The Jesuit Ministry of Reconciliation
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So We Are Ambassadors for Christ The Jesuit Ministry of Reconciliation WILLIAM C. WOODY, S.J. 49/1 SPRING 2017 THE SEMINAR ON JESUIT SPIRITUALITY Studies in the Spirituality of Jesuits is a publication of the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. The Seminar on Jesuit Spirituality is composed of Jesuits appointed from their doctrine and practice of Jesuits, especially US and Canadian Jesuits, and gath- ers current scholarly studies pertaining to the history and ministries of Jesuits throughout the world. It then disseminates the results through this journal. The subjects treated in Studies may be of interest also to Jesuits of other regions welcome to access previous issues at: [email protected]/jesuits. CURRENT MEMBERS OF THE SEMINAR Note: Parentheses designate year of entry as a seminar member. Casey C. Beaumier, SJ, is director of the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies, Guy Consolmagno, SJ, is director of the Vatican Observatory, Rome. (2014) Barton T. Geger, SJ, is chair of the seminar and editor of Studies; he teaches and writes on Jesuit Spirituality at Regis University in Denver, Colorado. (2013) Michael Harter, SJ, is assistant for formation for the US Central and Southern Province, St. Louis, Missouri. (2014) , teaches Spanish Literature and directs the Graduate Program in Modern Languages and Literatures at Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Illinois. (2015) Michael Knox, SJ, is director of the Shrine of the Jesuit Martyrs of Canada in Midland, Ontario, and lecturer at Regis College in Toronto. (2016) Hung Pham, SJ, teaches spirituality at the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California. (2015) John R. Sachs, SJ, teaches theology at the School of Theology and Ministry at The opinions expressed in Studies are those of the individual authors. Copyright © 2017 and published by the Jesuit Conference of Canada and the United States. ISSN 1084-0813 ȃќȱђȱџђȱњяюѠѠюёќџѠȱѓќџȱѕџіѠѡȄȱȱȱȱȱȱ The Jesuit Ministry of Reconciliation ȱǯȱǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ŚşȦŗȱȱȱȱȱyȱȱȱȱȱ ȱŘŖŗŝ a word from the editor . n the decades following the Second Vatican Council, the Society of Je- sus in the United States and Canada was deeply blessed with such com- panions as John English, David Fleming, George Ganss, John Sheets, and many others, who dedicated themselves to writing on Jesuit spir- ituality. They had answered the summons of the council to engage in aggiornamento—that is, a rediscovery and recommitment to the original charism of the Society in a manner that takes account of the needs of the present and the “signs of the times” (Gaudium et spes, 4). Today, the Society recognizes the necessity of cultivating a new generation of writers on Jesuitica. To that end, the Seminar on Jesuit Spirituality has established an annual “Faber Symposium,” so named ȱǯȱȱǰȱȱęȱȱȱǯȱ ȱ ȱǰȱ - coming personality and intimate, personal journals on prayer and dis- cernment speak with special relevance to Jesuits and their friends today. At the Faber Symposium, Jesuits present papers on the Society’s spirituality, history, and way of proceeding. Afterward, presenters re- ceive feedback from the audience in the context of an open discussion on their work, including encouragement, critiques, and suggestions for further research. Always present in the audience will be Jesuits who are ȱȱȱęǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱǯȱ While any Jesuit can present a paper, provided that his proposal is ap- proved in advance, deference will be given to those men still in forma- tion and to those who are relatively new to writing on Jesuitica. For topics, Jesuits may choose material that they are preparing for term papers, theses, and dissertations, or for possible publication in ѡѢёіђѠ or in other journals. Seven papers were given last year, includ- ing “Psychology and the Spiritual