Politics

Any reference I make to my life as a Jesuit these past 42 years inevitably refers to the mission of faith and justice, and to friendship with Jesuits in my province

Jabhat alNusra, the same that ruined the church, and, most sadly, killed Father François in June 2013. Then FatherFrans in April 2014. Why? This same question stayed in my head for months after I heard about his assassination.

‘Working with the excluded’ necessitates a vision of all encompassing inclusion, confronting excluding attitudes and structures as a contemplative, being ready for collaborative action with all, especially the youth, cherishing our Common Home, the whole world, both the land and the sea, with its infinite possibilities for sharing resources equitably and sustainably, celebrating life and celebrating suffering itself like in the Last Supper of Jesus.

Working against Discrimination on the basis of work and decent has been the one thing I have been grappling with during the 37 years of my life as a Jesuit.

My work in development cooperation began more than 20 years ago. However, previously, I was involved in volunteer projects where I had the opportunity to experience what I call "encounters" with realities and people plagued by poverty and exclusion. I remember when I spent one summer in India,

Working for and with the poor and marginalized brings abundant graces but not without challenges and moments of hopelessness and desolation. However, with prayer and dedication, we learn from each other and support one another and find the support of the loving God who leads us on our journey.

Shantha Ram is accused of rape and murder of Kanchan Kumari, a 8 year old girl, his neighbor in the jhopari-patti (cluster of huts) along the railway track near the Bihar State Secretariat, Patna. The incident took place on 16.12.2007. Ram went absconding, but was arrested on 07.08.2011 and is in Patna central jail since then.

Miyashita Park is a park located in Tokyo’s Shibuya ward, a major commercial center. Many people experiencing homelessness have stayed in Miyashita Park in small cardboard or other structures since the late-1990s.

I was inspired by those who spoke up against injustice, “who spoke truth to power” and were willing to pay the price, even as I began to reflect seriously on the causes and consequences of injustice.

Fourteen years ago, I took as a Jesuit my first steps into the prison, and I entered in the history of the lives of those who live there. I had not realized how delicate the situation was until I found myself for the first time at the door of the prison in Bruges, neither did I understand then how rich an experience it would be.