Pope to Jesuits: we need to change the way we stand before world

Pope Francis met with more than 200 participants in a congress organized by the Society of Jesus.

It's about the meeting, “A journey of justice and reconciliation.” It was organized to celebrate the 50 anniversary of the department in charge of coordinating and promoting its social apostolate, the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat.

The Superior General of the Jesuits, Arturo Sosa, addressed the pope at the beginning of the meeting.

“The most important thing for the congress is to clearly see the paths to follow in the immediate, short-term and long-term future.”

Pope Francis gave his speech in Spanish, where he repeated that the world is in a critical social situation.

POPE FRANCIS
Human trafficking subsists, xenophobic expressions and the selfish pursuit of national interest are abundant, there is inequality between and inside countries that grows without remedy. They grow with progression I would call geometric.

The pope recalled that the world is in a World War III, fought in little pieces, and that a radical change of mentality is necessary to foster dialogue.

POPE FRANCIS
We need a real “cultural revolution,” a transformation of our collective mind, of our attitudes and the way we perceive and situate ourselves in the world.

The pope ended his intervention, recalling a message of Fr. Arrupe, the Superior General of the Jesuits that instituted the Social Justice and Ecology Secretariat. He said that as Jesuits, they should not leave prayer behind, an indispensable instrument for their evangelical mission.

Javier Romero
Translated: Rachel Dobrzynski