Introduction
When
the church was in troubled waters, hit by the mighty waves of reformation, St
Ignatius of Loyola - a soldier saint came to its rescue, with his companions named
Jesuits. St Ignatitus was a defender of faith and the church. Down the
centuries falling prey to selfish human motives Society of Jesus was suppressed
for nearly 40 years. No wonder many might have questioned the credibility and
the purpose of Jesuit order then. Pope
Julius in 1550, while approving the formula of its institute said, ‘The finger
of God is here’. In the bicentenary year of its restoration, the church is
presented with a Jesuit Roman Pontiff. As George Pattery says, with Pope
Francis at the helm this is a Kairos time for the church and clear sign for the
Society of Jesus, that we very much belong to the church and active in our
mission of the Kingdom.[1]
Times
person of the year, present sensation not only among Christians but all over
the world, Pope Francis inspires with his unique way of proceeding. “Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, SJ, stepped out onto the central loggia of St Peter’s Basilica on
March 13, 2013, as Pope Francis, has the lived experience as Jesuit, as a true
follower of Jesus, through the Ignatian way for more than half a century.”[2]
St Ignatius’ timeless treasures of ‘The
spiritual Exercises’ is a guiding light to every Ignatian follower. I would
see the life of Pope Francis as an embodiment of Ignatian virtues and Ignatian
spirituality.
“Preach
always, use words only when necessary”, said the great mystic saint Francis of
Asissi, who’s name our beloved Pope bears. I believe that Pope Francis is
preaching more through his life than through his words. In this short essay, I
focus on some of the Ignatian elements or ‘Jesuitness’ in the functioning of
Pope Francis. I will be mainly concentrating on the non-verbals of Pope Francis
that has caught the world by surprise and inspired the multitudes.
1.0 Ignatian
elements/ qualities in the life and actions of Pope Francis
1.1
Finding God in All Things : One of the unique insights
that drive Ignatian followers is ‘Finding God in All Things’( Sp.Ex 231- 237).
St Ignatius was not a mere spiritual master or contemplative, rather was very
much a person deeply in touch with the reality around. His simple understanding
as I see that the reality cannot be separate from its creator. His deep
sensitivity and insight to find God in all things, takes him ahead of many of
his contemporaries. “….Consider how God
dwells in creatures, in the elements…in the plants…, in the animals…, in the
human beings…”[3]
The
latest sensation and the inspirational church and the world leader, Pope
Francis, is an embodiment of this unique Ignatian virtue. Washing of the feet
of a woman in a juvenile detention center , embracing the disfigured man, meeting
and praying with the Oriental Patriarch
and many such gestures do tell us that he possesses a world embracing
spirituality. There seems to be no barrier of religion or territory to his
reaching out. Long after he’s gone, the world will still continue to remember
Pope Francis for his ability and courage to find God in all things and in all
people.
1.2
Contemplation in Action: In a time when
religious were known to be mere contemplatives, St Ignatius gave new edge to
the ongoing religious trend with the renewed understanding of ‘Contemplation in
Action’. Thus to contemplate doesn’t mean running away from the world but be
deeply rooted in the struggles of the world around, be actively present to the
reality and in the midst through your life contemplate the mysteries and plans
of God here and now. Isn’t Pope Francis a personification of contemplation in
action? His down to earth teachings, his call to live the faith in concrete
circumstances, his humble gesture of asking the people to bless him when he first
appeared on the balcony after his election as Pope and his stand for social
justice, only support the presence of this unique virtue of Jesuits in him.
1.3
Reading the Signs of the Times: This is another
Ignatian virtue, unique to the charism of finding God an All Things and being Contemplatives
in Action. Fr Adolfo Nicolas, once invited
his fellow brethren, not to give yesterday’s answers to tomorrow’s problems but
to be able to respond creatively to the problems of today. This challenges and highlights
the need to read the signs of the times and respond to them with an ever new
yet profoundly spiritual response. In a time when church looked rigid, when
many were losing meaning in the
institutionalized functioning of the church and found themselves being not
accepted, Pope Francis effect caught their attention and won their hearts. I
admire the daring response regarding the place of gay in the church. His words,
“If someone is gay
and seeks the Lord with good will, who I to judge am??”
is a sheer example to his reading the signs of the times and responding
creatively. Jesus opened the doors of the kingdom to all and Pope Francis with
his abilities to read the signs of the present era, calling everyone back to
the kingdom of the divine.
1.4 Special Stress on
Poverty: Jesuits not only pronounce
the vow of poverty, but also have a preferential option for the poor in their
mission and ministry. Ignatius called his followers to love poverty “as a
mother.” There are three reasons adduced for that: first, as an imitation of
Jesus, who lived as a poor man; second, to free ourselves from the need for
possessions; and third, to be with the poor, whom Christ loved.
