The end of a generalate
The resignation of Fr General Adolfo Nicolás on the first day of the 36th General Congregation was a profoundly moving event for all who witnessed this historic moment.
Learning from the Experiment
Fr Benny Juliawan SJ, Social Apostolate Coordinator of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, shares a reflection on the recent Networking for Justice meeting in Loyola, Spain.
GC 36 – Responding to new calls and urgent needs
The Preparatory Commission (Coetus Praevius) for GC 36 met in Rome from Monday, August 31 to Saturday, September 12. The task of the group, which included Fr General Adolfo Nicolás SJ and the Conference Presidents, was to draw up an agenda for the upcoming General Congregation.
Postulates
The group examined the 146 postulates that had come in from all over the Society of Jesus. Topics included the renewal of our community and individual lives, our mission, and governance of the Society.
Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical
Pope Francis’ encyclical on the environment has won many hearts, not least because it combines concern for the environment and for social justice. The Pope writes with authority because of his experience with the poor in large Argentinian cities. There the poor, caught in a society marked by great extremes of wealth and poverty are forced to live in polluted and unhealthy conditions. He has also visited poor villages whose people are vulnerable to the extreme weather events resulting from global warming.
Jesuit higher education reaches out to margins
Can getting a higher education benefit entire communities and even countries? Jesuit Father Michael Garanzini, Secretary for higher education worldwide for the Society of Jesus, thinks so and he has the model for doing just that.
Awarding-winning composer premieres mass for Jesuit Restoration bicentenary
Ennio Morricone, the Italian composer who has won multiple awards for his film soundtracks, including The Mission, debuted the first mass he has written on June 10 at the Church of the Gesù, the main church of the Society in Rome.
Named “Missa Papae Francisci” in honour of the first Jesuit pope, Morricone composed it, at the request of the Jesuits, to mark the 200th anniversary (1814 to 2014) of the Restoration of the Society of Jesus. The mass was to have debuted on the actual bicentenary date but this was postponed when Morricone fell ill.
Partners in protection
The Centre for Child Protection, based at the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, is at the forefront of the Catholic Church’s global response to prevent the sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable persons.
Fr General visits Jesuit Chinese and Vietnamese Provinces
Fr Adolfo Nicolás SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, spent two weeks in Asia Pacific in January, visiting the Jesuit Chinese Province from January 13 to 16, and the Jesuit Vietnamese Province from January 17 to 25.
A Universal Body with a Universal Mission
At our annual meeting with Fr General in Rome this month, the six Jesuit Conference presidents identified significant strategies that are bearing fruit for greater solidarity among Jesuits and our colleagues globally, and planned new cooperative measures. Since the primary goal of conferences concerns mission, we dealt with questions such as restructuring of governance arrangements, solidarity in sharing resources across the Society, cooperation in the formation of Jesuits and promotion of studies in Ignatian spirituality.
Pope Francis says the Jesuits must be “brave and expert rowers”
Pope Francis celebrated a special liturgy of thanksgiving in the Church of the Gesù in Rome on Saturday, September 27, to mark the 200th anniversary of the restoration of the Society of Jesus.
In his homily to the Jesuits, the Pope said, “Let us remember our history: the Society ‘was given the grace not only to believe in the Lord, but also to suffer for His sake’ (Philippians 1:29). We do well to remember this.