The recent special meeting between Pope Leo XIV and the Jesuits' Major Superiors marked an important moment for Jesuits worldwide. In his address, Pope Leo highlighted the urgency of our times, noting: “Artificial intelligence and other innovations are reshaping our understanding of work and relationships, and even raising questions about human identity.” (1) Framing these challenges, he called for renewed commitment to the Jesuit mission.
The word “mission” in the Church, derived from the Latin “mittere,” refers to the person sent, the purpose of being sent, the place to which one is sent, or the nature or result of being sent. Without acknowledging this meaning, Christians cannot fulfill their responsibility to the Church of Christ. According to Fr. Fabio Nardelli, O.F.M., in “Missionary Tutti”, understanding Pope Leo’s call depends on this definition. (2)
Building on this definition, Pope Leo re-emphasized the common mission of Jesuits, stating: “I repeat: the Church needs you at the frontiers, whether they be geographical, cultural, intellectual, or spiritual. These are places of risk, where familiar maps are no longer sufficient.” On those front lines, they become soldiers of the Church.
Expanding on this shared mission, the Pope also re-declared four “Universal Apostolic Preferences” of the Society of Jesus, confirmed by Pope Francis: Promoting Discernment and the Spiritual Exercises; Walking with the Excluded; Caring for Our Common Home; and Journeying with Youth. (3) These preferences, he noted, have arisen from the technological changes shaping the present world.
Most of all, the discernment, prayer, the Sacraments, and community life are the concrete missions, “rootedness”, in connection with Christ always. After that, the motivations from “those rootedness” make them brave and enthusiastic in the Church’s missions. “Remain in my love... so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.” (Jn 15: 9-17)
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Photo: vaticannews.va
(1) Pope Leo to Jesuits: ‘Go to the frontiers with courage and discernment' - Vatican News
(3) Universal Apostolic Preferences - Introduction | The Society of Jesus
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