Our
Shepherd, Pope Francis has eschewed many of the traditional trappings of the
papacy. Before stepping onto the balcony, he set aside the elaborate mozzetta,
the short cap that popes normally wear; since then his vestments have been
simple. He elected to live not in the grand Apostolic Palace but in a small,
two-room suite in the Casa Santa Marta, where the cardinals had stayed for the
conclave. He is, so far, choosing the poorer option. I also see that having
integrated this Ignatian virtue, Pope Francis moved a step further, when he
chose the name of a 12th century poor saint – Francis of Assisi. Francis indicated with the choice of his name that
he intended to follow the example of St Francis of Assisi and promote the cause
of the poor and marginalized of society. When he was a bishop in Argentina he
made a point of visiting the slum areas to pray with the destitute. He has
frequently called for the church and society to give “preferential treatment to
the poor” by advocating a more equitable distribution of goods. This is clear message to the Jesuit world to have a radical
re-look at our stance of poverty and the poor.
1.5 All Things for the
Greater Glory of God: This popular phrase
stands as a driving force behind all that St Ignatius followed and preached. A
selfless giving for the service of the Lord, that supposed to lead Jesuits,
also stands as a base to many of the bold and challenging reformations Pope
Francis has undertaken. In his address to the Vatican curia on the eve of
Christmas 2014, he challenged them against the spiritual desease,
asked them to reject the “pathology of power” and the temptation of
“narcissism.”[4]
This has no wonder earned him a good number of admirers from across the globe
and also a handful of enemies, from various power sectors. But I appreciate the
tremendous courage that Pope Francis has displayed in renewing the structures
and making them more and more Christian in nature.
It’s obvious in his way of functioning that the glory of god and God alone
matters to him and I believe great things happen when one strives for the glory
of the Lord.
1.6
Magis: St Ignatius was an original thinker. There were
many new and enriching ideas that he came up with, seem to be the fruit of his
encounter and deep relation with the divine. One such phrase which isn’t found
in the normal usage of the language, is the word, ‘MAGIS’. In simple words this
means doing better than the best and there is no concept in general called
better than the best.
In
his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium, he quotes the Latin American
Bishops, “…cannot passively and calmly wait in our church buildings. We need to
move from pastoral ministry of mere conservation to a decidedly a missionary
pastoral ministry”[5]
Today
world looks at Pope Francis with a difference than many of his predecessors.
There is something unique in him. There is something new every time and
something more than the minimum in him and that is the spirit of Magis, the
heart of Ignatian spirituality. He always has that more in all that he does;
may his preaching or his dealings with people or his concern for the people
around or his opinion about the prevalent church structures. The spirit of
Magis with the human touch makes our beloved Pope stand tall
1.7
Humility: St Ignatius speaks of 3 degrees of
humility, in the Spiritual Exercises(165-168)[6].
The secret behind the simple way of going about, of Pope Francis is his
practice of humility and also the stress he has placed on this virtue. His word
in a weekday homily supports this view; “The path of humility, humiliation…
means simply saying: I am a man, I am a woman and you are God, and go before
the presence of God, with obedience, docility of heart.”[7]
I need not specify anything in concrete, as every act of his is filled with the
virtue of humility.
1.8
Church – A Mother:
Jesuit
order came to its existence chiefly for the purpose of service of faith, in a
time when church was attacked by reformation. For St Ignatius of Loyola, Church
was his mother and he wanted his followers to have a same sense of reverence to
the Church. This is quite evident, in Jesuits placing themselves at the
disposal of the mother church with a special vow of obedience to Roman Pontiff.
I
prefer a church which is bruised hurting and dirty because it has been out on
the streets rather than a church which has been unhealthy from being
confined….caught up in a web…’[8]
and continues, ‘ …move forward, boldly take initiative, go out to others, seek
those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcaste.[9]
The
above words of Pope Francis from his Apostolic Exhortation, tells us his
concern for each and every individual. A mother can never forget her child and
the words of Pope Francis do give a feel that Church is not a mere hierarchical
institution but a true mother, who waits, cares, loves and embraces even those
who have gone astray. Pope Francis, I believe is truly a man of the Kingdom and
so of the church. He is a living image today for a caring and compassionate
church.
1.9
Intellectual Caliber:
Jesuits
in their early ways were known as school masters. Through the training given,
Jesuits are formed to be intellectual leaders. This entails that Jesuits
contribute with their original and creative thinking to the church in general
and to the society at large. Pope Francis is not an exception in this
regard. His controversial statement on
the relation between the creation and the big-bang theory is a clear example to
this.