Exercises” by Pedro Cameira (ѝќџ), ȃǯȱ ȱȱȱȄȱ¢ȱ¢ǰȱȃȱȱ ȱȱȱ¡Ȅȱ¢ȱ ȱȱǻѢѐѠ), “Cor Jesu and Pope Francis’s Vision of a Merciful Church,” by Peter Nguyen ƐѐёѡƑ, “The Be- ȱȱ ȱǵȱȱ ǰȱ ǰȱȱ ǰȱ and the Jesuit Quadricentenary,” by Mark Mossa (ѢѐѠ), “Cultural Dif- iii ferences and the Spiritual Exercises” by Quan Tran (ќџђ), and “The Je- suit Ministry of Reconciliation” by William Woody (њюџ). ȱŘŖŗŝȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱŗŜȮŗŞȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱǰȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȂ ȱ - ȱǯȱȱĴȱ ȱȱǯȱ ȱȱƐѢѐѠƑ, his- ȱȱ ǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱ ȱȱȱĜȱȱȱȱThe Constitutions of the Society of Jesus and Their Complementary NormsȱǻŗşşŜǼDzȱǯȱ·ȱĴȱƐєљѐƑ, assistant professor and specialist in Jesuit studies at the School of The- ology and Ministry at Boston College; Fr. Michael Harter (ѢѐѠ), member of the seminar, former novice director, assistant tertian director, editor of Review for Religious, and managing editor of America; and Fr. Casey Beaumier ƐѤіѠƑǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ Advanced Jesuit Studies at Boston College. ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱęȱ¡ȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱ hope to gain from the Faber Symposium than the present ѡѢёіђѠ issue on the Jesuit ministry of reconciliation. Mr. William Woody, a regent at the College of the Holy Cross, is only the second Jesuit in formation to be published in ѡѢёіђѠȱȱȱę¢Ȭ¢ȱ¢ȱȱȱȱǻȱęȱ being Mr. David Nantais in the autumn of 2004). The timeliness of Mr. Woody’s essay is obvious. Pope Francis made the ministry of reconciliation a clarion call to the universal church, and declared the year 2016 an extraordinary jubilee of mercy, with spe- ȱ Ĵȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ £ȱ ȱ ȱ ecclesial body. As Mr. Woody reminds readers, the ministry of recon- ciliation was prominent in the thinking of the early Jesuits. As early as 1537—several years before the founding of the Society—an early follow- ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȃ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱěȱȱȱǯȄ1 ȱ ȱȱȱǰȱ ȱȱ ȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱ reconciliation is in fundamental tension, at least theoretically, with “the ȱ ȱ Ȅȯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ęȱ¡¢ȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ 1Ⱥ Monumenta Historica Societatis Iesuȱǻ ǼǰȱEpistolae mixtae ex variis Europae loci ab anno 1537 ad 1556 scriptaeǰȱśȱȱǻǰȱŗŞşŞȬŗşŖŗǼǰȱ DZŗŗȬŗŘǰȱ¢ȱǯ iv Constitutionsǯȱȱ ȱȱȱȱǰȱęȱȱȱȂȱĚȱ ȱ¢ȱ¢ȬęȱȱȱȂȱǯȱ ȱ ȱȱȱ- sion between serving the marginalized and serving the more universal ǰȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ¡¢ȱȱ¢ȱ¡ȱȱ ȱ ȱȱ ǯȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱěȱȱ from a lack of good pastors and the pressures of Protestant proselytiz- ǯȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱǯȱȱ ȱȱ ȱǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ - ȱǯȱ¢ǰȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ£ǰȱ¢ȱĚǯȱ- ǰȱ ȱǰȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ greater good if he remained on the move from one parish to another. That being said, if there is a tension, then Jesuits seem to live it ȱ ǯȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ- ing for the universal Society, but he also worked simultaneously at the Ȭȱȱȱȱǰȱęȱȱȱȱ prostitutes, and accompany individuals back to communion with the ǯȱȱȱ ȱȱęȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱ criteria for ministry in what Mr. Woody calls the “capacious and expan- Ȅȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱǻǯȱřŗȮřŚǼǯȱȱ¢ȱ- tion to the more universal good, reconciliation requires collaboration, dialogue, and a magnanimous heart that comes from knowing that Christ, in his one great act of reconciling the entire universe back to the ǰȱȱȱȱȱǰȱęǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ sinner in the Society