Pope Benedict XVI marked one of several anniversaries being commemorated by the Jesuits – Roman Catholicism’s larger order of priests and religious.
At a special Mass held at St. Peter’s Basilica on Saturday April 22nd, Benedict used the occasion to mark the special fealty to the papacy that the Jesuits’ founder, St. Ignatius de Loyola, always professed.
At the basilica, Benedict XVI declared “And it was from this desire to serve the church in the most useful and efficient way that the vow of special obedience to the pope was born.” On the dais at the Mass, were seated Benedict XVI, Vatican Secretary of State Angelo Cardinal Sodano, and Jesuit Superior General Peter-Hans Kolvenbach.
Founded in 1540 by Ińigo de Loyola – a Spanish Basque nobleman who fought in one of Spain’s wars with France – the Jesuits have long been known for their high level of education and excellence. So powerful did subsequent leaders of the Jesuit order become, especially during the years of the Reformation in Europe, that Jesuit’s Superior General became known as the “black pope” – a reference to the plain black cassocks used by members of the order.
Long vilified by nations at odds with the Papacy such as Great Britain, the order later on had run-ins with the Papacy’s defenders, such as Spain: the Jesuits were actually disbanded by the Pope briefly and ejected from the Americas during the 1700’s after the order fell afoul of the imperial policies of Portugal and Spain.
Most recently, Pope John Paul II delivered what was considered by some observers as a slap at the order when he set aside Superior General Pedro Arrupe’s hand-picked interim successor in 1981 for his own man.
Arrupe died in 1991, but not before overseeing an order that many saw as having introduced great demands for social justice along with dissent against church doctrine on issues such as contraception and priestly celibacy.
The current Superior General, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach will retire by 2008, according to statements released by the order.
Not suprisingly, the weekend service didn't focus on controversy, but instead on more positive aspects.
The Holy Father invited those present to give thanks to God for having conceded the Society "the gift of men of extraordinary sanctity and exceptional apostolic zeal such as St. Ignatius Loyola, St. Francis Xavier and Blessed Pierre Favre." May they, he continued, be "enlightened and dependable guides for your spiritual journey and your apostolic activity."
St. Ignatius Loyola was, said the Pope, "a man of deep prayer, the center and summit of whose life was the daily celebration of the Eucharist. In this way, he left followers a precious spiritual heritage which must not be lost or forgotten."
After pointing out how St. Ignatius served the Church faithfully, Benedict XVI mentioned some of "the Church's must urgent current requirements." These include "cultural commitment in the fields of theology and philosophy, ... and the dialogue with modern culture ... so deeply marked by positivist and materialist scientism." In this context, the Pope affirmed that promoting "a culture inspired by Gospel values requires intense spiritual and cultural preparation."
Another concern of St. Ignatius, the Pope added, was "the Christian education and cultural formation of the young. ... Continue this important apostolate, while upholding intact the spirit of your Founder."
Going on to speak of St. Francis Xavier, the Pope recalled how Pope Pius XI proclaimed him as "patron saint of Catholic missions." And although "his mission in the East lasted just ten years, it has proved remarkably fruitful over the four and a half centuries of life of the Society of Jesus, because his example encouraged many missionary vocations among young Jesuits." And it still continues to be a model for "missionary activity in the great countries of the continent o
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