Faith
and Justice – Landscape after a
The
Experience of Jesuits in
Adam Żak SJ
1. The
faith-justice relationship in the Christian experience under Communism
After the great
debates that took place in the Church and in the Society in the post
Council
decades, there is a common understanding that social commitment and the
Social
Apostolate cover the same area of meaning. When one talks of the social
commitment of Christian believers and –a fortiori– of religious,
it is
taken for granted that this concept is a synonym for the Social
Apostolate.
Furthermore, it seems commonly accepted that the term Apostolate be
qualified
also by the adjective ‘social’. It is generally understood that there is an
intrinsic link between the Social Apostolate and social justice, so
much so
that the latter is increasingly considered to be clearly one of the
aims of the
Social Apostolate. At the same time however, at least from a linguistic
perspective, ‘social commitment’ and the ‘social apostolate,’ because
of their
clear association with the term ‘social justice,’ although not opposed
to the
concept of caritas, do not explicitly refer back to this concept to
qualify as
Christian.
That is, they
are not seen as distinctly different from explicitly
non-Christian visions of social commitment. In fact, the concept of the
Social
Apostolate as it has developed over recent decades has been strongly
influenced
by reflection on the relationship between the declaration of faith and
commitment to justice. The point of departure for this reflection is
not an
abstract analysis, but actual experience of social injustice
experienced by
many peoples within Christian tradition, especially in
While in
the historical experience of
Christians in
Thus
Christians in
This was
the reason that Church documents
refuting Marxist prejudices against the Christian faith as reactionary
and
opposed to progress were welcomed and studied with special attention. I
should
mention some in particular which inspired a clear echo. First of all,
we note
the documents from the time of the Second Vatican Council, including
the
encyclical by John XXIII Pacem
in terris (1963), the declaration on
religious freedom Dignitatis humanae (1965)
and the conciliary constitution Gaudium
et spes (1965). These documents,
together with
the encyclical Populorum progressio (1967) and the Apostolic letter Octogesima adveniens
(1971) by Paul VI, offered Christians in
If we
consider this general context, we
will understand more easily the difficulties experienced by Jesuits in
Immediately
after the fall of Communism
reflection began on issues centred on the relationship between faith
and
justice within the EOR (1) Provincials Conference. The following are
some
examples of the issues studied. The 1990 meeting was dedicated to the
issue – Faith
and Justice: The challenges facing Jesuits in
Since
1995 EOR provincials have actively
promoted meetings within the Social Apostolate of the Assistancy and
have
nominated a coordinator in this sector, Father Robin Schweiger
(SVN). Since 1996 there have been regular study meetings at which
Jesuits
interested, or engaged, in the Social Apostolate may exchange
experiences. The
Social Apostolate sector is the only one coordinated in a continuous
way at
Assistancy level. This indicates that the Society in
2. Understanding
the kairos of the fall of Communism
If, on
the one hand, it is true that for
reasons of censorship a wide philosophical-theological debate on the
faith-justice relationship was lost during the decades of the Communist
state,
it is equally true that this relationship was experienced as a
conjunction that
frequently culminated in martyrdom.
In our
part of
Theologically
speaking, the martyrdom of
innumerable believers in both Eastern and Western traditions is the
most
important contribution to the declaration of faith which produces the
fruits
of justice. In almost the entire region the Christian faith
progressively
became an immeasurable source of strength for an ever more conscious
resistance
to injustice. With time this resistance, nourished by the Word of God
and
prayer, contributed to the collapse of Communism. Thus, many saw the
fall of
Communism as a liberating event, God’s response to the cry of his
people.
If we
seek points of reference by which to
interpret the fall of Communism theologically, we find them in the
history of
Faced
with Communism, Christianity
accomplished its role by drawing from its own source, that which
animates it
and constitutes its essence – the victory of Christ over evil. This
means that
the force of Christianity is far more than merely the negation of an
imposed
ideology bolstered by arguments from some cultural current of thought
or some
anti-Communist political movement. The original force of the Christian
faith is
manifested in the force of its martyrs. Through this force,
Christianity
inspired hope, reinforced awareness of the dignity of man and human
rights,
confuted the absolute character of Communist ideology with arguments
and even
ensured the sense of a community of values unifying the continent of
Christianity
has defended freedom and
justice, even the freedom to pardon enemies, repudiate revenge and give
up
one’s own life for others. It is in this sense that freedom operated
long
before the prisoners were able to leave the Gulag archipelago. It did
this
inside that archipelago, as witnessed in that extraordinary novel by
Solzhenitsyn, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
In
presenting this reflection, I find it
necessary to underline something else I consider very important, not to
be
forgotten as one looks at the numerous difficulties experienced by
Christians
in
How can
the Society respond to this
challenge under the conditions of post-Communist society – pluralist,
democratic, relativist and so on? One of the responses made by Jesuits
offer is
the Social Apostolate.
3. Perspectives
for the Social Apostolate in
As
already mentioned, the Social
Apostolate was introduced into the agenda of the EOR Conference of
Provincials
immediately after the political changes. Numerous Jesuits from all EOR
provinces took part in the groups for reflection and exchange promoted
by the
Provincials over the course of the years, contributing not only to the
development of the Social Apostolate, but also to overcoming a certain
diffidence arising from the long separation between developments in the
East
and West. I would like to develop my reflection around some questions.
What is the common
experience now of Jesuits in post-Communist countries?
