CP71 – Retreat ends and Canonical Phase begins
Monday 15th May 2023
The men gathered for the Congregation of Procurators at Loyola have just finished (Sunday, May 14th), the eight-day Spiritual Exercises led by General Counsellors Victor Assouad, Claudio Paul and Mark Ravizza.
“Praying with Jesuits and helping Jesuits to pray is always a unique experience and a great privilege” said Father General Arturo Sosa. “Seeing people taking so seriously the themes of the retreat was a profound consolation. Jesuits know who they are by looking at Jesus; he is the foundation of our Jesuit identity. When we pray together, we find ourselves... we find each other... and we find a new depth and creativity in our mission.”
The retreat focussed on the different themes of the De Statu Societatis, which had been presented in plenary session on May 6th. Each day, retreatants prayed and reflected on a selected theme and then shared the fruits of their prayer in small groups using spiritual conversation. Group reports to Fr. General expressed what resonated most deeply with the participants, where they had found difficulty or where further clarity was needed.
As the canonical part of the Congregation begins, further discussion of key themes chosen by Fr. General will take place. In some weeks, Fr. General will publish the definitive version of his text based on this intense process of discernment in common. De Statu Societatis, revised after the Congregation of Procurators, will be shared with the whole Society as a renewed call to go forward on its journey of conversion.
“We need to ask ourselves, again and again, where the Spirit is leading us and what the Trinity wants us to do. Only through prayer and deep sharing together, sometimes at the foot of the Cross, can we find the answer to this question” said Fr Sosa. “The Venice experience was a key moment for the first companions and so too for us. When we rediscover that spirit of Venice - which is also the spirit of GC36 - we find our way forward. Discernment in common must be taken seriously. It can transform us.”
You are warmly invited to join the morning prayer of the Congregation which will be live streamed every day at 09.30 from May 16-21 inclusive (Central Europe time). The video of the prayer will be available afterwards on the special CP71 communications site where a variety of photos and other documents can be viewed and downloaded.
Further information: Fr. Robert Ballecer SJ, Fr. Pierre Bélanger SJ, Fr. Vivian Richard SJ.
Daily prayer
The daily prayer of the Procurators can also be watched on video on our YouTube channel from 16 May.
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