Saturday, May 11, 2013

Favor Of Giving Me Some Counsel

Jesuit priests at the time of their solemn and final profession in the Society of Jesus promise:
I also promise that I will never strive for or ambition any prelacy or dignity outside the Society; and I will to the best of my ability never consent to my election unless I am forced to do so by obedience to him who can order me under penalty of sin. And moreover, if I shall find out that anyone [another Jesuit] is seeking to secure anything of the two aforementioned things or is ambitioning them, I promise that I will communicate his name and the entire matter to the Society or its Superior.
This is based upon the Jesuit Constitutions S.J., (Part X, N°6 [817]), and the experience of St. Ignatius as found in several strong letters in which he fought against Jesuits being made bishops.  But now that we have a Jesuit pope, the question is: knowing our tradition, and knowing how St. Ignatius fought strongly against Jesuits becoming bishops, will the pope appoint Jesuits to be bishops?  The second question: how does a Jesuit  who is made a bishop or cardinal regard the General of the Jesuits? To cover this possibility, the Jesuit promises:
In addition, I promise that if despite the third vow, I should happen to be ordained a bishop, I shall not refuse to listen to the General of the Society, if he, personally or through someone else of the Society, will do me the favor of giving me some counsel.
This, of course, does not deal with the possibility of a Jesuit becoming the pope! And what is his relation to the General of the Society? But as we have already soon, soon after being named pope, Pope Francis contacted and had a very cordial meeting with Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, the General of the Society.
Link (here) to America Magazine to read the post by Fr. Peter Schineller, S.J.

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