By Our Own Correspondent
November 30, 2015 - Jesuits and Salesians, two largest religious Congregations in the Catholic Church. Also in the 'territory'of 'Our Region' we find these two Congregations with similar and distinct characteristics. We can always learn a lot of our 'Senior Brothers' who just celebrated 200th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Society of Jesus (1814-2014).
From the Jesuit Asia-Pacific website:http://sjapc.net/home;
- The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific is one of six Conferences that coordinate and facilitate the mission of the Jesuits around the world. Covering Jesuit life and service in Australia, Cambodia, China, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor Leste, Vietnam, and Micronesia, the Conference serves to help bring an international perspective to and on local initiatives.
- The cooperation fostered by the Conference is an 'undeniable necessity' for the Society to realise its apostolic mission in an area with at least one third of the world’s population and a large proportion of its indigenous peoples. Christianity is a tiny minority in Asia Pacific which is home to several major religions and to ancient, deep spiritual and cultural traditions - the most populous Islamic nation, Indonesia; four of the five countries that adhere to Theravada Buddhism, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand; and all the countries of Confucian culture.
- Although only the Philippines and Timor Leste are predominantly Christian, the area is a fast-growing part of the Society, along with other parts of Asia and Africa. The Jesuits in Asia Pacific receive between 70 and 100 new entrants each year, there is about 1800 Jesuits in the Conference. Since 1978 the vision and scope of the Conference have been widened to include a greater role in Society governance and leadership in facing new ‘frontiers’ - especially the 'social ministry'. Today about a dozen coordinators remain in their own ministry bases in various countries, while carrying additional international responsibilities as secretaries for their apostolic sectors. The Conference is also responsible for East Asian Pastoral Institute (Manila - Ateneo in Quezon City) for the renewal of Church pastoral workers and the Arrupe International Residence for the formation of (60 young) Jesuits.
The Society’s Superior General appoints a president (Fr. Mark Rapper, former Australia Provincial, office in Manila-EAPPI) to oversee the work of each Jesuit Conference. The President and the dozen Jesuit major superiors in the Conference meet regularly twice a year for working sessions. On the other side, the Asia Pacific Region has also an Assistant to the General Superior in Rome (Fr. Danny Huang, former Philippines Provincial, based in Rome).
FOTO - President of the Asia Pacific Conference Fr. Mark Raper with the electors for the 36th Jesuit General Congregation, Map of the AP Conference.
