The Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation Desk in the General Administration works in collaboration with the JPIC Commission of the USG-UISG.  UISG is the International Union of Superiors General – Women, while USG is the Union of Superiors General – Men. The JPIC Commission is a joint commission, i.e., a commission of both the men and the women Superiors-General.  There are two groups to this commission – the English group for JPIC Promoters who speak and understand the English language, and the Spanish group, composed mostly of Spanish and Portuguese-speaking religious.

The JPIC Desk of the MSC is represented in both groups.  Arci (Filipino) attends the meetings of the English group, and Tino (Spanish) represents the MSC in the Spanish group. These two groups have different dates for their meetings.  The English group meets every Third Wednesday of the month.  The two groups have common activities every now and then, such as conferences and seminars, especially when there are theologians invited to speak on certain topics or issues.  In the month of January this year, the topic was on Climate Change, and the speaker was Sean McDonagh, an Irish Columban.  It was held in the Aula Magna of the Brothers of the Christian School (FSC) at Via Aurelia – yes, the same place where we held our General Chapters of 1987, 1993, and 2005 (1999 was in Issoudun) and where our students used to stay (after Corso Trieste, in the house of the Columbans). For the month of February, it was on Climate Change and its implications for the Church.  One of the interesting topics (interesting for me, a missionary of the Sacred Heart) last year was the one given by Fr. Gabriel Nissim, OP, “Human Rights: Humanity at the Heart of our Advocacy.” The JPIC Promoters in Rome also join marches and rallies, such as the yearly “Walk the World – March for Hunger” and the Dominican-led Peace Prayer and March.

The JPIC Commission of the USG-UISG collaborates also with other institutions such as the United Nations Organization and the Caritas International in issues that the USG-UISG also espouse.  It is collaborating with the UN and Caritas on the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals.  The Eight (8) Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are:

1.    Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger;
2.    Achieve universal primary education;
3.    Promote Gender equality and empower Women;
4.    Reduce child mortality;
5.    Improve maternal health;
6.    Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases;
7.    Ensure environmental sustainability; and
8.    Develop a global partnership for development.

However, JPIC work in Rome is not limited only to the MDGs.  There might be other issues and concerns which the JPIC Promoters would like to adopt and work on or involve themselves in.  At present, there are different “working groups” that are focusing or addressing themselves to other problems and problematic areas, such as: Anti-Trafficking group, Medicine, especially in AIDS- and malaria-stricken countries,  Integrity of Creation, UN working group, Economic working group, Migration, Ecology, Africa, MDG, Formation in Social Teaching, Latin America, etc.  There are issues that come up related to political situations in a certain place and how these affect the lives of the people there, seen not only in the political and economic points of view but in the human and moral points of view,  as issues of Justice and Peace and Integrity of Creation – Kenya, Zimbabwe, India, Sri Lanka, South Sudan, etc.  Last March 19, 2008, we received an “Urgent Action” appeal from the Commission to support the villagers of Sujong (in Masan, 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul) and the Trappistine Sisters of South Korea who do not want the construction of a shipbuilding yard in their village because of the legal, moral, and environmental wrong that this will bring to their place.

At the Tri-Generalate level, we are collaborating with our Sisters (FDNSC and MSC) for a common program or course of action..  In the past, i.e., in the previous administration, they were able to come up with joint seminars/meetings in the different groupings within the Chevalier Family.  If I am not mistaken, it is only APIA (Asia-Pacific Islands-Australasia) which did not have a JPIC Seminar-Workshop.  However, in the last APIA Superiors and Formators Meeting, the idea of a JPIC seminar-workshop in the Region was talked about and decided on.  However, we would like to hear from the JPIC promoters themselves from the region some updates about their own organization (of JPIC promoters) and the organization of the said seminar-workshop on JPIC.

This is the first of a series of articles from the JPIC Desk.  I hope to make  a monthly appearance in our website. I would like to hear from you, especially from the Provincial JPIC promoters, of JPIC issues and concerns in your areas.


Father Narciso Abellana MSC
Rome, Italy