Towards
the end of the nineties, during a
meeting of EOR Provincials, it was noted quite openly that we are no
longer
united by the past experience of Communism; the suffering of the past
is no
longer a common denominator. In the process of concentrating on the
past under
Communist rule, an opening towards the future has emerged. We have
discovered
that the problems faced by our mission in post-Communist countries grow
increasingly similar to those the Society is experiencing in other
parts of the
world. Long before 2005 when the Conference of Provincials of ECE and
EOR
decided to unite in one single conference, we found in joint working
meetings
that we were discussing the same problems relating to secularisation,
formation
and such issues. The realisation came that Jesuits in the West and in
the East
are in the same boat and called upon to face very similar problems.
Even at the
time of GC 34 no delegate from either of the two Assistancies could
have
imagined a development of this nature. The horizons seemed so different
that a
possible coming together was considered only in the very long term.
While
this realisation is certainly valid
for Jesuits, we cannot say that the same process was so rapid in other
segments
of our societies and churches as to produce a similar perception of
sailing in
the same boat. For this reason one of the greatest tasks of Jesuits in
EOR
provinces is to help churches and numerous social groups to abandon
their
victim mentality and discover and face challenges with hope, not
fatalism. From
the Christian viewpoint, history, despite its apparently inexplicable
turns, is
always the history of salvation. Even the period of Communism which
caused so
much suffering belongs to God’s design. The fall of Communism itself
may be
seen from an unforced theological reading in Paschal terms as a
liberation
event, a gift to be accepted and made to bear fruit for the future.
This
reading puts an end to negative brooding over the past in a fatalist
vision of
the present and the future, and opens up the possibility of grace
operating in
history, the prospect of hope and the future prepared by God, the Lord
of
history. The Jesuit in the post-Communist world is a serene and
grateful
witness to a liberating God!
What is the main
task of the Jesuit Social Apostolate in post-Communist countries?
Before
going on to attempt a response, I
would like to focus on the distinction between the social dimension of
each
Apostolic sector and the Social Apostolate which is devoted to works of
a
social nature. The social sector in the provinces of post-Communist
Europe does
indeed exist and assumes different forms in each country but is,
understandably, still a somewhat weak sector. The social dimension of
the
various Apostolates is obviously capable of growth; and for this reason
Jesuits
working both in the social sector and other Apostolic sectors must
realise that
ultimately there is a task which unifies all sectors and clearly
qualifies the
social dimension.
Apart
from those participating in a
seminar or undergoing the Spiritual Exercises, what is the crucial need
of
people attending a Jesuit school or receiving the sacraments in
post-Communist
countries? What can we, or what must we, as the Society of Jesus,
impart to the
people?
It is my
deepest conviction, strengthened
by every journey made to countries where Jesuits live and work, that
the most
urgent need in post-Communist countries and the most genuine task of
our
Apostolate is reconciliation. In fact our greatest problems arise from
the fact
that we live in the midst of tragic and profound conflicts and
divisions
between individuals, social groups, religious faiths and nations. These
conflicts and divisions are part of the social heritage of each region.
Communism decreed the end of these and repressed them but did not
resolve them.
On the contrary, it created new ones. An obvious example of this state
of
affairs was the war following the dissolution of
If, on
the one hand, this comment reveals
the scars present in this part of
For
decades society in our countries was
exposed to a dialectic according to which struggle was the engine of
progress
in history. As a result people have been quick to define and indicate
the
enemies to be fought. We must be just as quick to work on
reconciliation, with
social dialogue initiatives and the creation of meeting spaces and
opportunities
for dialogue with enemies. Reconciliation not only heals scars, but
also builds
foundations for a different future.
The work
of reconciliation must be
measured evangelically, but with care since the heritage is complex.
There are
not only issues of enmity, nationalism and the consequences of economic
and
technological backwardness, but also a passivity that expects too much
from
public and state institutions. At the same time there is a diffidence
that
inhibits active participation in civil society towards organising
something
constructive. Certainly, there are many differences between the
different
countries owing to their different historical experiences.
Tendentiously
however, the number of those who have been incapable of, or unaware of
how to
react constructively to the changes is quite high in all post-Communist
societies. Thus the gap grows between these “passive” and disappointed
masses
and the cultural, political and economic elites who make huge profits
out of
the situation in a selfish way by accumulating wealth and power.
Populism also
profits from this gap and instead of releasing energies creatively,
actually
perpetuates injustice. Unfortunately, there are forms of populism
justified by
pseudo-demagogic arguments drawing on religion, national myth or an
idealising
of the Communist past. This rather simplified image reveals however the
importance of teaching, associations and other forms of social
education in the
construction of bridges and overcoming of divisions. The work of
reconciliation
needs multiple concrete initiatives to give visibility and stability to
the
hope for justice.
We are
not alone in serving faith that
does justice. Fortunately the Social Apostolate works in many forms. We
are
called above all to collaborate, learning from those we want to help.
The
Social Apostolate of the Society is small compared to the needs and the
challenges faced. We need to forgo every form of presumption in order
to sow
the seeds of hope among the people.
Original Italian
Translation by
Judy Reeves
Adam
Żak SJ
Curia
Generalizia Gesuita
C.P.
6139
00195
Roma-Prati
ITALY
1)
The
Assistancy of Eastern Europe (EOR) is made up of one independent
region, Russia
(RUS) and 7 provinces. Though