Elías López, a Jesuit from Spain, addresses the challenge of discerning conflicts within groups and communities. He emphasizes the importance of collectively discerning the conflict itself as a path to healing and regenerating communion – an essential foundation for participation and mission within the Church. Drawing on experiences from diverse contexts such as Mexico, Peru, Tanzania, and Spain, Fr López highlights that discerning conflict helps restore relationships fractured by violence, injustice, and abuses of power. He explains that conflict is often handled evasively, submissively, or confrontationally, but for true transformation, a safe, trusting environment must be created to enable genuine negotiation and collaboration.

He stresses the need to step back and reflect deeply before rushing to resolve or reconcile conflicts, advocating for a spiritual approach grounded in Ignatian spirituality. This process involves reconnecting with God, oneself, others, and creation through stages of forgiveness, humility, and discernment, ultimately leading to a subversive yet gentle confrontation with structural violence, inspired by Christ’s example.

Fr López further explains that transforming conflict requires integrating structural measures – such as justice, power distribution, and communication – with profound spirituality. The goal is to move relationships from competition, evasion, or submission toward collaboration based on discerned power modeled on Christ’s reconciling power.

He outlines four key elements in discerning reconciliation: truth, justice (especially restorative justice), coexistence, and communion. This process culminates in a communal participation that enables the Church to become a “field hospital” healing internal and external wounds.

Finally, Fr López calls for all Christians to embrace the vocation of conflict transformation and reconciliation, echoing Pope Francis’s call to not abandon this mission. He invites participation in an international network dedicated to synodal reconciliation, emphasizing the collective wisdom of the People of God in healing a broken world and Church.