Fr Adolfo Nicolás SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, recently invited every Jesuit, all our collaborators, every community, apostolic work, Region and Province of the Society to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Restoration of the Society in 2014 “with humble and sincere gratitude to the Lord, with a desire to learn from our history, and as an occasion for spiritual and apostolic renewal”.
The commemoration of the Restoration officially begins on January 3, the feast of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, and ends on September 27, the anniversary of the confirmation of the Society in 1540.
In his letter, Fr Nicolás said that 2014 will be an important year for studying our history as a Society and promoting a deeper knowledge and understanding of the complex realities of the Suppression and the Restoration of the Society.
In addition, Fr Nicolás called for personal and communal prayer, reflection, and discernment, saying, “we do not wish our attention to be focused solely on the past. We wish to understand and appreciate our past better so that we may go forward into the future with “renewed fervour and zeal” (GC 35, Decree 1) for our life and mission today.”
Fr Nicolás proposed five themes for prayer, reflection and discernment in the coming year:
Creative fidelity: What does it mean for us today that the Society, which outside the Russian empire lost everything during the Suppression, was able to begin again without any resources? In addition, what might we learn from the attempts of the restored Society to be faithful to the Ignatian heritage in vastly changed circumstances?
Love for our Institute: According to an important letter entitled On the Love of our Society and our Institute (1830), written by one of the most significant figures of the restored Society, Fr. General Jan Roothaan, a temptation of some members of the newly re-established Society was to love her, we might say, in an external or superficial way: to value the riches of having many institutions; the honour of being esteemed by others; the pride of being powerful and influential again. Instead, Fr. Roothaan sought to promote a love for the inner reality of the Society: her Institute, her spirit and values, her way of proceeding rooted in the Spiritual Exercises. What is the significance for us today of this call to focus above all on a knowledge and love of our Institute?
Fraternal companionship: Another important figure for this period was St. Joseph Pignatelli, who, during the difficult times of expulsion and homelessness, united, strengthened and encouraged his brothers. Even during the Suppression, he maintained communication, friendship, and hope among former companions. What does the witness of those who cared for their brothers during a time of crisis say to us today, who are called by GC 35 to live “community as mission”?
Universal Mission: One of the marks of the restored Society was a remarkable missionary spirit and activity. By the generalate of Fr. Roothaan, of the 5,209 members of the Society, 19% worked outside the Provinces they entered. Many Provinces in Asia, Africa, America and Australia trace their origins to this time of the restored Society. What might be the significance of this strong sense of universal mission in the newly re-established Society for us today?
Faith in Providence: Our forefathers in the Society lived through challenging times: the Suppression; the precarious existence of the Society in the Russian empire; localized recognition of the Society until its universal Restoration in 1814; the fragile and difficult beginnings of the restored Society. What can we learn from the patient endurance, the fortitude, the faith and trust in God’s providence and the Spirit’s presence in the Church of our brothers during this tumultuous period? [Jesuit Curia in Rome]