Pope: Free Aung San Suu Kyi; Vatican ready to welcome her

By Salvatore Cernuzio

“I called for the release of Mrs. Aung San Suu Kyi and received her son in Rome. I offered the Vatican as a place of refuge for her.”

Pope Francis made his appeal for the deposed Burmese leader, a promoter of human rights and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, during a visit with Jesuits during his visit to Jakarta at the beginning of his Apostolic Journey to southeast Asia and Oceania earlier this month.

The plight of Aung San Suu Kyi, in prison since 2021 after the military coup, and in general for Myanmar with its wounds, which has always been at the centre of his thoughts and prayers, were among the topics addressed by Pope Francis in conversations with the Jesuits he met in Indonesia, Timor-Leste, and Singapore.

The Pope received the brethren privately in three different appointments, as part of his long pilgrimage of 2-13 September to South-East Asia and Oceania. As is the ‘tradition’ of every apostolic journey, La Civiltà Cattolica, the historic magazine of the Society of Jesus, on 24 September published ample excerpts of the Pontiff's conversations in an article signed by Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Culture and Education and one of the members of the papal retinue.

Numerous themes

Pope Francis discussed numerous topics with Jesuits from the territories he visited and also from neighbouring regions, either from the same countries or in mission for decades in those places.

Space in the talks was given to personal witness; to suggestions and indications for pastoral service and mission, especially in Asia; and to current events, such as the tragic situation Myanmar has been going through for about three years.

Thoughts for the Rohingya and Aung San Suu Kyi

In response to a Burmese Jesuit whose question: “We have lost life, family, dreams and future... how can we not lose hope?” Pope Francis acknowledged that the situation is “difficult.”

Pope Francis’ thoughts immediately turned to the Rohingya, the Muslim minority discriminated against and often the victim of persecution: “You know that the Rohingya are close to my heart,” the Pope said.

He recalled his trip to Myanmar and Bangladesh, in December 2017, and the conversation with Aung San Suu Kyi, then prime minister and later imprisoned; and the meeting with the Rohingya who had been “driven out.”

He went on to tell the young Jesuit: “there is no universal answer to your question. There are good young people fighting for their homeland. In Myanmar today you cannot be silent; you have to do something!”

Pope Francis explained, “The future of your country must be peace, based on respect for the dignity and rights of all, on respect for a democratic order that allows each person to contribute to the common good.”

After his renewed appeal for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release, the Pope said, “Right now, the lady is a symbol and political symbols are to be defended. Do you remember that nun kneeling with her hands raised in front of the military? Her image went around the world. I pray that you young people will be brave like that. The Church in your country is courageous.”

The ideal of justice

The Pope also speaks of courage in reference to the Argentinean mothers of the Plaza de Mayo, who for decades have struggled and protested for justice and truth about their children and grandchildren who disappeared during the military dictatorship.

The group provided inspiration for the Kamisan in Indonesia, a peaceful movement that every Thursday organises demonstrations and non-violent protests to demand clarification about the massive violence that shook Jakarta during the 1998 Semanggi – “national tragedy” – when dozens of women were targeted by angry mobs, resulting in widespread violence against people and property.

One of the Jesuits present at the colloquium in Jakarta, who accompanies the families of the victims of past human rights violations and gives the Pope a letter written by Ms Maria Katarina Sumarsih, the mother of one of the victims of the Semanggi tragedy. He explained, “She is one of the initiators of Kamisan, inspired by the Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo in Argentina. This group calls on the government to disclose past human rights violations and provide justice for the victims and their families,” and asked, “What advice can you give us?”

The Pope recalled his meeting with the president of the Plaza de Majo Mothers, Hebe de Bonafini, who died in 2022. “I was moved and it helped me a lot to talk to her. She gave me the passion to give voice to those who do not have one. This is our task: to give voice to those who have none.”

He repeated, “Remember: this is our task. The situation under the Argentine dictatorship was very difficult, and these women, these mothers, were fighting for justice. Always promote the ideal of justice!”

The scourge of clericalism

In addition to social and political issues, Pope Francis, always in response to his guests’ questions, also dwelt on ecclesial issues.

These included questions about clericalism, which the Pope has always stigmatised as a “plague.”

In response to a Jesuit from Dili, in Timor-Leste, Pope Francis reiterated that clericalism is everywhere. “For example,” he said, “there is a strong clerical culture in the Vatican, which we are slowly trying to change. Clericalism is one of the most subtle means the devil uses.”

The Pope then quoted the French Jesuit Henri De Lubac, who, in his book Meditations on the Church spoke of clericalism as “spiritual worldliness” -- which he described as “the worst thing that can happen to the Church,” according to Pope Francis, “even worse than the time of popes with concubines.”

Clericalism, he continued, “is the highest form of worldliness within the clergy. A clerical culture is a worldly culture.”

Rest with prayer

Pope Francis also had advice for the mission of religious in Asia, as he recalled great figures of the Society of Jesus such as Father Pedro Arrupe and Matteo Ricci.

In particular, Pope Francis insisted on accompanying one’s service with prayer, a fundamental necessity.

Responding to a Jesuit who asked how he manages to pray in the midst of his busy days, Pope Francis said, “I need it, you know. I really need it! I get up early, because I am old. After rest, which is good for me, I get up around 4 o’clock, then at 5 o’clock I start prayer: I pray the breviary and speak to the Lord. If the prayer is a little, let’s say, “boring,” then I pray the rosary. Then I go to the Palace for the audiences. Then I have lunch and rest for a while. Sometimes before the Lord I do silent prayer. I pray, I celebrate the Eucharist, of course.”

Pope Francis continued, “In the evening, I do some more prayer. It is very important for one’s prayer to do spiritual reading: we have to grow our spirituality with good readings. I pray like this, simply. It’s simple, you know. Sometimes I fall asleep in prayer. And this, when it happens, is not a problem. For me it is a sign that I am well with the Lord! I rest by praying.”

And he concluded with an exhortation, “Never leave prayer!”

You can find the full text of the Pope's meetings with Jesuits at Civiltà Cattolica.