Fr. Cyril Desbruslais: Still, ‘Fully Young! Fully Alive’

Fr Cyril Desbruslais SJ is no more! He was called to his eternal reward last night (8 September 2025) in Pune. He was 84 years old and sixty years as a Jesuit. Fr Cyril however, is still ‘fully young, fully alive’, because he will continue to live in the hearts and minds of many forever!

Cyril leaves behind a legion of friends, admirers, well-wishers and students. In his pilgrimage on earth, he accompanied, mentored, guided, inspired thousands from all walks of life- very specially the youth. Tributes are flowing in from all over! From Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor to several others who were guided by him in their youth; from Jesuit companions to those who were his students once upon a time. There is a genuine outpouring of grief and at the same time, a sense of deep gratitude at the profound and positive impact, he has had on their lives!

In 2020, Fr Kuruvilla Pandikattu SJ (who was then a Professor of Philosophy at Jnana-Deepa Vidyapeeth, Pune), edited a memorable tome in honour of Fr Cyril Desbruslais’ 80^th Birthday. The festschrift entitled ‘Fully Human and Fully Alive’, is an over five hundred pages ‘magnum opus’, a true labour of love, consisting of 36 articles written by Jesuit scholars and others, including some lay persons. The thumb-nail to the book says, “As Cyril Desbruslais approaches 80 years, his friends, colleagues and admirers have come together to reflect on his philosophy (understanding of God, human beings and world). The 36 articles in this volume, reflecting on the rich and varied experiences of human beings ‘fully alive,’ is a labour of love for Cyril.”

This morning, after I heard of Cyril’s going home. I began browsing through this amazing work – and I cannot help but resonate with all that is said in it, particularly on dear Cyril. I am one of the writers in this book; re-reading what I wrote about Cyril almost five years ago, brings back warm, loving and nostalgic memories of a human – who was my friend, mentor, guide, companion, brother and more. My article is titled ‘Fully Young! Fully Alive! The life and message of Cyril Desbruslais.’ It is more than relevant today, as we celebrate the life and times of Cyril!! Here is what I wrote:

For someone who first met Fr Cyril Desbruslais almost fifty years ago (late sixties and early seventies), there is one phrase I think which encapsulates this extraordinary human, that is “Fully young! Fully alive!!!” Cyril was a young Jesuit Scholastic at the time of our first meeting in an AICUF (All India Catholic University Federation) camp; over the years, my admiration for him has grown very particularly in the way he responded to the youth.

The XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held from 3-28 October 2018. At the conclusion of it, the Synod issued a path breaking Final Document on ‘Young People, Faith and Vocational Discernment’. The document serves as an important charter of how the Church should be responding to the youth of today. A careful study of this Final Document, clearly shows how Cyril Desbruslais, has epitomised several key dimensions of it, long before it saw the light of day

COMPANIIONSHIP:

Cyril always has been a great companion; be it to his Jesuit companions or to the youth ‘out there’. He was convinced he had to be there: available, accompanying. As the document says, “Accompaniment for the sake of valid, stable and well-founded choices, is therefore a service that is widely needed. Being present, supporting and accompanying the journey towards authentic choices is one way for the Church to exercise her maternal function, giving birth to the freedom of the children of God. Service of this kind is simply the continuation of the way in which the God of Jesus Christ acts towards his people: through constant and heartfelt presence, dedicated and loving closeness and tenderness without limits.” (#91). this in a way, was his core competency. He was there for long hours – sipping “chai’ in a restaurant in Pune after having cycled the distance from De Nobili College. The youth were never in doubt about their genuine friend.

