Message Board

Dear Friends,

On March 30, I had the privilege of attending the Maxi Academy of our Pre-Novices. That day, they staged the exceptional play, “An Enemy of the People” written by Henrik Ibsen. Special thanks to the tireless efforts taken by the three staff members of the pre-novitiate, the pre-novices staged this play as if they were professional theatre artists.

The play is about a doctor, who tries to create public awareness about the water body in the town, which is highly polluted. When the powerful people of the town come to realise that this truth would jeopardise their socio-political and economic interests, they try to silence the doctor by instigating the general public to ostracise and throw him out of the town. The play vividly portrayed the manner in which the power holders polarise and threaten people to silence the just. When economic interests, political ambitions, socio-cultural, racial, linguistic and gender chauvinism take the centre stage, people who stand for equality, justice, and human rights are pushed aside, silenced and branded as, the “Enemy of the People.”

Although the theme and the unfolding of the story was not completely new, the context and the message were significant to us in the season of Lent. This is what we will be contemplating during the Passion Week. People who gave a rousing welcome to Jesus when he entered Jerusalem, quickly turned against Him and demanded Pontius Pilate to crucify Him. Crucifying those who try to awaken the conscience of those in power goes on in human history in diverse parts of the world. The life and the killing of Fr. Stan Swamy vividly portrayed this stark reality in which we live.

Added to this, the geo-political aggressions of different kinds, ecological disasters like that of the earthquake in Myanmar and Thailand, and forest fires in various countries present us with a bleak and precarious picture of human life on this planet. When we witness human suffering inflicted on the innocent, we begin to question the very existence of God. When people, who endure such sufferings and persecutions look up to us, we choose to remain silent.

Dear Friends, we all know that the crucifixion and death of Jesus were not the final reality. We believe that the power of the resurrection destroyed the fear of death and restored faith and hope. St. Augustine says, “We are an Easter people and alleluia is our song.” Yes, dear friends, we are the Easter people and we sing alleluia with a grateful heart together with all the people of goodwill. As the Risen Lord consoled, strengthened, empowered and assured the infant Church with His continued presence, He keeps calling us to be with Him and with the suffering millions around the world.

During this Jubilee Year 2025, let us be pilgrims of hope and learn to walk with the excluded. As we mourn the death of thousands of people in the recent earthquake, let us pray for them and support them in every possible way.

I wish you all a meaningful Holy Week and a Joyful Easter!

Thomas Amirtham, S.J.

Provincial