that bears his name. Barton T. Geger, SJ Editor The seminar invites all Jesuits to the Faber Symposium to participate in the conversations. To reserve a bedroom for the weekend, contact the ѡѢёіђѠ editor at [email protected]. v ȱ ћѡџќёѢѐѡіќћ .....................................................................................1 ǯȱ ѝіџіѡѢюљȱ џќѢћёіћєȱѓќџȱюȱіћіѠѡџѦȱќѓȱђѐќћѐіљіюѡіќћ .....7 ǯȱ іѠѡќџіюљȱюћёȱќћѡђњѝќџюџѦȱѝѝџќюѐѕђѠ ..............................15 ǯȱ ȱ ...........................................................15 ǯȱ ¢ȱ .........................................................20 ǯȱ ѕђȱѠѠђћѐђȱќѓȱюȱіћіѠѡџѦȱќѓȱђѐќћѐіљіюѡіќћ ........................28 ǯȱ ¢ȱ ..................................................................30 ǯȱ ȱȱ¡ .........................................................31 ǯȱ ¡ .....................................................................................34 ǯȱ ¢ȱ ...................................................................................36 ǯȱ ..................................................................................38 ȱ ǯȱ њѝљіѐюѡіќћѠȱѓќџȱ ђѠѢіѡѠȱќёюѦ ...................................................39 vii William C. Woody (њюџ) entered the Maryland Province of the Society of Jesus in 2011, having received a BA in theology and philosophy from the University of Scranton and an MA in philosophy from Fordham University in New York. He recent- ly began regency at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Ĵǰȱ ȱȱȱ¢ǯ viii “So We Are Ambassadors for Christ”: The Jesuit Ministry of Reconciliation Introduction rom the earliest days of the Society of Jesus, the ministry of recon- ȱȱȱȱęȱȱȱȱ ȱǯȱ FȱęȱȱęȱȃȱȱȄȱȱȱ ȱ¢ȯȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ- gagements and in the writings of Ignatius Loyola (1491–1556), Jerónimo ȱǻŗśŖŝȮŗśŞŖǼǰȱȱ ȱȱȱȱǻŗśŗŝȮŗśŝŜǼǯ1 More re- ¢ǰȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ- ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ¤ȱȱȱȱȱ¡ȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¡ǯ2 ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ Ĝǰȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ęȱ ǯȱȱ ǰȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱȱęȱȱĚȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ¡ȱ ȱ ȯȱ ȱ ȱ ȯȱ ȱ Ȭ- 1ȺȱFIȱŗśśŖǰȱǯȱŗDz The Constitutions and Complementary Norms of the Society of Jesus, ǯȱ ȱǯȱǰȱ ȱǻǯȱDZȱ ȱȱ ȱǰȱŗşşŜǼǰȱŚǯ 2Ⱥȱ ȱřśǰȱǯȱřǰȱǯȱŗŘȮřŜǯȱȱȱȱ¤ǰȱ ǰȱȃ¢ȱȱ¡ȱĜȱĴȱ ŘŖŗŚǰȄȱȱActa Romana Societatis Iesu (ActRSJǼȱŘśȱǻŘŖŗŚǼǰȱŗŖřŘȮřŞǯȱȱŗȱȱ ȱřŜȱ- £ȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȯ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ¢ǰȱȱ ȱǯȱȱ ȱȱǰȱȱȱĴȱȱ Ŝȱ ¢ȱŘŖŗŝȱȱȱȱȱ ȱřŜǰȱȱȱȃȱȱ- ȱȱȱȱȄȱȱȱȃȱȱȱȄȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȃȱȱȱȱȱȱ¡ȱ ȱȱ ȱřŜǯȄȱȱ ȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ ȱȱřŜȱ are from ĴDZȦȦǯȦȦȦ ȏřŜȏǯǯ 2 X William C. Woody, SJ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȃ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ǰȄȱ ȱȱȱȃȱȱȄȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ- ¢ȱȱȱǻŘȱȱśDZŘŖǼǯřȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱ¢ǰȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ǯȱ¢ȱĚȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ¢ǰȱȱ¢ȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱ ȱǯ ȱȱ¢ȱ¡ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ- ȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢Ȃȱ¢ȱȱ- ǰȱ¢ȱȱȱȱĚȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ ȱ ¡ȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱŘŖŗŚǯȱȱȱȱ¢ȱȱ ¢ȱȱȱ ȱǰȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱȱǰȱȯȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȂȱ ǯȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȱȂȱ ěȱȱȱ¡ȱȱȱ¢ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱǰȱȱĴȱȱȱȱǯ ȱȱǰȱȱȱministry of reconciliationȱȱȱ- ȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱ¢ȯȱȱ ȱ ǰȱȱȱȬȱǰȱ ȱȱ¢ȱĴȱȱȱȱ ȱ ȱ ě¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱ ȱȱ ȱȱȱȱ ȱȱȱȱȱȱȱ¢ȱěȱDZȱȱǰȱ