Testimony

My encounters with a bridge-builder

When I studied theology in Rome from 1971 to 1976, Father Arrupe visited us once a year at the College of the Gesù. He discussed the state of the Society of Jesus and its challenges and was happy to answer our questions. I remember feeling something similar to the disciples at Emmaus (cf. Luke 24:32): his words ignited a fire in my heart. It was clear, direct, and familiar—unmistakable and universal in the Catholic sense—as if he thought of the world as his own home.

I later met Father Arrupe, who was visiting my Province of Portugal, and he was always a source of encouragement and inspiration. I was also with him at the 33rd General Congregation, when he announced his resignation and warmly embraced his successor, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach. Also participating in this Congregation was Father Jorge Mario Bergoglio, our beloved Pope Francis, who celebrated his final Easter on April 21st [2025].

I was in Rome attending Father Arrupe's funeral, or rather, his transition to live in the Heavenly Curia of the Most Holy Trinity. I was especially moved by the warm and extended applause after the celebration [of the Eucharist] in the Church of the Gesù, as a group of Jesuits carried him on their shoulders.

Three years ago, I was summoned by the Diocesan Tribunal of Rome to give my testimony for his canonization process. Thankfully, he is a Servant of God, and we hope that his heroic virtue will soon be officially recognized.

The image that stays most vivid in my memory is that of a bridge-builder linking the Ignatian tradition with future challenges, connecting being "rooted and grounded in charity" to a commitment to social justice, uniting fraternal life in community with apostolic dynamism. Always evangelically inclusive.

A realistic optimist

Pedro Arrupe has been described as the "man of utopia,' and as a "mystic and prophet for our time.' This portrayal accurately reflects his lifestyle and leadership style.

The figure of Father Arrupe stands out from the crowd because of his innovative and creative approach. Just as Pope Paul VI was tasked with leading the implementation of the Second Vatican Council for the entire Church, Father Arrupe—recently elected Superior General—was responsible for applying the Council to the life and mission of the Society of Jesus. For him, the Ignatian charism and fidelity to the Church were dynamic forces, not stagnant waters but a living fire. As composer Gustav Mahler said, "Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire."

Father Arrupe's style as a promoter of the letter and spirit of the Second Vatican Council can be summed up in this paragraph that begins the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ. Indeed, nothing genuinely human fails to raise an echo in their hearts. For theirs is a community composed of men. United in Christ, they are led by the Holy Spirit in their journey to the Kingdom of their Father, and they have welcomed the news of salvation which is meant for every man. That is why this community realizes that it is truly linked with mankind and its history by the deepest of bonds.” I have not found a more fitting description of the human and spiritual figure of Father Arrupe.

In a lecture given by Father Kolvenbach on November 13, 2007, at the University of Deusto in Bilbao, Spain, the city where Pedro Arrupe was born a hundred years earlier, he emphasized the strength of Arrupe's soul in the face of difficulties and problems: “When Father Arrupe visited Lebanon and I showed him the ruins of downtown Beirut, I told him that after a terrible night of destructive bombing, the next morning the birds were singing from the trees. He replied that in Hiroshima, too, the Lord of Life did not allow the incredible power of death to have the last word. As the Song of Songs says, For love is strong as death. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can floods drown it” (Song 8:6-7). Arrupe's hope, rooted in faith and human optimism, was stronger than all tragedies and disappointments.

Promoter of faith that is realized in justice

The second General Congregation led by Father Arrupe was the 32nd, held from December 1974 to March 1975—three intense months of seeking what the Spirit of God wanted to communicate to the Society of Jesus. Decree 4 of GC 32 is regarded as the most significant framework, serving as the benchmark for the Society's life and mission even today. It is titled: "Our Mission Today: The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice."

The fundamental idea of ​​GC 32 is that the service of faith is inseparable from the promotion of justice. It is not a combination of alternative parts: more pastoral Jesuits or Jesuits with a more social profile. Our faith must always be more just, and our justice always more faithful, inspired by the Gospel of Jesus. The body of a Jesuit has two arms, distinct but inseparable: faith and justice. We cannot amputate one of the arms, but instead promote their union and complementarity.

Father General Arrupe concluded his homily at the closing Eucharist of the 32nd General Congregation (6-04-1975) in St. Peter’s Basilica: “So, whether we consider the needs and aspirations of the people of our time, whether we think about the particular charism that founded the Society, or whether we seek to learn what Jesus has in his Heart for each and every one of us, we arrive at the same conclusion, namely, that the Jesuit of today is a man whose mission is to dedicate himself entirely to the service of faith and the promotion of justice, in a community of life, work and sacrifice with his companions who gather around the same banner of the Cross, and in fidelity to the Vicar of Christ, in order to build a more human and, at the same time, more divine world.”

In this General Congregation, faith and justice came together in a strong fraternal spirit. The inseparable pairing of serving faith and promoting justice is not a new trend but stems from Christ's way of being and acting, as well as the Ignatian charism lived today to meet the challenges of our times. To use an image: the train of the Society's mission needs two tracks—faith and justice—to keep moving forward in seeking the greater glory of God and the best service to others, for "The mission of the Society of Jesus today is the service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement. For reconciliation with God demands the reconciliation of people with one another" (Decree 4, no. 2).

The founding of the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) by Father General Arrupe in November 1980 is a concrete way of responding—in the name of the Faith—to the plight of Vietnamese refugees fleeing their war-ravaged homeland. JRS's field of action today extends to five continents, assisting millions of refugees. As its founder emphasized: "The help expected of us is not merely material; the Society is especially called to provide human, educational, and spiritual assistance."

I am confident that our beloved Father Arrupe rejoiced before God when he saw the publication of the "Universal Apostolic Preferences of the Society of Jesus, 2019-2029" by his successor, Father Arturo Sosa. This document emphasizes the apostolic preference for the least: "We reaffirm our commitment to caring for migrants, displaced persons, refugees, victims of war and human trafficking; to defending the culture and dignified existence of indigenous peoples. We intend to continue contributing to creating the conditions for their human welcome, accompanying them in their process of integration into society, and promoting the defense of their rights." (Letter from Father General, February 19, 2019). Pope Francis, whom God already has in His Glory, confirmed the apostolic preferences as a concrete expression of the Society's life-mission and affirmed that they are the result of "dynamic discernment, not that of a library or laboratory."

Now we are celebrating, along with the entire Church, the Jubilee of Hope. In this regard, I recall Father Arrupe's exhortation: "While we cannot demand the same degree of optimism from everyone... we must at least demand of everyone the requirement of never accepting pessimism." The Church and the world need us as prophets of hope.

(Original: Spanish)