In the days leading up to the 36th General Congregation’s opening plenary session, the members of the congregation trickled in, a few at a time. Some have come from far away. The Indonesian provincial, Fr. Sunu, travelled more than 20 hours. He is glad to have the opportunity to share his experiences in a Country that has one of the largest Muslim populations in the world but nonetheless resists being pulled into more radical versions of Islam that one can find here and there throughout the world. Fr. Sunu likes to recall that the president of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, dared to publicly affirm that Indonesia was a Muslim country with its own way of practicing Islam, one distinct from that of the Arab world.
All of the Jesuit houses of Rome have opened their doors to welcome the provincials and the delegates. All of the guestrooms have been reserved for them, whether at the General Curia, the neighbouring Canisius Residence, the Bellarmin, the Gregorian, the Civiltà Cattolica, Sant’Andrea al Quirinale, the Astalli (Gesù) Residence, the Biblicum, the Orientale…
Fr. Arturo Sosa, the logistical coordinator, is delighted that none of the participants had any problems obtaining a visa. For this, we can thank the good mutual relations that have been fostered with the Italian authorities in the months leading up to the Congregation.