The Very Rev. Fr. Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, has called on the faithful to prioritise inner spiritual freedom and faith working through love rather than external religious practices.
Fr. Arturo Marcelino made these remarks during his homily at St. Ignatius of Loyola Catholic Church on 13th October 2026.
Reflecting on the gospel reading of the day, Fr. Arturo Marcelino highlighted the need for Christians to focus on the condition of their inner heart rather than “obsessing over a lot more material things”
He said, “It is easy to polish our public image and turn to proper routine, while harbouring resentment, selfishness, or pride within.”
He also noted that in the gospel, Jesus pointed out the greediness of the Pharisees when they “meticulously clean the outside of the cup and dish, yet inside they are filled with greed and greediness.”
Fr. Arturo Marcelino linked the teaching to St. Ignatius of Loyola, emphasising the need for “inner spiritual freedom” and warned against “ disorderly affections, those subtle attachments to will, wrongdoing, approval and comfort”
“When we are attached to looking holy rather than being holy, our vision is clouded, and we mistake our own selfish preferences for God’s plan”, he added.
He explained that spiritual freedom is not the liberty to do whatever one wants, but the “embrace of an open heart that says, Lord, I am free.”
Very Rev. Fr. Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal, SJ, was elected the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus on 14th October 2016.
He will visit other Jesuit communities in Gomoa Buduatta, where the Jesuit community in Ghana hopes to establish a Jesuit high school, and Brafoyaw in Cape Coast before leaving the country.
By: Veronica Sena Amenya//Newswatchgh.com
