Search Results for: van der Loo

This lengthy decree is the response of the delegates to the 32nd General Congregation to the “rather large number of postulta” (or petitions) they received on the “spiritual life”—especially prayer and obedience—and on common “spiritual discernment,” notes historian John Padberg (see the congregation’s historical preface in Jesuit Life & Mission Today (2009), pg. 274–276). The decree […]

The delegates to the 32nd General Congregation approved the following decree, a lengthy statement on the process of Jesuit formation in light of the “many changes in the world at large.” The influence of those changes meant that “constant adaptation is required in order to be sure of achieving the essential purpose of our formation.”

The decrees promulgated by the 31st General Congregation required changes to how future provincial congregations would operate. The following decree outlines those changes to the Formula of the Provincial Congregations. Most of these changes concern who could participate in a provincial congregation. For more from the 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, please

According to historian John Padberg, the topic of cooperation between Jesuit provinces was “deliberated at length” by the delegates at the 31st General Congregation (see Jesuit Life & Mission Today, pg. 37). The delegates conclude, in the following decree, that the Society of Jesus should promote “open and complete cooperation” among its members, echoing the

The following decree of the 31st General Congregation states who would attend, ex officio, a province congregation and how others would be elected to attend the gatherings. Included in the election are “all the solemnly professed and formed spiritual and temporal coadjutors” in the province, meaning brothers were to be included. For more from the

The Jesuits’ social apostolate was addressed by the 28th, 29th, and 30th general congregations. Yet, according to Jesuit historian John Padberg, the following decree, promulgated by the 31st General Congregation, sought to “repair certain defects in our legislation on social matters” (see the congregation’s historical preface in Jesuit Life & Mission Today (2009), pg. 29). The

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 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

According to historian John Padberg’s historical account of the congregation, Jesuits sent more than 160 postulata (or petitions) on the topic their brethren’s spiritual formation for consideration at the 31st General Congregation (see Jesuit Life & Mission Today (2009), pg. 18–19). That formation, the following decree observes, “is the work of divine grace,” helping Jesuits in

The Jesuit Historiography Online, hosted by Brill Reference, now includes an essay on Jesuit Devotional Literature. The essay is authored by Charles R. Keenan, formerly an Institute Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Jesuit Studies.   In defining the sources of devotional literature–among the “incredible amount of printed works” by Jesuits on the topic–Keenan’s essay