Fr. Arturo Sosa, Superior General, has named Fr. Primitivo “Jun” Viray as the next President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific (JCAP). Fr. Viray will take over from Fr. Antonio Moreno who has served in the role since 2017. The exact date of the handover has yet to be determined. At the moment, Jun Viray is still Provincial of the Philippine Province.

Fr. Viray (62) was born in Quezon City, Philippines. He completed his basic education at the Jesuit-run Sacred Heart School for Boys in Cebu. He then earned a degree in Business Economics at the University of the Philippines before joining the Society of Jesus in 1984. He holds an MA in Rural Development Studies from the University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK, as well as a doctorate in Development Studies. He was ordained to the priesthood in 1995.

Fr. Viray has a wealth of apostolic experience in education, advocacy for the poor, and formation work. He served in different functions in formation houses and has been Delegate for Formation for his Province. In Higher Education, he taught Economics at Ateneo de Zamboanga University and was later elected President of Ateneo de Naga University.

More recently, during his term as Provincial, Fr. Viray responded to an invitation from Bishop of Kalookan to send Jesuits to the Sacred Heart Mission Station; this enabled Jesuits to have greater engagement with the marginalised. Additionally, he chairs the Myanmar Desk of JCAP and, as President of the Conference, will serve as the Major Superior of the Jesuits in Pakistan, the newest mission territory of JCAP.