Vincent Ferrer, who passed away these days, was a classmate of mine at the De Nobili College in Pune. His interest in the poor and his capacity to attract people to work for them appeared already from those days on. For our first Christmas there, he organised a regular campaign to get money for the poor. We all received Christmas cards from all over the world, and he conceived the idea of recycling them and selling them back. He called for volunteers to detach the inside sheet of the card where the signatures come, replace it neatly with a new one, find convenient envelopes, and sell them to bookshops he had previously contacted to get money for the poor. That’s how he began.

The formation of a Jesuit priest has two versions. The long course for the cleverer ones, and the short course for the not so clever. Those who qualify for the long course become the ‘professed’, while those who fail at any exam along the way pass on to the short course and become ‘spiritual coadjutors’, who are fully priests and fully religious, but, as their name indicates, are supposed to be ‘helpers’ to the professed. This distinction does not please us anymore, but it was formerly given importance to, and it comes from St Ignatius himself. We always faithfully kept it secret who was professed and who was spiritual coadjutor among us, but Sisters always found out, and some times, when asking for a chaplain or a retreat director, they would specify he should be a professed father. Then we used to tell them the joke of that nun who asked a Jesuit what was the difference between long course and short course, and he answered her: ‘The same as between long pants and short pants. Both cover the essentials.’ Today we don’t like to speak of the matter of professed or helpers any more. Vincent Ferrer was, obviously, in the long course, but he was not interested in theories, not even in theological theories, and he, of himself, asked for and obtained permission to shift from the long course to the short one. This would leave him more time to give himself to his activities for the poor. This is the only case I know of someone changing from long course to short course of his own initiative. Clever man that he was.

An important exam for all of us was the examination for hearing confessions. Three professors on the board ‘made their confession’ to the candidate in public with all the ugliest sins in the world, and he had to answer properly as to content and manners. The textbook was the Genicot-Salmans manual of moral theology, and each one of us was given a copy. Ferrer lost his, and asked me for mine. He told me he was borrowing it from me, because, as he knew me, he was sure I must have studied it thoroughly already. He was good at sizing people up. I gave it to him and he promised to give it back to me after the exams. He never gave it back to me though. I doubt whether he ever read it. He must have lost my copy as he had lost his own. He passed the exam at first trial, anyway.      

People in high places from all over the world have honoured his memory. Except Church authorities. He died a priest, as priesthood is for ever.

[I’ve been invited to send a message to the World Jain Convention in Los Angeles from 2nd to 5th July, and this is what I’ve written:]

I feel honoured to be invited to send a message to the 15th Jaina Convention in Los Angeles, and I do so from the heart. All the more so as the theme of the Convention, ‘Ecology – the Jain Way’, is particularly important and meaningful today.

Jainism has a threefold claim to world relevance in our days.

1. Ahimsa. Non-violence is a fundamental principle of Jainism and the first need of the world in these times of continued wars, increasing terrorism, and widespread street violence. Peaceful restrain in thought, word, and deed. Mahatma Ghandi was not a Jain but his ayah was, and she taught him that attitude from childhood. Later, Ghandi obtained independence for The Jewel of the Crown from the British Empire without a war of independence, first time that such a feat took place in history.

2. Anekantvad. The many-sidedness of truth is also a Jain principle. The parable of the eight blind men and the elephant, now present in all literatures, is of Jain origin. The need for different cultures, and particularly different religions, to know, understand, accept, and complement one another is keen and urgent for the survival of civilisation.

3. Jiva-ajiva. This is the most interesting contribution Jainism can make to ecology.Jainism extends life to material beings like Earth, Water, Air, Fire, only that they have fewer senses (one) than human beings (five). They are live and sentient beings. This means that the whole of creation is alive, and this in turn is the best basis for a true ecology in theory and in practice. It is this principle that gives Jainism a very special relevance today.

Reverence to living beings should be extended to what western thought calls material beings, and so all should be equally respected. Jain monks and nuns show this respect for all beings in several ways, through which we are reminded of this fundamental attitude. They wear a piece of white cloth in front of their mouths hanging from their ears. The reason for this is not precisely to avoid swallowing insects, as is popularly believed, as monks and nuns are not so silly as to go on swallowing flies as they walk. They cover their mouths in order to minimise the hurt and pollution caused to the surrounding Air by the human breath while speaking. Water taps in Jain homes are covered with a cloth, not to filter the Water, but to break its fall and soften its impact on the basin below so that the Water is not hurt. Jain monks and nuns walk barefoot, again not out of a desire to practice austerity, but in order not to hurt Mother Earth while walking. Devote housewives salute with folded hands the Fire in the kitchen before switching on or off the electrical supply to the oven. Practical respect for Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. I’ve witnessed all this and I’ve been inspired by the deep meaning of these simple gestures.

These examples put before us an ideal ecological image, and place in our hands a practical daily reminder of our duty to nature. Reverence to Earth, Water, Air, Fire, and then, as we go up in the scale of more-sensed beings, to plants and vegetables and animals and humans. This is deep and true and all-embracing ecology. The Earth is alive. May this Jain tradition guide us and encourage us to lead more ecological lives, and may this Convention inspire us all in the task.