Fr General Adolfo Nicolás has sent out guidelines to Jesuit communities around the world to help them better support communities in times of disaster.
In a letter to Major Superiors on 12 March, Fr Nicolás provided eight practical guidelines for Jesuits to ‘help us render service that is both more effective and more evangelical’.
The guidelines include:
1. Responsibility for responding rests with Jesuit communities and institutions located in a country struck by disaster.
2. Care for disaster victims must be both practical and spiritual.
3. Jesuits are called to be open to, and indeed, to build up forms of collaboration.
4. Share information.
5. Show and welcome international solidarity.
6. Transparency and accountability.
7. Continuing support after the immediate emergency phase.
8. The importance of reflecting on root causes of the disaster after the immediate crisis is over, to prevent future crises.
He said the response to disasters is guided by the examples of St Ignatius, St Francis Xavier and the first companions, who were committed to serving their neighbours both spiritually and bodily. They are also informed by the experience of Jesuits in more recent disaster situations.
‘These and other disasters have given rise to an impressive movement of compassion and solidarity among many groups, organisations and individuals’, he said.
‘Moved by the love of God that we ourselves have experienced, we are invited to collaborate with others in order to contribute what we can to alleviate the sufferings of people affected by these calamities.’
Source: SJ News
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