.November 12, 2016 — This morning, members of the Jesuits’ General
Congregation 36 (GC 36) voted to close the congregation. The General Congregation,
the supreme governing body of the Society of Jesus, opened on Oct. 2; elected a new leader,
Father General Arturo Sosa, SJ, on Oct. 14; and ended today with a Thanksgiving
Mass at St. Ignatius Church in Rome.
The last day of the congregation began with prayer and a contemplative
examination of the six weeks of work. The delegates then evaluated the
congregation in small groups.
In the final working session of GC 36 in the Aula, Fr. Sosa
thanked the congregation for its work, emphasizing the importance of
recognizing that it is the Lord who will grow the seed that the congregation planted.
He also thanked all the people and teams involved in the process of
preparation, coordination, logistics and communications, as well as the Curia staff
and the Jesuit communities of Rome that generously welcomed the members of the congregation.
Later in the day at the Jesuits’ St. Ignatius Church, Fr. Sosa
celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving to mark the end of the congregation. Father
General invoked Mary, under the title of Our Lady of the Way, as is traditional
in the Society, praying for her intercession as she accompanies the “friends in
the Lord” leaving for every corner of the world after the congregation. He also
asked Mary to help all Jesuits to be true and authentic witnesses of the
message of Christ, that they might credibly reflect his face to the world.
During his homily, Fr.
Sosa spoke of the discernment process during the congregation. “Our discernment leads us to see the world through the
eyes of the poor and to work with them so that true life may grow,” he said. “It
invites us to go to the margins to search for an understanding, about how to
address globally the entirety of the crisis that prevents minimum living
conditions for the majority of humanity and threatens life on the planet Earth,
in order to open a space for the Good News.”
Fr. Sosa called on Jesuits to preach the Gospel
everywhere, “consoled by the experience of the love of God who has placed us
together as companions of Jesus.”
“Like the first Fathers, the Lord has been
propitious in Rome, and sends us all over the world and to every human
culture. We go in confidence because He works with us and confirms with
unedited signs our life and mission.”
At the conclusion of the Mass, Jesuits sang a hymn characteristic
of the spirituality of the Society: “Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my
memory, understanding and my entire will, everything I have and possess. You
have given all to me. Now I return it. All is yours, dispose of it entirely
according to your will. Give me only your love and your grace. That’s enough
for me.”
To head the full homily, click here. [Source: GC36.org]
