The Jesuits and the Holy Father
The
Society of Jesus has enjoyed a special relationship with the
Supreme Pontiff dating back to our foundation as St. Ignatius
and the first companions placed themselves at the disposal of
the Holy Father. The Society is the only religious congregation that has a specific vow of obedience to the Pope in regards to mission.
For more information regarding Pope
Benedict XVI, visit the USCCB web site.
February 25, 2008
Pope Benedict XVI's statement to the Society (translation from Italian)
"I very much hope, therefore, that the entire Society of Jesus, thanks
to the results of your Congregation, will be able to live with a
renewed drive and fervour the mission for which the Spirit brought it
about and has kept it for more than four centuries and a half with an
extraordinary abundance of apostolic fruit..." >>Read More
February 21, 2008
Members of the 35th General Congregation Meet with the Pope
Members of the General Congregation were received by the Holy Father Benedict XVI in a special audience. On behalf of the Society, Superior General Nicolás offered the following words:
Most Holy Father,
I would like my first word to be, in my name and in the name of all present, a heartfelt “thank you” to Your Holiness for kindly receiving today the members of the General Congregation meeting in Rome, after having already bestowed on us the precious gift of a Letter which by way of its rich content and its positive tone, encouraging and affectionate, has most surely been appreciated by the whole Society of Jesus.
>> Read More
January 26, 2008
Superior General Adolfo Nicolás, SJ
In
the morning of Saturday, January 26, 2008, Father General was received by His
Holiness Benedict XVI. It was a short but cordial encounter during
which Father Nicolás, following the custom of previous Generals,
renewed his vow of obedience to the Pope.
January 18, 2008
Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, SJ
A few days before he presented his resignation as
Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach
received a personal letter from the Holy Father, Benedict XVI. Father
Kolvenbach shared the letter with the members of the General
Congregation and with the rest of the Society, and reported to the Holy
Father “the profound attention and gratitude” with which the message
has been received”. To the Jesuits, Father Kolvenbach underlined “the
affection, spiritual closeness, esteem and gratitude with which the
successors of Peter have regarded and see the Society of Jesus,
continuing to expect the faithful service of the Society for the
integral and clear proclamation of the Gospel in our time.”
In
his letter Pope Benedict recalls the particular bond that binds the
Society of Jesus to the Successor of Peter, as expressed in the "fourth
vow" of special obedience to the Pope. The Holy Father underlines and
asks "that the Congregation reaffirms, in the spirit of Saint Ignatius,
its own total adhesion to catholic doctrine, in particular on the
crucial points under attack today from secular culture”.
Full Text of Pope Benedict's Letter Here