Zagreb, (IKA) – At a press conference held on Saturday, September 5, at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Zagreb, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, S.J., said that the occasion of his visit was the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Jesuits in Zagreb and the independence of the Croatian Province from Austria. It was also an opportunity for him to become better acquainted with the Croatian Province.
In response to a question on the place and role of the Society of Jesus in the Church and world today, Fr. Nicolás pointed out that the activity of the Society is evident in the area of education in schools and universities, pastoral work, spiritual ministry and other services such as social centers etc., with the goal of helping people find the path to God. We are called to make our contribution to the revelation of the new meaning of life, which seems to be in crisis, said Fr. Nicolás.
Speaking about the size of the Society, Fr. Nicolás pointed out that the statistics are subject to change and depend upon changes in society and demography, although the most Jesuits are in Western Europe and North America, fewer in Latin America, while there are few in Eastern Europe, Africa and Asia. Regarding the face of the Church and the society, in the future it will not be predominantly European or American but Asian, African and Eastern European. He emphasized that the good preparation and education of candidates play a great role.
In response to a question about his experiences in Asia, about the Asian society. Fr. Nicolás cautioned that Asia is an abstract concept that does not exist in this sense. What exist are Japan, Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries, i.e., great diversity: different cultures, different languages and different religions. This also applies, for example, to the African continent. It is not good to reduce them to a common denominator.
Taking all of this into account, the Asian bishops emphasize three dialogues. The first is connected with poverty, because the Church ministers to the poor, which represent a large percentage of the population. The second dialogue refers to culture: great diversity and riches. The third is dialogue with religions, particularly older religions, said Fr. Nicolás.
Speaking about the challenges of today, Fr. Nicolás pointed out that Croatia is facing the problems of the modern Western society that accompany consumerism, globalization and secularization. Christian and religious values are subject to attack, not direct but in the context of attacks on values and tradition. Religious symbols are being removed from the schools. The new values are consumeristic, which is perplexing to the young because they are seeking meaning. Croatia is being confronted by these challenges, he concluded.