The Eucharist was a powerful means in this process of accompaniment. Eucharistic Celebrations which were meaningful, participative and which resonated with the youth. ‘Breaking the bread ‘with them helped the youth over the years to internalise key values of the faith particularly sharing one’s life and resources with others. “As the account of the Emmaus disciples shows us, accompanying requires availability to walk a stretch of road together, establishing a significant relationship. The origin of the term “accompany” points to bread broken and shared (cum pane), with all the symbolic human and sacramental richness to which it refers. It is therefore the community as a whole that is the prime subject of accompaniment, precisely because in its heart it develops that drama of relationships that can support the person on his journey and furnish him with points of reference and orientation. Accompaniment in human and Christian growth towards adult life is one of the ways in which the community demonstrates that it is capable of renewal and of renewing the world. The Eucharist is the living memorial of the paschal event, a privileged place of evangelization and transmission of the faith for the sake of mission. In the assembly gathered for the Eucharistic celebration, the experience of being personally touched, instructed and healed by Jesus accompanies each person on his or her journey of personal growth (#92)

For Cyril, accompanying the youth was also ensuring that the youth felt some belonging in an organisation. There was the AICUF, the SSU among others which made this happen. “This practice continues in the Church today, as the young join groups, movements and associations of various kinds, where they experience a warm and welcoming environment and the intensity of relationships that they desire. Joining organizations of this kind is particularly important once the journey of Christian initiation has been completed, because it offers the young an opportunity to bring their Christian vocation to maturity. Pastors should maintain a presence in these environments, so as to guarantee suitable accompaniment”. In these organisations, youth found several opportunities to develop themselves: there were camps, dramas and street plays, get-togethers and outings; serious study and reflection. All of this helped the youth not merely to realise their potential but also grow complementing one another.

Cyril radiated what a good accompanier should be: “A good accompanier is a person who is balanced, a listener, a person of faith and prayer, who has the measure of his own weaknesses and frailties. Hence he knows how to be accepting of the young people he accompanies, without moralizing and without false indulgence. When necessary he also knows how to offer a word of fraternal correction”. It was also evident for him that ‘accompanying was a mission’; companionship was essential for him to realise his favourite song ‘to dream the impossible dream!’ Because of his ‘spiritual rootedness’ he could truly be a great companion, “The awareness that accompanying is a mission that requires a profound spiritual rootedness will help him to remain free in his dealings with the young people he accompanies: he will respect the outcome of their journey, supporting them with prayer and rejoicing in the fruits that the Spirit produces in those who open their hearts to him, without seeking to impose his own will and his own preferences. Equally he will be capable of placing himself at their service, not taking centre stage or adopting possessive and manipulative attitudes that create dependence rather than freedom in others. This profound respect will also be the best guarantee against any risk of domination or abuse of any kind”. (#102)

YOUTHFULNESS:

In Cyril one could see a perennial youth!  The age-old song “you will never grow old” was so apt for him. He remained young, because he believed that he had to walk always with the young. The Synod document reminds us very emphatically that, “Passion for seeking truth, amazement at the Lord’s beauty, the capacity to share and the joy of proclamation are still alive today in the hearts of many young people who are living members of the Church. This is not about simply doing something “for them”, but living in communion “with them”, growing together in understanding of the Gospel and in the search for more authentic ways of living it and bearing witness to it. The responsible participation of young people in the life of the Church is not optional, but it is a demand of baptismal life and an essential element for the life of every community. The trials and frailties of young people help us to be better, their questions challenge us, and their doubts cause us to reflect on the quality of our faith. Their criticisms are also necessary for us, because often it is through them that we hear the voice of the Lord asking us for conversion of heart and renewal of structures” (#116)

Cyril reached out to all young; there were young men and women from other faiths (and even non-believers) who were his ardent fans. Among them were drop-outs and also those whom society regarded as ‘no-gooders’. Cyril was a friend to all the youth. He lived the Synod document long before it said, “At the Synod we have always questioned ourselves about young people, by which we mean not only those who belong to the Church and work actively in her, but also all those who have other visions of life, who belong to other religions or who distance themselves from religion altogether. All the young, without exception, are in God’s heart and therefore also in the Church’s heart. But we recognize frankly that this statement on our lips does not always find real expression in our pastoral actions: often we remain closed in our environments, where their voice does not penetrate, or else we dedicate ourselves to less demanding and more enjoyable activities, suppressing that healthy pastoral restlessness that would urge us to move out from our supposed security. And the Gospel too asks us to be daring and we want to be so without presumption and without proselytizing, testifying to the love of the Lord and stretching out our hands to all the young people in the world.” (#117)