On
27 October, 2014 while addressing the plenary assembly of Pontifical Academy of
Sciences he said, “ When we read about the creation in Genesis, we run the risk
of imagining God was a magician, with a magic wand able to do everything. But
that is not so. He created human beings and let them develop according to the
internal laws that he gave to each one so they reach their
fulfillment….beginning was not “ work of chaos” but created from a principle of
love.[10]
Here
I am not keen on the details of what he said, rather I would appreciate his
insights and the original contribution/ original thinking that he brings in to
various issues. This kind of originality is truly Ignatian in Nature.
2.0 An Ignatian Leader: If
I have to list a few qualities of an Ignatian leader, they would be
- Service of others, with a
particular emphasis on the dignity of each and every individual
- A personal inner disposition
and open to growth.
- A person rich in the lived
experience and capable of depth level reflection.
- A person who is radically
free from within.
- Someone who knows and values
interpersonal relationships.
- A person with the spirit of
Magis.
- A person who is able to
discern and decide.
- Awareness of a loving God,
who labours.
Having
listed the above qualities, I am convinced that our
Pope is truly an Ignatian Leader. The newness that he has brought in and the
life he has filled into the Church today is the best possible evidence to this.
I wouldn’t be wrong if I call him a ‘Leader
with a Difference’.
Conclusion
St Ignatius and the Jesuit order helped
the church stand against the odds of reformation in the 16 century. Pope
Francis, a Jesuit Pope has come at a point when large number of faithful is
leaving the church, given to its rigid and irrational ways of functioning.
“Wherever in the
Church, even in the most difficult and extreme fields, at the crossroads of
ideologies, in the social trenches, there has been and there is confrontation
between the burning exigencies of man and
the perennial message of the Gospel, here also there have been, and there are,
Jesuits.” (Pope Paul VI address to GC 32, 3rd December
1974)
The words of Pope Paul come
true in our troubled times. This is an invitation for us Jesuits especially for
a greater commitment and to be true to our call of loving the church as a
Mother. Pope Francis effect has set the world on fire today. Let his Pope with
a true Ignatian mind and heart remains a true inspiration to the millions
across the globe and personally to me.
Bibliography
Books
and Journals
- Ganns, George The Spiritual Exercise of St Ignatius of Loyola, Gujarath
Sahithya Prakash, India,1992.
- Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium, Carmel
International Publishing House, Trivandrum, 2013.
- Pattery , George, “Call to be
Brave and Humble”, DNC Times ,Febryary, 2015.
- McKenna,
Josephine, , “Evolution is not consistent with the notion of creation”,
in Pandikattu, Kuruvilla, Pope Francis on Creation and Evolution(ed),
ASSR Publications, Pune, 2014.
Internet
Material
- Allen, John, “ Pope warns
curia against spiritual diseases”, at http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/12/22/pope-
warns-vaticans-upper-echelon-against-spiritual-diseases
as accessed on 05.02.2014.
- Martin,
James, “His way of Proceeding”, at http://americamagazine.org/issue/article/his-way-proceeding,
accessed on 05.02.2015
- Vall, Gregory, “An Ignatian Bishop of
Rome”, at http://www.hprweb.com/2013/05/an-ignatian-bishop-of-rome/,
accessed on 05.02.2014.
4.
Weekday Homilies of Pope Francis, Vol.
2, no. 4, 17.03 to 31.03. 2014.
[1] George, Pattery, “Call to be
Brave and Humble”, DNC Times ,February, 2015, p.5.
[2]Gregory,
Vall, “An Ignatian Bishop of Rome”, at http://www.hprweb.com/2013/05/an-ignatian-bishop-of-rome/,
accessed on 05.02.2014.
[3] George, Ganns, The Spiritual Exercise of St Ignatius of
Loyola, Gujarath Sahithya Prakash, India,1992, P 95.
[4] John, Allen, “Pope warns curia
against spiritual diseases”, at http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2014/12/22/pope- warns-vaticans-upper-echelon-against-spiritual-diseases
as accessed on 05.02.2014.
[5] Pope Francis, Evangelii Gaudium,
Carmel International Publishing House, Trivandrum, 2013, p.20.
[6] George, Ganns, op.cit, p. 72-73.
[8] . Pope Francis, op.cit., p.44.
[9]. Ibid., p.26.
[10] Josephine, McKenna, “Evolution
is not consistent with the notion of creation”, in Kuruvilla, Pandikattu, Pope Francis on Creation and Evolution(ed), ASSR Publications,
Pune, 2014. p.26.
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