Fr. Cyril Desbruslais SJ, Jesuit Mentor and Philosopher, Passes Away at 84

Pune, September 9, 2025 – The Society of Jesus mourns the passing of Rev. Cyril Desbruslais SJ, a distinguished Indian Jesuit priest, philosopher, playwright, and mentor, who died of pneumonia in Pune on September 8, 2025. Born in Calcutta on December 21, 1940, he dedicated his life to education, social justice, and the imaginative union of faith and reason.

After his early years at St. Xavier’s in Calcutta, Fr. Cyril joined the Jesuits and completed his theological formation, deeply influenced by liberation theology and thinkers such as Pedro Arrupe and Teilhard de Chardin. At Jnana Deepa Vidyapeeth in Pune, he taught philosophy and created the influential “Philosophy of Liberation” course that challenged students to recognize and transform structures of injustice.

Beyond the classroom, Fr. Cyril harnessed the power of the stage. Since 1972, he wrote and directed plays that addressed nuclear disarmament, consumerism, religious dogma, and more—using theatre as an instrument of social conscience and youth engagement.

Among the many influenced by his teaching was Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who fondly remembered his school days at St. Xavier’s, Calcutta. “The school in Calcutta, St Xavier's, was unquestionably in my day the best school in the city, particularly in terms of its intellectual rigour… I remember a young Jesuit Father, Cyril Desbruslais, who actually took us through an epistemological argument for the existence of God, which certainly impressed my fourteen-year-old imagination no end because I was just beginning to flirt with the idea of atheism,” Tharoor said. He reflected that while rationality often challenges religion, Fr. Cyril’s “very rational, structured philosophical argument from a Jesuit priest” was striking and left a lasting mark. Tharoor added that the values imparted by Jesuits like Fr. Cyril were vital, also expressing admiration for other figures such as Fr. Remedios, “an excellent teacher who visited prisoners in his spare time.”

Fr. Cyril’s legacy is one of integration—of faith and humanistic concern, intellect and creativity, the personal and the communal. He taught that dignity and transcendence are inherent in being fully human, enlightened by both reason and compassion.

His passing marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Indian Jesuit thought and education—but his spirit lives on through the generations he mentored, the performances he inspired, and the liberative ideas he embodied.

Funeral rites are being held in Pune with Jesuit and student communities participating in deeply reflective remembrance.

By Catholic Connect Reporter