Students at the Facultés Loyola Paris experienced an exceptional back-to-school day. On September 16, Father Arturo Sosa, Superior General of the Society of Jesus and Chancellor of the Facultés Loyola Paris, visited the institution, which celebrates its 50^th anniversary this year. His inaugural lecture, broadcast live on the website of the Facultés, focused on the role of the Society of Jesus in the understanding of faith.

Founded in the very city where Ignatius de Loyola and his first companions studied, the Facultés Loyola Paris have never ceased to foster dialogue with the rich cultural and academic environment in which it operates, to help shed light on the major questions facing contemporary society. Saint Ignatius appreciated the modus parisiensis, (the style of Paris) - the innovative way of teaching in Paris. Today, the Facultés Loyola Paris draw on Ignatian pedagogy to provide invaluable resources to students in their learning process.

The Society of Jesus’ institute of higher education and research in French-speaking Western Europe is a key player in the training of members of the Ignatian family. Every year, 350 students of over 50 nationalities come to the institute for training in both canonical and university courses. Jesuits, religious of Ignatian spirituality, priests and lay people involved in various capacities in the Church and society benefit from the expertise of the 50 teachers in the two faculties of theology and philosophy, together with some 130 guest professors. The short sessions and open meetings they sometimes hold attract thousands of visitors every year.

Committed to research in France and internationally, Facultés Loyola Paris has eight research departments (Anthropology and Society, Biblical Studies, Philosophical Ethics and Moral Theology, Patristic Studies, Philosophy, Mysticism and Religion, Ignatian Spirituality, Practical and Pastoral Theology, Systematic Theology) and three chairs (Chair of Ecumenical Theology, Jean Rodhain Chair and Karl Rahner Chair). They publish two research journals of international renown: Archives de Philosophie (founded in 1922) and Recherches de Science Religieuse (founded in 1910). In the heart of Paris, the campus houses a first-rate university research and heritage library, as well as the Ricci Paris Institute, dedicated to Chinese studies.

[Cover photo © Yannick Boschat]