Hopes! Reflections on the JEP in Bulle

13 february 2026

Dr. Evelyne Maurice, Dean of the Faculty of Theology, reflects on the participatory study day held in Switzerland on January 31. Participants gathered in Bulle, in the heart of the Gruyère region. Reflecting the diversity of Switzerland itself, several cantons were represented: Fribourg, Valais, Vaud, Geneva, Jura—and even the south of France.

The diversity of origins, professional experiences, and personal journeys was lived in a spirit of genuine consensus and attentive listening. By common agreement, we chose to refrain from our usual means of communication: no mobile phones, no digital media, no PowerPoint presentations, no video projector. It was a day fully in person, where each participant addressed the others directly.

This choice conferred a particular quality upon our exchanges: we looked at one another, spoke truthfully, and listened with care. The atmosphere was open; relationships were simple and authentic.

We began with a brief introduction based on a dialogue between Johann Baptist Metz and Elie Wiesel, centered on the question: how is hope possible after Auschwitz?

Three subsequent contributions nourished our reflection on hope as experienced in lived reality. One student shared how hope accompanied his family’s journey toward the diaconate and the reception of the missions entrusted to him by his bishop. Another described the appropriate disposition for accompanying individuals in difficulty and enabling them to recover a renewed breath of hope. Finally, a PhD candidate revisited her own history—marked by youth in a country at war—and bore witness to the essential role of hope in her process of reconstruction.

Numerous discussions extended these contributions within an atmosphere of trust.

This day strengthened our unity and deepened our shared joy in working together, even at a distance. Sincere thanks to each participant for their presence, their words, and the quality of attentive listening that was shared.