Thursday, March 28, AD 2024 1:32pm

PopeWatch: Jesuit Love

VATICAN-POPE-AUDIENCE

 

Father James Martin, SJ, editor at large of the Jesuit rag America, practically breaks his arm slapping his order on the back for all the good qualities he perceives in Pope Francis in an article for CCN.  A sample:

Openness. Jesuits are asked to “Find God in all things.” Again, this is not simply a Jesuit virtue but a Christian one. Yet that brief motto is the most commonly cited way of summing up Jesuit spirituality. And “all things” means all people.

This includes those people who have felt excluded, or unwelcome, in the church. So although his message is based on simple Christian mercy, the world has witnessed the Pope repeatedly inviting the church to experience God in places that some other Catholic leaders may have overlooked or even ignored. Atheists, divorced and remarried Catholics, and gay men and lesbians, have all seen the Pope reach out to them.

Francis is not so much trying to find God there — because he knows that God is already there — as he is reminding others to look for God in the lives of all these people.

Other Jesuit hallmarks could be added to the list, such as flexibility, freedom and an emphasis on social justice. But overall, when Jesuits watch the Pope, we often nod our heads and say, “That’s very Jesuit.”

Over the past year, Jesuits have been accused of being too proud of Pope Francis. I’m guilty myself. So at the risk of pride, I’ll say that I think he’s a great Pope, a great priest and a great Jesuit. And I’ll bet St. Ignatius would be proud — or as proud as he would allow himself to be.

Go here to read the rest.  There are certain qualities of most, with certain shining exceptions, modern Jesuits that Father Martin missed.  (PopeWatch is not ascribing these to Pope Francis.)

1.  Duplicitous.

2.  Heterodox.

3.  Left-Wing.

4.  Disobedient to popes, except this latest one (so far).

5.  Proud as Lucifer.

6.  Contemptuous of the Church as it existed prior to 1965.

7.  Arrogant.

8.  Intellectual Poseurs.

There is a reason why the Church has not had a Jesuit pope before now.  If Pope Francis is a success as Pope it will be in spite of what he learned in the modern Jesuit order and not because of it.

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Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 7:10am

It is worth recalling that the Society produced Joseph Maréchal, Cardinal Henri de Lubac, Cardinal Jean Daniélou and Claude Mondésert who, with the Dominicans, Marie-Dominique Chenu and Cardinal Yves Congar, the Oratorian Louis Bouyer and the former Jesuit and Académicien Henri Brémond, virtually created 20th century theology.

Dante alighieri
Admin
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 7:12am

I attended a Jesuit high school. It was a marvelous educational institution full of bright young men, an overwhelming majority of whom have gone on to be leaders in both the religious and secular world.

And yet I am still frustrated when I look back at how pitiful my religious education was. Sure, we had good retreats that sparked earnest internal reflection, but we were either not taught things that I only learned later because I had the good fortune to work in the bookstore of the National Shrine and then got more involved in other Catholic outlets, or we were taught things that were manifestly false (Mary was not ever virgin, Jesus did have brothers and sisters, etc.) Sprinkle that in with my Jesuit priest teacher making the usual passive aggressive comment justifying dissent, and it’s a wonder more students from my high school didn’t fall away from the faith.

That experience did not leave a positive impression on me regarding the modern Jesuits, and I truly feel bad for the few in the order that genuinely do good.

Dante alighieri
Admin
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 7:14am

Completely off-topic, but for those of you who have trouble with the formatting in the comments and the lack of paragraph breaks, if you type br in brackets <> it will create a paragraph break.

Mary De Voe
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 7:55am

Thank you Paul Zummo

Botolph
Botolph
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 9:47am

I certainly know the Jansenists did not like the Jesuits, their spirituality or their focus on Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the embodiment of mercy

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 10:17am

“Christian mercy, the world has witnessed the Pope repeatedly inviting the church to experience God in places that some other Catholic leaders may have overlooked or even ignored. Atheists, divorced and remarried Catholics, and gay men and lesbians, have all seen the Pope reach out to them.”

Christ descended from Heaven in order to convert you not to let you live in sin.

