Elías López, a Spanish Jesuit, addresses the issue of discerning conflicts within groups and communities. He highlights the importance of collective discernment of conflict itself as a path to healing and the regeneration of communion – an essential foundation of participation and mission within the Church. Drawing from experiences in various contexts such as Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, and Spain, Father López sheds light on how discerning conflicts contributes to restoring relationships broken by violence, injustice, and abuse of power. He explains that conflicts are often managed in a confrontational or evasive manner, but for true transformation, a climate of trust and security must be established to allow for genuine negotiation and collaboration.
He emphasizes the need to step back and reflect deeply before rushing to resolve or reconcile conflicts, advocating for a spiritually grounded approach rooted in Ignatian spirituality. This process involves reconnecting with God, oneself, others, and creation through the stages of forgiveness, humility, and discernment, ultimately leading to a disruptive yet gentle confrontation with structural violence, inspired by the example of Christ.
Father López further explains that conflict transformation requires integrating structural measures such as justice, power-sharing, and communication – with a deep spirituality. The goal is to evolve relationships from competition, avoidance, or submission to collaboration based on discerning power, mirroring the reconciling power of Christ.
He highlights four key elements for discerning reconciliation: truth, justice (especially restorative justice), coexistence, and communion. This process leads to a communal participation that enables the Church to become a “field hospital” healing both internal and external wounds.
Finally, Father López calls on all Christians to embrace the vocation of conflict transformation and reconciliation, echoing Pope Francis’ call not to abandon this mission. He invites participation in an international network dedicated to synodal reconciliation, emphasizing the collective wisdom of the People of God to heal a wounded world and Church.
