travel widely and speak more publicly about issues concerning faith and justice. Later Superior Generals continued after him, and their addresses are arranged by theme: education, social apostolate, faith and spirituality, and other ministries.
He explains that the process of research was demanding but also very rewarding. He started from a background of knowing only a few documents on social justice, but as he dug deeper, one lead led to another! He unearthed texts from Acta Romana and even some that had been tucked away in Province archives. “It was difficult, but I enjoyed doing it”, he reflects. “I got to know the Society from this angle more deeply.”
“Why should I read this work?” you may ask yourself. Fr Jeyaraj says that understanding history is not optional if we want to know how to be impactful today. “If you do not know the history – where you are coming from – and you think that you want to respond to the challenges, you are reinventing the wheel. But if you know the history, you know where the Jesuits have attempted, and what has been said, then you begin to understand where we are moving towards.”
Fr Jeyaraj sums up this work by pointing to its title: “This is a compendium because it gives a holistic view of the journey – a journey of faith promoting justice.” The final result is this reference point for anyone studying the history of service of faith and justice in the Society of Jesus. It is a record that highlights the development and continuity of the involvement of the Jesuits in social justice.
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