Pope Francis meets Jesuit confrères in Dili

Keeping with tradition, Pope Francis has met with his fellow Jesuits in Timor-Leste.

Upon entering the reception hall of the Apostolic Nunciature in Dili, where 41 Jesuits were gathered after his earlier meeting with the clergy at the Cathedral of the Assumption, Pope Francis immediately made his way to Father João Felgueiras.

Fr. Felgueiras, one of the oldest Jesuits in the world at 103 years old, was visibly moved by the encounter.

Having lived in Timor-Leste since the time of the Indonesian occupation, Father João has remained committed to serving the local people, even through the country’s most challenging times.

As soon as Pope Francis entered the hall, he headed straight for Father João, who had been pointed out to him in advance.

Father Nuno da Silva Gonçalves, Director of La Civiltà Cattolica and a member of the Pope’s delegation during this journey through Southeast Asia and Oceania, described the event.

“The Holy Father”, he shared, “thanked him and embraced him. Father João was deeply touched”.

Second Meeting of Journey with
Jesuit brothers

This encounter marked Pope Francis’ second meeting with his Jesuit brothers during this trip.

On 4 September, he had spent about an hour in dialogue with 200 fellow Jesuits.

Meanwhile, a third gathering was scheduled for 12 September at the Saint Francis Xavier Retreat Center in Singapore.

The meeting in Dili brought together 41 Jesuits, including eight novices, from various regions but primarily stationed in Timor-Leste.

Father Gonçalves described the atmosphere as being among family.

“It was a very international group”, he said, noting the presence of Jesuits from Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The group represented a diversity of missions, from youth education to teacher training institutions, as well as spiritual exercises offered in parishes.

Lively 45-Minute Discussion

Lasting about 45-minutes, the meeting was filled with the usual back-and-forth q&a with light-hearted exchanges and with topics closely tied to the Jesuit reality and mission.

Father Gonçalves said the Pope had spoken about his views of the Jesuit’s work across different countries, focusing on themes such as social justice, the Church’s Social Doctrine, and its ongoing significance.

The Importance of Inculturation

Inculturation, reiterated throughout the Pope’s visit to Timor-Leste, was a key theme of the discussion.

As Father Nuno explained, Pope Francis emphasized that the Gospel need to be embedded in the local culture and, highlighting the importance of evangelizing in that culture.

During the Holy Fathe’s time in Timor-Leste, the concept of intertwined faith and culture was a recurring message, especially as the motto for this part of the Pope’s Journey was “Let your faith be your culture”. (Salvatore Cernuzio — Dili)