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.
January 8, 2008 at 8:41 pm
To put a positive thought on it, just imagine how much good could be done for the Church and the world if the Jesuit order could be restored to the Ignatian conception. While I don’t think it’s highly likely, the election of Cardinal Ratzinger as Pope hardly seemed to be a given at the time either. If nothing else, this gives a fresh intention for my evening prayers tonight.
January 9, 2008 at 12:31 am
As we all pray for the Lord’s will to be done at the GC, don’t forget that there are many younger Jesuits praying that Cardinal Rodé is NOT ignored. I am one of them!
January 9, 2008 at 2:56 pm
Personally, I believe the Jesuits need to be suppressed every two hundred years or so, to remind them of who’s really running the show. More than one Jesuit has gone to the Holy Father privately, in asking for precisely that.
Praise God for this young priest, and the next generation of Jesuits!