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The Holy See traditionally has entrusted the Society of Jesus with oversight of several “interprovincial” works in and around Rome. These works at the time of the 31st General Congregation, as indicated in the decree below, included the Pontifical Gregorian University, its associated Biblical and Oriental institutes, the Vatican Radio Station, the Vatican Observatory, and […]

The following decree from the 31st General Congregation acknowledges that “works of art can exert a vast influence,” often providing “a special pathway to the human heart.” The decree notes the historical importance of patronage of the arts by the Society of Jesus and indicates that the tradition of “greatness in poetry, music, the theater,

Jesuits were to have “a high regard for scholarly activity, especially scientific research properly so called,” according to the following decree from the 31st General Congregation. The congregation’s delegates continue in the decree to declare that such activity “is a very effective apostolate.” Jesuits assigned to scholarly work should not be swayed by “the illusion

The delegates at the 31st General Congregation were asked by their fellow Jesuits to articulate how they ought to teach at colleges and universities, according to Jesuit historian John Padberg, “in the light of the characteristics of our vocation and in the light of the theological doctrine on the character and office of the priest

The delegates at the 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus chose to address three pastoral institutions—and how they might change, “under the present circumstances of the Church”—namely pastoral services, residences, and parishes. The following decree urges Jesuits to renew and to “energetically” promote some pastoral works and also to cease those that “cannot

According to historian John Padberg, the delegates of the 31st General Congregation issued the following decree in response to requests that “the spirit and work of ecumenism be promoted in the Society” (see the congregation’s historical preface in Jesuit Life & Mission Today (2009), pg. 26–27). The decree expresses the Jesuits’ “filial devotion” to the statements

The following decree is the attempt of the delegates of the 31st General Congregation to explain the nature and reaffirm the purpose of Jesuit missionary work within the context of the Second Vatican Council. It attributes to Ignatius and his companions the reason why Jesuits have the “task of announcing the Gospel that God in

The following decree of the 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus responds to several postulata (or petitions) received that contained different concerns on the nature of a Jesuit’s priestly work. Many postulata, according to historian John Padberg, expressed a “fear” that “the present-day Society be too much given over to apostolic works of

The delegates of the 31st General Congregation assessed the apostolic works of the Society of Jesus and acknowledged that “our labors” were not yielding the desired results. The decree below credits some poor results to a failure to “renew our apostolic or missionary spirit” and a “too great scattering of our forces.” The main reason

The last of the decrees of the 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus to deal with Jesuits’ religious life addressed the topic of “reading at table,” the practice of having texts read aloud as members silently ate meals. Often the reading was from the Jesuits’ Constitutions (or its summary, but it also came