The work of
General Congregation 35 did not finish with the election of a new Superior
General and a team to work with him. The General Congregation went on to
consider a wide variety of issues and themes including: the Jesuit identity and
charism; new challenges for mission; obedience and community life in the
Society; matters of governance; collaboration with others; youth ministry;
people on the move; religious fundamentalism; communications; formation;
ecology; and indigenous peoples.
A number of these
matters are treated in the six Decrees issued by the GC 35, while others became
the subject of suggestions or recommendations provided to Fr General for the
ordinary government of the Society.
So, what do the
Decrees say? Here we will provide a brief overview of the key content of the
six decrees. In the coming weeks Province
Express will present more detailed reflections on these documents.
Decree One, With
Renewed Vigour and Zeal, presents the response of the General Congregation to Benedict XVI's
Letter to outgoing General, Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, and his Allocution to the
Congregation.
Decree One
reveals an affectionate interaction marked by mutual understanding. Benedict
XVI expressed great confidence in the Jesuits in his Allocution: "... the Church
needs you, counts on you, and continues to turn to you with confidence ..."
He confirmed the
mission of the service of faith and the promotion of justice, which must always
be united, and he emphasised the Christological basis of the Jesuits'
preferential option for the poor. Benedict noted the need to oppose the
structural causes of injustice, and asked the Society to go out to new
spiritual and physical frontiers.
His Letter said
that Church's work of evangelisation ‘... relies heavily on the Society's
responsibility for formation in the fields of theology, spirituality, and
mission'.
In response, the
General Congregation affirmed the Society's full adherence to the faith and
teaching of the Church, and its availability to the Pope for mission. The
following Decrees are best read in the light of this Decree. They flesh out the
General Congregation's response to the missioning of the Pope.
Decree Two, A
Fire That Kindles Other Fires, reflects on the Ignatian charism and what is to be a Jesuit. This
poetic and readable Decree shows how Ignatian spirituality leads inexorably to
the service of faith and the promotion of justice. It is a very useful document
for those who wish to better understand the underpinnings of the organisational
culture and ethos of a Jesuit work.
Decree Three, Challenges
to Our Mission Today, Sent to the Frontiers, reaffirms the last three General Congregations'
expression of our mission as the service of faith and the promotion of justice,
in which inculturation and dialogue are essential elements. Globalisation and
increasingly urgent ecological issues are seen as important new dimensions of
the context of mission today. The response of the Jesuits, and of Jesuit works,
is framed in terms of seeking right relationships through reconciliation with
God, with one another, and with creation. This gives a stronger place to
ecological concerns in mission than previous General Congregations.
Decree Four, Obedience
in the Life of the Society of Jesus, may at first seem relevant to Jesuits only, but it
provides insights into Ignatian values of freedom, indifference, humility and
availability for service, which are equally relevant to others. It also raises
questions of how obedience might function where Jesuits are engaged in works
under lay directors, and of the interrelation of superiors of communities and
directors of works.
Decree Five, Governance
at the Service of Universal Mission, establishes principles to guide questions of
governance within the Society, and it proposes some concrete directions for
different levels of governance. It emphasises the greater universality and
collaboration that come with the pace of globalisation, and a expresses a
desire for more streamlined, modernised and flexible structures, where
possible. A clearer articulation of Ignatian values and ways of living and
working will need to accompany such changes.
Decree Six, Collaboration
at the Heart of Mission,
reflects with gratitude on how the Society has responded to GC 34's call to
cooperation with the laity in mission. Growth in collaboration with lay people
has been limited in some contexts, while in other contexts collaboration includes
lay people, other religious, and people who share our values but not our
beliefs. The Decree asks: ‘what constitutes and sustains a Jesuit work?', ‘what
are the elements of formation for collaborative mission?', and ‘what
connections might make our work more fruitful?' The recommendations contained
in this Decree will stimulate reflection and discussion on how best to proceed
in the works of our own Province.
The Historical
Introduction that accompanies the decrees provides details of the preparation and
conduct of the General Congregation and a narrative account of issues for the
ordinary government of the Society which were discussed.
The documents are
available for download from the Jesuit Portal at http://www.sjweb.info/35/index.cfm
Sandie Cornish
Loyola Institute