He was also challenged by the youth as they insisted that the adults also ‘walk with them’. This he did without any hesitation. He was convinced that the Church – the priests and the religious had to walk with the youth of today. One cannot isolate oneself or be indifferent to their reality. One had to, as Pope Francis says so emphatically, “smell of the sheep”. Cyril also believed consistently that youth had to have a more participative and decisive role in the Church. The Synod is aware of this saying, “The Church as a whole, when choosing through this Synod to concern herself with the young, took a very definite option: she considers this mission a pastoral priority of epoch-making significance, in which to invest time, energy and resources. From the start of the journey of preparation, young people have expressed the desire to be involved and appreciated and to feel themselves as having a key role in the life and mission of the Church. In this Synod we have experienced how co-responsibility lived with young Christians is a source of profound joy for bishops too. We recognize in this experience a fruit of the Spirit which continually renews the Church and calls her to practise synodality as a way of being and acting, promoting the participation of all the baptized and of people of good will, each according to his age, state of life and vocation. In this Synod, we have experienced how the collegiality that unites the bishops cum Petro et sub Petro in care for the people of God is called to express itself and enrich itself through the practice of synodality at all levels.” (#119)

RENEWAL

Cyril’s companionship and youthfulness has also found strong resonance in his desire towards renewal. The teachings of Vatican II; the courage of Pope John XXIII and his profound admiration of his first Superior General Fr Pedro Arrupe have had a tremendous impact on him. Vatican II called for a deep and authentic renewal; Pope John XXIII and Pedro Arrupe in their own inimitable ways made sure that ‘renewal’ was necessary if one read the signs of the times and needed to respond to them.

For Cyril constant consultation, receiving feedback (even critical comments) were his ‘forte’. Since he believed in encouraging youth to be participative in everything – there was this constant urge to move towards the ‘magis’. This was possible only if there a genuine movement towards renewal.

The Final Document emphasizes this saying, “Synodality is the method by which the Church can address ancient and new challenges, gathering and bringing into dialogue the gifts of all her members, starting with the young. Building on the work of the Synod, the First Part of this Document outlined some areas in which it is urgent to launch or renew the Church’s vigour in realizing the mission that Christ assigned her, which we here seek to address in a more concrete manner.” (#144)

INTEGRAL

Cyril has always encompassed an integral approach to all that he did. As a person who is fully young and fully alive, his mission could not be restricted to water-tight compartments. He had problems with those who were exclusive, piece-meal in their approach or for that matter lived in silos. He helped youth to respond to the signs of the times in an integrated and balanced way. He has been doing his best to make them see reality through various prisms

His integral vision is powerfully expressed in the document, “the contemporary situation is marked by growing complexity of social phenomena and individual experience. In daily life, the changes that are taking place have an impact on one another and cannot be addressed selectively. In real life, everything is interconnected: family life and professional engagement, the use of technologies and the way of experiencing community, defence of the embryo and defence of the migrant. Concreteness presents us with an anthropological vision of the person as a whole and a way of knowing that does not separate but grasps connections, learns from experience, re-reads it in the light of the Word, and draws inspiration from exemplary testimonies rather than from abstract models. This requires a new type of formation which aims to integrate perspectives, makes them capable of grasping the interconnectedness of problems and knows how to unify the various dimensions of the person. This approach is in profound harmony with the Christian vision which contemplates, in the incarnation of the Son, the inseparable encounter between the divine and the human, between earth and heaven”. (#157)

LISTENING

None of the above would make sense if Cyril was not a listener. Over the years he has been listening with his heart and seeing with empathy. Youth and others have poured out to him their hopes and joys, their griefs and anxieties, their pains and their search for a more fulfilling life. He has had the courage to listen.

Like a true shepherd he has always believed in the value of listening. “Listening is an encounter in freedom, which calls for humility, patience, readiness to understand, and an effort to respond in new ways. Listening transforms, the hearts of those who do it, especially when it takes place with an inner disposition of harmony and docility to the Spirit. It is not simply a source of information or a strategy for achieving a goal, but the way that God himself relates to his people. God sees the distress of his people and hears their cry; deeply moved, he comes down to deliver them (cf. Ex 3:7-8). The Church, by her listening, enters into the movement of God who, in his Son, draws near to every human being”. (#6)

