Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Pope focuses on centrality of Christ and Church for Jesuits

Pope focuses on centrality of Christ and Church for Jesuits

Last updated on: July 31, 2013 at 2:21 pm by CNA Daily News

Pope focuses on centrality of Christ and Church for Jesuits 2013-07-31T14:21:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Rome, Italy, Jul 31, 2013 / 08:21 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of Saint Ignatius in Rome by reminding his fellow Jesuits of the dual centrality of Christ and the Church for their lives and their order.

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told journalists July 31 that it was “a unique and beautiful situation” for them as they remembered the founder of their order at the Church of Jesus (Chiesa del Gesú) in Rome.

The Mass began at 8:15 a.m. and was presided over by Pope Francis, who was joined in the celebration by Archbishop Luis Ladaria, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and the Father General of the Society of Jesus, Adolfo Nicolas.

In his homily, the Pope reflected on three concepts: putting Christ at the center of the Church, allowing oneself to be conquered by him to serve, and feeling the shame of our limits and sins in order to grow in humility.

Pope Francis began his homily by noting that “the symbol of the Jesuits is a monogram, the acronym for ‘Iesus Hominum Salvator,’ which reminds us constantly of a fact we must never forget: the centrality of Christ for each one of us, and for the entire Society, that St. Ignatius chose to call ‘the Society of Jesus’ to indicate its point of reference.”

“The centrality of Christ,” he added, “also corresponds to the centrality of the Church: they are two flames that cannot be separated. I cannot follow Christ other than in the Church and with the Church. And also in this case, we Jesuits and the entire Society are not in the center; we are, so to say, removed; we are in the service of Christ and of the Church.”

The key to living this “dual centrality,” the Pope taught, is to let oneself “be conquered by Christ. I seek Jesus, I serve Jesus because he sought me first.”

He illustrated his point by recalling “a very descriptive” Spanish phrase: “‘El nos primerea’ – he is always first before us. To be conquered by Christ to offer to this King our entire person, all our effort to imitate him also in withstanding injustice, contempt, poverty.”

Reflecting on putting Christ first, brought Pope Francis to mention Father Paolo dall'Oglio, a Jesuit who has been missing in Syria for several days and is feared dead or kidnapped.

Fr. Lombardi told reporters that the Vatican does not have any “specific information (about Fr. dall’Oglio), so we can’t make a pronouncement on the situation.”

Pope Francis final thought in his homily focused on “the shame of not being able to measure up.”

He drew from the First Week of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius, where Christ crucified is contemplated. During that period of mediation, the Pope said, “we feel that sentiment, so human and so noble, that is the shame of not being able to measure up; and this leads us always, as individuals and as a Society, to humility, to living this great virtue.”

“Humility makes us aware every day that it is not we who build the Kingdom of God, but rather it is always the grace of the Lord that acts in us; humility that urges us to give ourselves not in service to ourselves or our ideas, but in the service of Christ and the Church …” he preached.

The Holy Father also kept the eternal perspective in mind, saying that when he thinks “of the twilight of a Jesuit's life, when a Jesuit finishes his life, two icons always come to mind: that of St. Francis Xavier looking to China, and that of Father Arrupe in his final conversation at the refugee camp.”

“It benefits us to look at these two icons, to return to them, and to ask that our twilight be like theirs,” he said.

Pope Francis finished his homily by encouraging the congregation to ask Mary to help them “feel the shame of our inadequacy before the treasure that has been entrusted to us, to live in humility before the Lord. May the paternal intercession of St. Ignatius accompany our path and that of all holy Jesuits, who continue to teach us to do everything with humility, ad maiorem Dei gloriam.”

More than 200 Jesuits and around 600 employees of the institutions they run were present for today’s feast, which was an invitation-only ceremony.

After Mass, the Pope prayed at the altars of St. Ignatius, St. Francis Xavier, the Madonna of the Streets and Father Pedro Arrupe, all of whom are buried in the church.

Before returning to the Vatican, Pope Francis met with the Father General Adolfo Nicolas and some of his fellow Jesuits.

Vatican

Previous Post

July 31, 2013

Call to be less 'selfish' prompts woman to serve in Rwanda

Next Post

July 31, 2013 Pope links fraternity and peace in 2014 theme

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What did God tell Moses from the burning bush?

Select your answer to see how you score.

That he would lead Israel out of Egypt That he would be king of Israel That he would build the temple That he would become Pharaoh