Jesuit superior general Father Arturo Sosa has brought the congregation’s works in Pakistan under its Asia-Pacific region.
The general announced the change of jurisdiction for the mission in Pakistan in a March 28 message to Father Antonio Moreno, president of the Jesuit Conference of Asia-Pacific (JCAP). Father Sosa says the change will come into effect from April 1st.
The change has been done in view of the current political scenario in South Asia. The Pakistan mission has been served by the Jesuits in Sri Lanka, who come under the Conference of South Asia that comprises Ban-gladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Jesuits’ global website says Pakistan currently has three Jesuits working in Lahore and five scholastics of Pakistan mi-ssion studying in Indonesia.
The general’s message says, “For several years now, the Paki-stan mission has been entrusted to the Sri Lanka Province. Re-cently however, difficulties have arisen that have made it extremely difficult for Sri Lanka to support the mission in Pakistan. First, geopolitical factors have severely restricted travel from Sri Lanka to Pakistan. Second, an acute shortage of Jesuit personnel in Sri Lanka has come to a point that the Province is no longer able to send Jesuits to Pakistan, now or in the near future.”
Father Sosa agrees that ideally other countries in South Asia should help Pakistan, given their geographical and cultural proxi-mity to Pakistan. “Unfortunately, neither is this possible, given the longstanding hostility between India and Pakistan, and the impossibility of travel between these two countries.”
The Asia-Pacific region will manage the Pakistan mission for three years on an experimental basis, the general says.
“I am confident, Fr. Moreno, that with your leadership and the assistance from the other Major Superiors of Asia Pacific, the mission in Pakistan will be able to carry on with its good work, and receive adequate guidance, sustenance, and support,” says Father Sosa’s letter to the head of the Asia-Pacific region.
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