austraLasia #2032
"Let us trust him - he knows humanity very well"
A Salesian insider's view of the new Jesuit General
ROME: 21st January 2008 -- "I have just returned from taking part in the thanksgiving mas of Fr. Nicolás [the new Jesuit Superior General] at the Gesù with Fr. Naoki Tsujiie. It was certainly a great moment and his homily was simple and yet such a striking one". (Yosuke Sakai sdb)
It may not be widely known outside Japan that many Japanese Salesians have known the newly elected Jesuit Superior General first-hand, either as students or colleagues. Fr John Sakai gives us his impressions:
"The new General Superior has been a missionary in Japan since 1961. He joined the Japanese Jesuit Province during the leadership of Fr. Arrupe. So now the Jesuits have a 'second Arrupe' in their midst as commander-in-chief.
He has been teaching as a professor of systematic theology in the theological department at Sophia University for nearly 3 decades. Many of the Japanese Salesians were under his academic expertise and for some he was even the moderator of their thesis.
When he finished his term as provincial of the Jesuits in Japan, he committed himself to the most marginalized people of Japan, the migrants. He was a head of the Catholic Tokyo International Center and fully dedicated his life for those whose lifes were left desolate in hidden corners of the big city, and he encouraged the staff with his realistic yet creative vision for his suffering neighbors. Furthermore he used his theological expertise for catechetical education of migrants and their children and he wrote books in multilingual edition published by the Salesian publishers, Don Bosco Sha. During this time some young Salesians were working with him especially for the Japanese-Filipino Youth Program. He was the resource person of the program and he always showed his support for and trust in the Salesian way of educating youth. He used to say, "Let us trust in the Salesians for they know youth very well!"
He was not just a man of action but also as a good disciple of St. Ignatius. He offered spiritual direction and his deep insights to young Salesians on several occasions. Some of them went to him seeking spiritual direction regularly. One Salesian, his former student, describes him as "Jinkaku-sha" (man of character) which is a compliment showing the highest admiration in Japan. He is quite far from being rigid and unsociable. Probably those who have come across him would say with one voice: Fr. Nicolas is cordial, generous and most exceptional!
So now his Japanese former students say to him in return," Let us trust in Fr. Nicolas for he knows human reality very well!" Congratulations, Fr. Nicholas! Gambatte kudasai ! (Best of luck!)".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2032
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces GIA Jesuit General
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2032
"Let us trust him - he knows humanity very well"
A Salesian insider's view of the new Jesuit General
ROME: 21st January 2008 -- "I have just returned from taking part in the thanksgiving mas of Fr. Nicolás [the new Jesuit Superior General] at the Gesù with Fr. Naoki Tsujiie. It was certainly a great moment and his homily was simple and yet such a striking one". (Yosuke Sakai sdb)
It may not be widely known outside Japan that many Japanese Salesians have known the newly elected Jesuit Superior General first-hand, either as students or colleagues. Fr John Sakai gives us his impressions:
"The new General Superior has been a missionary in Japan since 1961. He joined the Japanese Jesuit Province during the leadership of Fr. Arrupe. So now the Jesuits have a 'second Arrupe' in their midst as commander-in-chief.
He has been teaching as a professor of systematic theology in the theological department at Sophia University for nearly 3 decades. Many of the Japanese Salesians were under his academic expertise and for some he was even the moderator of their thesis.
When he finished his term as provincial of the Jesuits in Japan, he committed himself to the most marginalized people of Japan, the migrants. He was a head of the Catholic Tokyo International Center and fully dedicated his life for those whose lifes were left desolate in hidden corners of the big city, and he encouraged the staff with his realistic yet creative vision for his suffering neighbors. Furthermore he used his theological expertise for catechetical education of migrants and their children and he wrote books in multilingual edition published by the Salesian publishers, Don Bosco Sha. During this time some young Salesians were working with him especially for the Japanese-Filipino Youth Program. He was the resource person of the program and he always showed his support for and trust in the Salesian way of educating youth. He used to say, "Let us trust in the Salesians for they know youth very well!"
He was not just a man of action but also as a good disciple of St. Ignatius. He offered spiritual direction and his deep insights to young Salesians on several occasions. Some of them went to him seeking spiritual direction regularly. One Salesian, his former student, describes him as "Jinkaku-sha" (man of character) which is a compliment showing the highest admiration in Japan. He is quite far from being rigid and unsociable. Probably those who have come across him would say with one voice: Fr. Nicolas is cordial, generous and most exceptional!
So now his Japanese former students say to him in return," Let us trust in Fr. Nicolas for he knows human reality very well!" Congratulations, Fr. Nicholas! Gambatte kudasai ! (Best of luck!)".
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2008 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Title: australasia 2032
Subject and key words: EAO Provinces GIA Jesuit General
Date (year): 2008
ID: 2000-2099|2032
