father general visited the province of sri lanka from 5 to 8 february. father nicolás visited colombo-galle, kandy, the eastern and the northern regions, in order to have a clearer picture of the work of the society and the struggles of a country seeking ethnic and political harmony. while visiting the region of colombo-galle, father nicolás stressed several themes particularly dear to him: depth of commitment, creativity and life in the spirit, and inserting these into the specific reality of jesuits in sri lanka today. he noted that technology can be a powerful aid to serious intellectual work and to the strengthening of commitment but that it can be a temptation to superficiality. he called the jesuits to a clear commitment to the intellectual apostolate as outlined by the 35th general congregation. meetings were arranged between father general and special groups of jesuits: the novices, men in formation, young priests, and those in tertianship. in pakistan father general visited lahore from the 9 to 11 february. there are four jesuits in lahore, coming from various countries and working in the educational field. in order to have a deeper understanding of the work of the jesuits, father nicolás spent his first day in conversation with the community and with three visiting professors, two jesuits, one lay person who are on a research trip. the next day he visited two schools for poor children, one for boys, and one for girls that the society has
sponsored for the past 25 years. father nicolás noted, "both are in a very poor neighborhood, almost entirely muslim. the students are christian and muslim and they seem to be creating a very good atmosphere of friendship and creative conviviality among all of them." he added, "the overall impression of this visit was excellent in terms of atmosphere, dedication of the lay professors, and vision and abilities of the two jesuits who manage both schools."