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Monday, June 11, 2012

Jesuit Reversal

A LITTLE BIRD told me that change is happening in the Society of Jesus. The Jesuits are the largest religious order in the Church; once the personal spiritual army of the Pope, the order in recent decades has gone in a direction often at odds with the Papacy. Although it was the premier religious order of the Counter-Reformation, the Jesuits seem to have lost relevance or become rudderless since the Council.

The Society is an active religious order that loomed large in the history of the Age of Exploration, the scientific revolution, and in the development of the Americas. In your opinion, what would a newly-invigorated Society of Jesus do in the world?


UPDATE: I had a poll associated with this post. Here are the results:
  • Re-evangelization of the West — 37 (60%)
  • Conversion of China — 18 (29%)
  • Other — 11 (18%)
  • Working towards a political order more in line with Christianity — 10 (16%)
  • Development of South and Central America — 8 (13%)
  • Establishing new universities — 6 (9%)
  • Re-emphasis on science and technology — 5 (8%)
  • Evangelization through social media — 5 (8%)

6 comments:

  1. You know, really, I know some good younger Jesuits on line, and some good old old Jesuits, but as for the whole I think the Jesuits should just declare themselves Episcopalian and get on with paganizing themselves without reference to the Catholic Church. I don't trust the order as a whole with any mission what-so-ever within the Church. The order would need to be completely reformed under the direction of Rome - which ain't going to happen.

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  2. How about they become a missionary order and send prospective martyrs deep into Arab territory, like Saudi Arabia or Iran?

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  3. "reformed under the direction of Rome"...so they can learn how to cover up another Vatican banking scandal? Until the Vatican can get its own house in order I would prefer it leave its hands off of the Jesuits. The Jesuits have been the loyal opposition for centuries.

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  4. i know an orthodox jesuit, a good faithful servant of the Church and humble theologian, who tells parents now to send their children to non-catholic schools vs. traditionally jesuit institutions because the latter have lost the faith. better to have it somewhat right than completely wrong.

    the jesuits are in serious need of reform, that's true. but there's hope. we see the younger crop of seminarians entering the priesthood, diocesan and religious, being faithful to the magisterium. i see a renaissance in catholic philosophy and theology coming in the next 20 to 50 years. our church may be smaller in the future, but more faithful. and that is how we will speak to the culture at large .... the leaven in the loaf once again.

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  5. Those of you who think that retreating from the Second Vatican Council will somehow wipe away the sins of the present day Church are sadly mistaken. It is ironic that during the same year that the Church is calling Catholics to Come Home it can't even keep its own home in order. There was a time when I longed for a return to some of the old traditions but if it means all we are going to do is further bury our collective heads in the sand I stand with the Second Vatican Council...... LOL all you want Mark!

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