“Now, I see.” said the blind man as he picked up his tools and walked away.

PS: I was educated in a public high school and a Christian Brothers (Go Jaspers!) college. I was not infected with any of the stuff they keep making up about God.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 10:20am

Botolph
Pascal sums up the Jansenist view of the Jesuits in Les Provinciales, Lettre V
“Know then that their object is not the corruption of manners- that is not their design. But as little is it their sole aim to reform them – that would be bad policy. Their idea is briefly this: They have such a good opinion of themselves as to believe that it is useful, and in some sort essentially necessary to the good of religion, that their influence should extend everywhere, and that they should govern all consciences. And the Evangelical or severe maxims being best fitted for managing some sorts of people, they avail themselves of these when they find them favourable to their purpose. But as these maxims do not suit the views of the great bulk of the people, they waive them in the case of such persons, in order to keep on good terms with all the world. Accordingly, having to deal with persons of all classes and of all different nations, they find it necessary to have casuists assorted to match this diversity.
On this principle, you will easily see that, if they had none but the looser sort of casuists, they would defeat their main design, which is to embrace all; for those that are truly pious are fond of a stricter discipline. But as there are not many of that stamp, they do not require many severe directors to guide them. They have a few for the select few; while whole multitudes of lax casuists are provided for the multitudes that prefer laxity.”

Botolph
Botolph
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 10:25am

Michael Paterson-Seymour,

Thank you for Pascal’s Jansenist description of the Jesuits. How would you describe the Jansenists, however?

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 10:59am

In the words of Mgr Ronald Knox – “Jansenism is the vigilant conscience of Christendom overshadowed by a scruple.”

Botolph
Botolph
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 11:05am

MPS,

That was a perfect description of Jansenism.

Spambot3049
Spambot3049
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 2:33pm

Completely off-topic, but for those of you who have trouble with the formatting in the comments and the lack of paragraph breaks, if you type br in brackets it will create a paragraph break.

Thank you, Paul. It seems to work.

Penguins Fan
Penguins Fan
Thursday, March 13, AD 2014 6:12pm

The Jesuits deserve a Fr. Volpi. Sadly, it won’t happen.

trackback
Friday, March 14, AD 2014 12:01am

[…] Catholic Exchange Archdiocese Of Milwaukee Statement on Deacon Sandy – Patrick Archbold PopeWatch: Jesuit Love by Fr. James Martin SJ – Donald R. McClarey JD Yes, There Is a Hell – Mark S. Camp ThD, Making Scripture […]

Micha Elyi
Micha Elyi
Friday, March 14, AD 2014 2:06am

Has Pope Francis suppressed the Jesuits yet? If not now, when? If Nixon could go to China…

GregM
GregM
Sunday, March 16, AD 2014 9:44am

I always thought, and was taught, that the final word on Jansenism was written in 1713.

Michael Paterson-Seymour
Michael Paterson-Seymour
Sunday, March 16, AD 2014 11:22am

GregM wrote, “I always thought, and was taught, that the final word on Jansenism was written in 1713.”

Not by a long chalk. On 28 August 1718, Clement XI issued Pastoralis Officii against the Appellant Jansenists, who had appealed “to the Pope better informed and to a General Council.”

Then, on 16 October 1756, Benedict XIV issued Ex Omnibus Christiani Orbis dealing with the Viaticum for those suspected of Jansenism.

The later Augustinians like Berti and Cardinal Noris were accused of reviving the errors of Baius and Jansen, but they were acquitted by Benedict XIV. Though the examining theologians disagreed with their opinions, those opinions were not contrary to the decisions of the Church. Benedict XIV was anxious to make it clear that the teaching of St Augustine and St Thomas on Sufficient and Efficacious grace had not been condemned, either in the Five Propositions in 1653 or in Unigenitus in 1713 and one did not have to be a Molinist to be a Catholic. In fact, it seems pretty clear that many who belonged tot he Jansenist party did not hold the Jansenist heresy, as defined in those Bulls.

Then, of course, we have the notorious Synod of Pistoia, condemned by Pius VI on 28 August 1794 in Auctorem Fidem.

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