In late 2025, Father Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, undertook an official visit to the Holy Land, reaffirming the Society’s long-standing commitment to accompaniment, education, and reconciliation in one of the world’s most fragile contexts. The visit formed part of his broader mission of listening to Jesuit communities and partners serving at the frontiers of faith, justice, and human suffering. Rooted in Jesuit History and Mission Father General’s pilgrimage carried deep symbolic weight. More than five centuries after Ignatius of Loyola’s thwarted desire to remain in the Holy Land, the Society continues to maintain a small but dedicated presence there. Father Sosa explicitly framed his visit as a moment of learning—listening to Jesuits, collaborators, and institutions striving to serve amid prolonged conflict and instability. A central moment of the visit was Father Sosa’s encounter with the leadership and community of Bethlehem University, where Jesuits collaborate closely with the De La Salle Brothers. Serving more than 3,300 Palestinian students, the university faces extraordinary challenges due to movement restrictions, security checkpoints, and the ongoing impact of war. University leaders described how daily commutes that once took minutes now consume hours, if travel is possible at all. Yet despite these obstacles, enrollment remains steady and the institution continues to integrate professional education with ethical and social formation. Father Sosa was particularly struck by testimonies of students continuing advanced medical training under extreme conditions, including service in Gaza amid devastation—concrete signs of hope sustained through education. Listening to Suffering, Calling for Discernment Following his return, Father General addressed the wider Society and its partners in a letter reflecting on what he had witnessed. Rather than offering political analysis, he posed a spiritual and moral question: How will the faithful respond to suffering? His reflections emphasized compassion, proximity, and discernment in common as essential responses to entrenched violence and human pain. This emphasis echoed a recurring theme of his leadership: the need to remain present where suffering is greatest, not as problem-solvers, but as companions who listen, pray, and act together. The Holy Land visit also underscored a broader Jesuit posture of availability to the universal Church and the pope, rooted in the Society’s founding charism. In contexts where political solutions remain elusive, Father Sosa highlighted the distinctive Jesuit contribution: sustained presence, education for the future, and the quiet labor of reconciliation carried out with local communities. Continuing the Mission Far from being a symbolic gesture, the 2025 visit strengthened ongoing relationships between the General Curia and Jesuit works in the region. It reaffirmed the Society’s commitment to walking alongside those who refuse to surrender hope, even amid fear, displacement, and loss. In the Holy Land, Father Sosa’s presence served as a reminder that the Jesuit mission there—small in number but deep in impact—continues to bear witness to faith, justice, and the possibility of peace through steadfast accompaniment.

The Society of Jesus in Europe welcomes the appointment of two new members, both current provincials in their local provinces, to the Consult of the Jesuit Conference of European Provincials (JCEP). The Consult of the JCEP is a consultative body that helps the President of the JCEP in his decision making, in this sense it is similar in its functions to the consult of any local Provincial. In a letter dated 17 December, Fr Arturo Sosa SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, appointed Fr Attila András SJ (HUN) and Fr Ronny Alessio SJ (EUM) as new JCEP Consultors. In both cases, both Attila and Ronny are moderators – facilitators – in their Assistancies (group of Provinces that are served by the same counselor to Fr. General) Fr Attila András, elected Moderator of the Central and Eastern Europe Assistancy (better known by the Latin acronym ECO) in October, will begin his mandate as JCEP Consultor on 1 February 2026. He is expected to take part in the next JCEP Consult meeting, scheduled for 18–19 February 2026. Fr Ronny Alessio, elected Moderator of the Southern Europe Assistancy (better known by the Latin Acronym EMR) in October, will begin his mandate on 1 July 2026. His first participation in a JCEP Consult meeting is planned for September 2026.

Jean-Marc Balham, Belgian Jesuit, expert in Christian-Muslim relations, currently living in Ankara (Türkiye), followed very closely and was present in the main events of Pope Leo's recent visit to this country. We’ve asked him to share with us his impressions in this article: The Pope chose Turkey as the destination for his first apostolic journey outside Italy because, like each of his predecessors since the restoration of relations with the Orthodox 60 years ago under Paul VI, he wished to visit the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople at the beginning of his pontificate, on the feast of Saint Andrew, the patron saint of this Church, to consolidate the bonds that unite us. During his brief stay, he also met with the Armenian and Syriac communities, which make up the majority of local Christians, as well as representatives of other Christian denominations immediately after a spiritual visit to the Blue Mosque in the company of local Muslim authorities. The ecumenical dimension of this trip was reinforced this time by the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, where the foundations of the profession of faith common to all Christians were laid, at the very site of the council. Representatives of many Churches gathered there. While some were missing, it is to be hoped that in 2033, all will be able to be present in Jerusalem where, as the Pope told journalists on the plane taking him to Lebanon for the second stage of his apostolic journey, he would like to be able to celebrate two millennia since the Redemption, an event that reduces the petty aspects of ecclesiastical politics that divide us, to nothing. The Pope also met with the local Catholic Church in all its diversity: bishops and pastoral workers, some refugees and elderly people, and above all the Catholic communities of the country (and representatives of other denominations) during a Eucharistic celebration that brought together 4,000 people in a stadium in Istanbul. This was the first time such a celebration had taken place in such a venue: it allowed the local Church to celebrate ‘in full view of one another’ for the first time, without being constrained by the limited space of a place of worship. For this community, this Mass seemed like a prelude to the gathering on the Mountain of the Lord mentioned in the first reading. All this was made possible by the active participation (logistical and financial) of the Turkish authorities, whom the Pope met in Ankara at the beginning of his stay. Currently, relations between the Vatican and Turkey are relatively good, thanks in part to their collaboration in the search for peace in the region. The logo of the papal trip to Turkey represented a bridge, like the one over the Dardanelles Strait: it was this vocation that the sovereign ‘Pontiff’ (“pontifex”, literally ‘bridge builder’) wanted to live out during his stay and to which he called Turkey during his official speech to the authorities: to be a bridge ‘with itself’, between the different elements of its own diversity, and externally, in a region shaken by conflict. Fr. Jean-Marc Balhan, SJ

