If you missed it, Slovenian Cardinal Franc Rodé gave a talk to the Jesuits in conference. The gist of it:

After praising the order for “thousands of religious who generously respond to the Lord’s call,” Rodé cited several areas of concern.

First, he warned of a waning sense of sentire cum ecclesia, meaning “to think with the church.” Love for the church, Rodé argued, was central to the vision of St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Jesuits in the 16th century.

“It is with sorrow and anxiety that I see that the sentire cum ecclesia of which your founder frequently spoke is diminishing even in some members of religious families,” Rodé said. “The Church is waiting for a light from you to restore the sensus ecclesiae.”

Rodé also bluntly called for greater obedience to the hierarchy.

“With sadness and anxiety, I also see a growing distancing from the hierarchy,” he told the Jesuits. “The Ignatian spirituality of apostolic service ‘under the Roman Pontiff’ does not allow for this separation.”

“The fundamental nucleus of Ignatian spirituality consists in uniting the love for God with love for the hierarchical Church,” Rodé said.

Many have been speculating as to what effect this dressing down by a Cardinal might have on the Society. Ignatiofile and blogger Karen Hall gives her guess as to the likely reactions to this amazing speech.

“So anyway, about our carbon footprint…”

Exactly.