Jesuits are pledged to war against want

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN ROME
THE new superior general of the Jesuits, Fr. Pedro Arrupe, this week pledged the society to fight the w ar on want. In his first Press conference since his election, he said : "The Jesuits are endeavouring to put an end to social injustices."
This problem, he said, was the result of the inequalities "between those who indulge in great luxuries and those who lack everything".
Answering submitted written questions, Fr. Arrupe tackled one which asked if the Jesuits were "progressive Catholics".
He replied: "If such a term means one who fights social injustices existing everywhere in the world, but especially in the developing countries where economic competition has a violent aspect, then we are with the progressive Catholics. And always within the social doctrines outlined by Leo XIII and John XXIII."
Where the term is used to describe those who, dismissing Christian social doctrine, seek solutions taken from anti-Christian and materialistic ideologies, "then .obviously we cannot be with those," he added.
ENVIRONMENT The Jesuits must deal with these latter people and show them the superiority of the Christian-inspired ideology to achieve justice in freedom, be said.
Fr. Arrupe said, "certainly the world is very materialistic, and naturalism is invading every field. But the apostle is a man of his time and must adapt himself to his environment, He must develop a great activity but simultaneously acquire a great spiritual altitude."
The Jesuit superior said that in dialogue with non-Catholics and non-Christians the Society's programme is that of the Church. and the directives will be those indicated by the new secretariats.
Dealing with Marxism and atheism, Fr. Arrupe commented that "atheism is actually a fundamental and grave problem confronting the Society of Jesus". He said that action must be directed both at the believers and nonbelievers, and warned: "There is no believer today whose faith is not challenged by the great problems arising from the rapid evolution of the world, of science. and of society." He advocated greater instruction for the believers. For non-believers "we must help them overcome the prejudices separating them from faith.
"To oppose atheism we must make an effort to know the nonbelievers: their living conditions, their ideas. We must learn modern science and atheistic philosophies; we need a lot of science and a lot of philosophy. But our task is essentially religious, and not political."
But to the Russians, in a recent Radio Moscow attack on the Society of Jesus. the Jesuits loom "sinister". Radio Moscow warned that Jesuits have known how, "hy hook or by crook. to find a common language with the biggest governments of the West. They have penetrated into even scientific circles. They are the secret tools of the Vatican . .."