By Ann Teoh
PETALING JAYA – Catholics are called to become agents of reconciliation in a fractured world by embracing discernment, walking together in synodality and collaborating in the Church’s mission, Jesuit Superior General Fr Arturo Sosa Abascal SJ said during his first visit to Malaysia.
The 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus visited the Church of St Francis Xavier (SFX), Petaling Jaya, on Jul 18, where he met young adults, celebrated the parish’s sunset Mass and later spent the evening in dialogue with about 180 parishioners over dinner.
Fr Sosa arrived in Kuala Lumpur after visiting Kuching earlier in the week. He was accompanied by Fr José Cecilio Magadia SJ, General Counsellor and Regional Assistant for Asia Pacific; Fr Tomasz Kot SJ, who will soon serve as Delegate for Interprovincial Houses and Works in Rome; and Fr Robert Ballecer SJ, widely known as the “Digital Jesuit” for his work in technology and evangelisation.
Also present at the dinner were Malaysia-Singapore Regional Superior Fr Francis Lim SJ, treasurer Fr Sebastian Koh SJ, parish priest Fr Alvin Ng SJ, Fr Alvin Ho SJ and Br Gerard Choo SJ.
The visit marked only the second time a Jesuit Superior General has visited St Francis Xavier Church, which has been entrusted to the Society of Jesus since its establishment in 1961. The first was the late Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ during his visit in 1980.
Addressing parishioners after dinner, Fr Sosa reflected on three themes he described as essential to the Church’s mission today: reconciliation, discernment, and collaboration.
Fr Sosa observed that today’s world is marked by conflict, inequality, forced migration, environmental degradation and growing social polarisation.
Yet these realities, he said, should not lead Christians to despair.
“God is already reconciling the world to Himself in Christ. That is our starting point,” he said.
He stressed that reconciliation is not simply the absence of conflict but active participation in God’s work of healing broken relationships — with God, with one another and with creation.
This, he explained, requires personal conversion, authentic Christian witness, hospitality towards those on the margins and a renewed commitment to caring for the environment.
Ultimately, he said, the mission of reconciliation is measured by “the depth of human healing, the restoration of dignity and the cultivation of hope.”
Turning to discernment, Fr Sosa reminded parishioners that it is far more than making decisions based solely on reason.
Instead, discernment begins by creating space for prayerful listening to the Holy Spirit.
“It is about making time to pause and ask: ‘Where is the Holy Spirit moving?’” he said.
He encouraged Catholics to root discernment in the Eucharist, Sacred Scripture and the daily Examen, while recognising that discernment is both personal and communal.
Communities, he said, grow when people pray together, listen deeply to one another and seek God’s will even amid differing opinions.
Fr Sosa also emphasised that the Church’s mission belongs not only to clergy and religious but to every baptised person.
“The time of the lone hero is over,” he said. “The challenges of our times are too interconnected and too complex.”
He also called for greater collaboration among clergy, religious and laity, as well as with people of goodwill beyond the Catholic community, particularly within Malaysia’s diverse society.
Describing synodality as “the way Jesus lived His mission,” Fr Sosa said parishes must become communities that pray, listen and discern together, rather than simply administer program.
Parish councils, ministries and committees, he noted, should become places of spiritual conversation where the wisdom of senior parishioners, families, young adults and those on the margins is genuinely heard.
“The local bishop gives guidance, but it is the Holy Spirit we must listen to, speaking through each and every one,” he said.
Fr Sosa concluded by challenging parishioners to measure success not by numbers or activities but by transformed lives.
“Jesus measures success by transformation,” he said. “Do people encounter mercy? Do relationships heal? Does justice take root? Does hope grow?”
Encouraging the faithful to persevere in their baptismal mission, he prayed that the Church would continue to walk together “not as isolated individuals, but as a synodal Church — listening, discerning, collaborating and working for reconciliation under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.” – Herald Malaysia