Last December 13th, Cristóbal Fones SJ, a Chilean Jesuit, currently the Director of the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network and a renowned musician, held a prayer-concert at St. Antoine Parish in Brussels. Cristóbal was visiting the JCEP (Jesuit Conference of European Provincials) during those days. Taking advantage of his presence, Alberto Ares SJ, who currently collaborates with the parish, suggested hosting the concert in the church. The audience consisted largely of members of the parish's Spanish-speaking community, but also included many Chileans living in Brussels and other city residents who know and appreciate Cristóbal’s music. Several Jesuits from the St. Benoît community also attended the event. The event featured some of his most well-known songs, performed in a prayerful setting in the context of Advent and the approaching Christmas season. Cristóbal Fones’ natural joy and charisma helped the audience immerse themselves in the experience and join him in singing most of his repertoire. It was a beautiful moment of prayer and spirituality for everyone present. After the concert, Cristóbal Fones shared a more informal moment with the parish community to learn about them and to share the activities and projects of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network

From December 4th to December 6th, the JCEP Consult had one of its meetings in the Jesuit community of Ankara, Türkiye. The JCEP Socius and the three Assistancies moderators had arrived earlier, on December 2nd, in Istanbul. There, they had the opportunity to visit the city and the main Catholic Church presences, guided by Jean-Marc Balhan SJ, the community superior. The JCEP President, Dalibor Renić, traveled directly to the Consult in Ankara and stayed with the community for a few extra days to conduct the canonical visitation. The Consult agenda included time dedicated to planning the next steps in the apostolic planning process (Francisco José Ruiz joined this section via videoconference), an evaluation of the last JCEP General Assembly in Rome and the questions raised there, and updates on the drafting of the new Guidelines for Formation and Guidelines for Formation in the Digital Age. The group also reflected on possibly drafting updated guidelines for the Conference's Eurogroups, and discussed the later developments of the Youth Adult Ministry group. A significant part of the meeting involved a dialogue about the future horizon of the Jesuit presence in Ankara and a conversation about the content and timing of the upcoming General Assemblies and Consults. Beyond the working aspects of the visit, the days in Ankara allowed all consultors to discover Türkiye, a vast country marked by strong social, economic, and cultural dynamism that must be considered in any reflection on the mission in Europe. It was also an occasion to witness the beautiful mission of the small Jesuit community in Ankara—a mission that includes practicing interreligious dialogue with Islam, tending to the growing nascent Church in the country, and collaborating with other religious orders and the nascent local Church. In the final reflections upon concluding the JCEP Consult, all consultors expressed their deep consolation for having been able to directly witness such a missionary reality located on a true frontier. The common feeling among all participants was that here in Ankara, one truly feels like a Jesuit. Our prayers remain with the Jesuits of the Ankara community—Jean-Marc Balhan, Alexis Doucet, Michael Mcguckian, and Changmo Cho (currently in Tertianship in Bikfaya)—with the desire that these lines help everyone to acknowledge the terrific work they are doing.

The Province of Spain has launched “Moción. Mira más allá”, the first Jesuit-developed video game that blends entertainment with Ignatian depth. Conceived for young people discerning their path in life, the game invites players to reflect on a central question: “And you—how do you make the decisions that shape your life?” Mixing Ignatian spirituality with science fiction and cosmic physics, Moción aims to offer young people a digital experience that unites creativity, discernment, and faith. With the release of its new website, mocionplay.app, the project reaches a major milestone in a development process that has taken several years. A New Ignatian Adventure Game for Young People Moción. Mira más allá is an RPG-style mobile adventure in which players follow Samuel, a university student who discovers a mysterious pair of glasses in his grandfather’s trunk. Through them, he begins to see impossible realities—an opening to a journey of questions, choices, and deeper meaning. The game invites players to explore their own discernment as Samuel navigates his. Developed by Serjesuita (the Province’s Vocations Office), the game is the fruit of a three-year intersectoral and interinstitutional collaboration. More than 230 students from nearly twenty vocational and university centres—part of EDUCSI, UNIJES, and institutions beyond the Society—contributed to its development. Their work spans 3D design, programming, voice recording, music composition, and creative direction. The team aims to publish the game by the end of the 2025–26 academic year on platforms such as Google Play (Android) and the App Store (Apple). The new website already offers a first trailer, project information, and links to Instagram and TikTok, where followers can track the development journey. A mailing list is also available for updates on the official release.