For Cyril the young want to be heard. “The young are constantly called to make decisions that give direction to their lives; they want to be heard, acknowledged and accompanied. Many find that their voice is not considered worthwhile or helpful in social and ecclesial circles. In various situations, little attention is paid to their cry, especially that of the poor and exploited, and there is a lack of adults prepared or willing to listen to them”. (#7)

He was able to challenge priests, religious and other adults who did not feel the responsibility of being a listening Church. Thankfully the document stresses this dimension in no uncertain way. “The Church does not lack initiatives and solid programmes that can allow young people to feel accepted and listened to, and to make their voice heard. Yet the Synod acknowledges that the ecclesial community does not always manage to convey the approach taken by Jesus with the disciples on the way to Emmaus, when he asked them, before enlightening them by his word, “What is this conversation which you are holding with each other as you walk?” (Lk 24:17). All too often, there is a tendency to provide pre-packaged answers and ready-made solutions, without allowing young people’s real questions to emerge and to face the challenges they pose. Listening makes possible an exchange of gifts in a context of empathy. It allows young people to make their own contribution to the community, helping it to appreciate new sensitivities and to consider new questions. At the same time listening sets the conditions for a preaching of the Gospel that can touch the heart, truly, decisively and fruitfully.” (#8)

Finally, listening to the cries of the people – particularly the youth – has never been an option for Cyril, it is a mandate; a responsibility that has to be shouldered by everyone who is called to exercise a prophetic role today. The Synod Document reminds us, “Listening is a key element in the ministry of pastors, above all in that of bishops, who, due to their many obligations, struggle to find enough time for this essential service. Many of those who spoke pointed to the shortage of qualified people devoted to accompaniment. Belief in the theological and pastoral importance of listening entails rethinking and renewing the ways that priestly ministry is ordinarily exercised, and reviewing its priorities. The Synod also recognizes the need to train consecrated persons and laypeople, male and female, to accompany young people. The charism of listening that the Holy Spirit calls forth within the communities might also receive institutional recognition as a form of ecclesial service”. (#9)

 In conclusion, as we celebrate the life and times of Cyril Desbruslais on his eightieth birthday, we need to thank God for the gift of him to the World, to the Church and to the Society of Jesus and very specially the thousands of youth and others he has accompanied so faithfully over the years. The Final Document of the Synod on youth reflects so much the many characteristics embodied by Cyril. Above all, his name clearly spells out Companionship, Youthfulness, Renewal, Integral, Listening (CYRIL): all necessary components for meaningful Christian discipleship today!

 Cyril had many favourite songs/ hymns. One of those is, “The Impossible Dream (The Quest)”. It is a popular song composed by Mitch Leigh, with lyrics written by Joe Darion. The song is the most popular song from the 1965 Broadway musical Man of La Mancha and is also featured in the 1972 film of the same name starring Peter O’Toole.The complete song is first sung by Don Quixote as he stands vigil over his armor, in response to Aldonza (Dulcinea)’s question about what he means by “following the quest”. It is reprised partially three more times – the last by prisoners in a dungeon as Miguel de Cervantes and his manservant mount the drawbridge-like prison staircase to face trial by the Spanish Inquisition. Some years ago Cyril also put up a widely acclaimed drama on the same (of course, highly contextualized too). The lyrics of the song are:

To dream the impossible dream
To fight the unbeatable foe
To bear with unbearable sorrow
To run where the brave dare not go

To right the unrightable wrong
To love pure and chaste from afar
To try when your arms are too weary
To reach the unreachable star

This is my quest, to follow that star
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far
To fight for the right
Without question or pause
To be willing to march
Into hell for a heavenly cause

And I know if I’ll only be true
To this glorious quest
That my heart will lay peaceful and calm
When I’m laid to my rest

And the world will be better for this
That one man scorned and covered with scars
Still strove with his last ounce of courage
To fight the unbeatable foe
To reach the unreachable star

Cyril lived this dream: a person who has given so much to many. Today, as we celebrate him, his life and times: we thank God for the gift of him to so many – and particularly to the youth! Cyril will always live in our hearts and lives: fully human, fully young, fully alive!

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Fr Cedric Prakash SJ is a human rights, reconciliation & peace activist/writer. Contact: [email protected]