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Lesson 13: the Deliberation of the First Fathers Brian O Leary SJ

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Lesson 13: the Deliberation of the First Fathers Brian O Leary SJ Lesson 13: The Deliberation of The First Fathers Brian O Leary SJ Ignatian Spirituality and Leadership Lesson 13 Page 2 of 17 THE DELIBERATION OF THE FIRST FATHERS (1539) Brian O’Leary, S.J. From the personal to the corporate We refer to what happened to Ignatius at Loyola as a conversion. But it would be more accurate to describe it as the beginning of a conversion. Conversion is a process. When he left Loyola Ignatius had certainly turned to God but, in his penitential mode, he undertook a regime of extreme self-discipline that was inward looking if not narcissistic. He needed to discover a spirituality that would allow him to break through the limitations of this narrow concern with his personal relationship with God. So he learned to reach out to embrace the „other‟. Since the chief means to this outreach was spiritual conversation, the „other‟ tended at first to be those relatively few people who crossed his path during his early wanderings. But gradually the meaning of the „other‟ expanded in line with his expanding apostolic horizon. This horizon was being shaped by his contemplative experiences. The more Ignatius was drawn into the inner life of the Trinity, the more he began to see what they saw: Here it will be how the Three Divine Persons look down upon the whole expanse or circuit of all the earth, filled with human beings [Exx 102]. Some are white, some black; some at peace, and some at war; some weeping, some laughing; some well, some sick; some coming into the world, and some dying; etc. [Exx 106]. And the more he saw and reflected on what the Trinity saw, the more he desired what they desired. He heard them say, “Let us work the redemption of the human race” [Exx 107]. This universal vision was energising, stimulating, challenging. But it soon dawned on Ignatius that one person alone could make a relatively minor contribution to this enterprise, no matter how generous and energetic he or she might be. But what if others were to share his vision and join him in the task? Hence came the early efforts of Ignatius, ultimately unsuccessful, to gather followers in Spain. It was only at the University of Paris that he eventually met the young men who, through sharing their faith, prayer, studies and recreation, and especially through their experience of the Spiritual Exercises, formed themselves into a potential apostolic band of “friends in the Lord”. When they had all graduated from the University and received priestly ordination inVenice in June 1537, Ignatian Spirituality and Leadership Lesson 13 Page 3 of 17 they had a further communal experience of sharing in small groups a life of prayer and ministry in some of the towns of northern Italy. The Call of Jerusalem Through all this eventful time they were developing what they chose to call “our way of proceeding”. This phrase was shorthand for a whole way of life, but especially for a mode of continual decision-making. It was based on what they had learnt from the Spiritual Exercises, particularly around the practice of discernment and the election. But while their original experience of the Exercises had been personal, now much of their decision-making needed to be corporate. In particular they needed to decide how to fulfil the vows they had taken at Montmartre. As Ignatius had experienced many years earlier, and as many of their contemporary fellow-Christians were experiencing, the companions felt strongly drawn to the Holy Land. They had vowed to go there, but realising the unstable political and military situation in the Mediterranean, they had added a rider. In the event of their not being able to travel to, or remain in, the Holy Land they promised to put themselves at the service of the Pope. The Reminiscences succinctly say: Their plan was to go to Venice and from there to Jerusalem, where they were to spend the rest of their lives for the good of souls. If they were refused permission to remain in Jerusalem they would return to Rome, offer themselves to the Vicar of Christ, asking him to make use of them wherever he thought it would be more to God’s glory and the good of souls [85]. This succinct account is fleshed out by Ignatius‟ secretary, Polanco. He writes: What at this time they felt most especially inclined to, was to get to Jerusalem, and then to preach to unbelievers, if they could, or to die among them for their faith in Jesus Christ. And so they all took a vow to go to Jerusalem (if they could get a passage there within one year of their arrival in Venice), and there they intended to commend themselves to God to decide what they should do, not knowing what God wanted of them, whether to return here or remain there; and the majority of them were inclined to the latter alternative. In case they could not get a passage, they voted to go to the Pope, as Vicar of Jesus Christ, so that his Holiness might send them where God would be most served (Summ.Hisp., 57). Where the Reminiscences give the impression that all in the group were of the same mind, Polanco and other authors make clear that there were differences of opinion in the group. These centred, not on the pilgrimage itself, but on the question of whether to remain in the Holy Land indefinitely. In this difference of opinion Ignatius and Pierre Favre were on opposite sides. Ignatius, along with Francis Xavier and Diego Laynez, dreamed of living the rest of their lives in the Holy Land, giving themselves to the service of both Christians and infidels there. On the other hand, Favre and Simon Rodriguez, who were in a minority, wanted to make the pilgrimage but then to return and minister in Europe. In Polanco’s account, since there was no unanimity, the companions decided to defer that decision until they arrived in Jerusalem. By acting in this way the companions strove to maintain their unity and expressed their hope for an eventual consensus. Ignatian Spirituality and Leadership Lesson 13 Page 4 of 17 This episode is enlightening in the context of what we shall be reflecting on today. It is the first clear example of differences of opinion being present among the first companions. This was a group of men who were highly educated and who, for this and other reasons, held strong views. Their desire to do the will of God did not automatically eliminate such differences. It is significant that Ignatius did not try to impose his dream on those who disagreed with him, even in a major issue that affected all their futures. From the beginning he was the group’s leader but leadership was not vested in him alone. It was diffused throughout the group. We will need to keep this in mind. At the Pope’s Disposition However, as we know, the companions failed to secure passage on a pilgrim ship in Venice and so this question about how long to remain in the Holy Land became irrelevant. The rider to the Montmartre vows came into effect and they set out for Rome to offer themselves to the Pope. They travelled in small groups, one of which comprised Ignatius, Favre and Laynez. When they were in sight of Rome, Ignatius visited a small, neglected chapel in a place called La Storta and there had a vision. His description of this event in the Reminiscences reads: One day, a few miles before reaching Rome, while praying in a church, he felt a great change in his soul and so clearly did he see God the Father place him with Christ, His Son, that he had no doubts that God the Father did place him with His Son [96]. This spare account needs to be filled out with material from other early Jesuit writers. Taking these sources together much can be said about this vision and its significance. However, for our purposes it will be sufficient to highlight a few salient points. Ignatius‟ experience was one of deep consolation, and was an answer to the colloquy of the Two Standards meditation in the Exercises that he had been making during the journey. In interpreting the vision Ignatius recognised it as applying, not only to himself, but to the whole group of “friends in the Lord”. He saw it as God affirmation of the corporate project on which the companions had embarked. It was in a spirit of assurance and determination that he entered Rome. The following year (1538), after numerous contacts between Laynez and the Pope, Ignatius and the other companions offered themselves to Paul III for priestly service anywhere in the world. Since we are dealing with the time of the Reformation it is tempting to interpret this action of the companions as making a theological statement, even as defiantly taking an anti-Lutheran stance. But while they were well aware that Christendom was in turmoil, this turmoil was centred elsewhere, in Germany and Northern Europe. It was of little immediate concern in Italy. Of course the companions accepted traditional Catholic teaching on the role of the Pope, regarding Ignatian Spirituality and Leadership Lesson 13 Page 5 of 17 him as the Vicar of Christ. But in offering their services to him their motive was more pragmatic than theological. They simply wanted to evangelise, to minister in areas of greatest need, and, because of his position, the Pope was the person most aware of where those needs were.
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