I have seen half
earth desolated. Were there but an Adam & Eve left in every country, & left free, it would be better than it now is... The liberty of whole earth was depending on issue of contest.’ - Thomas Jefferson” (4)COUNT PETER-HANS KOLVENBACH: - Also known as ‘Black Pope’, he heads army of technocratic and theocratic Jesuits which some people think is top rung on power structure which controls New World Order. I do not buy that in its entirety but they are an important second tier group and he may well be part of group above Jesuits like Weishaupt, or current Pope. Here is his first formal message to world; I think it speaks volumes, if you like double talk.
“Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., has been Superior General of Society of Jesus since 1983. This is his first letter to all Jesuits world-wide in this new millennium. It is also his first to have been distributed on WWW.
On Social Apostolate 2000/02 TO THE WHOLE SOCIETY Dear Fathers and Brothers, peace of Christ!
1. A few weeks after opening of Holy Door, I would like to recall that Great Jubilee of 2000, like every jubilee, is a summons on part of our Creator and Saviour to re-establish lost harmony and to advance in social justice. The loud trumpet - yōbel - which sounded to open holy year, called every injustice into question and gave hope to poor! When Jesus begins to preach good news, his anointing and mission are ‘to proclaim release to captives and recovery of sight to blind, to let oppressed go free, to proclaim year of Lord's favour.’ Now Pope John Paul II has reactivated age-old purpose of jubilee to restore this social justice. ‘The social doctrine of Church, which has always been a part of Church teaching and which has developed greatly in last century, particularly after Encyclical Rerum Novarum, is rooted in tradition of jubilee year.’
2. To be converted to this social dimension of faith, which pervades biblical tradition and Gospels, Father also calls Society of Jesus anew. From its very earliest origins, preferential option for poor, assuming various forms according to times and places, has marked whole history of Society. With his powerful Instruction of fifty years ago, Father Jean-Baptiste Janssens oriented Jesuit social apostolate ‘to procure for as many men as possible, or rather, in so far as conditions permit for all men, an abundance of both temporal and spiritual goods even in natural order, or at least that sufficiency which man of his very nature needs that he may not feel depressed or looked down upon.’
Father Pedro Arrupe took up this apostolic orientation passionately and based it solidly upon thoroughly evangelical relationship between social justice, as well defined by his predecessor, and new commandment of love - so new as to need a new word, namely, agape. A social justice integrated with great commandment of love is always intended by General Congregations. ‘The social justice we are called to is part of that justice of Gospel which is embodiment of God's love and saving mercy.’
Pope John Paul II, also asking if justice sufficed by itself, gave this response: ‘The experience of past and of our own time demonstrates that justice alone is not enough, that it can even lead to negation and destruction of itself, if that deeper power, which is love, is not allowed to shape human life in its various dimensions.’ Father Arrupe and recent General Congregations, echoing Holy Father's concern, acknowledge, on one hand, how charity can be abused when it is a mere cloak or subterfuge for injustice but that, on other hand, ‘one cannot act justly without love. Even when we resist injustice we cannot prescind from love, since universality of love is, by express desire of Christ, a commandment that admits of no exceptions.’
3. Authoritatively synthesising progress of four General Congregations after Vatican II, Complementary Norms affirm: ‘the contemporary Jesuit mission is service of faith and promotion in society of that justice of Gospel which is embodiment of God's love and saving mercy ... This mission is 'a single but complex reality, which develops in a variety of ways'’ in very varied fields and works and activities in which Jesuits are engaged throughout world. Despite considerable difficulties and our many failures, we look back with gratitude to Lord for gifts received on this ‘journey of faith as we committed ourselves to promotion of justice as an integral part of our mission.’ The Society has evolved to point where GC34 voted unanimously in favour of decree Our Mission and Justice, and vast majority of Jesuits have integrated social dimension into our Jesuit identity and into awareness of our mission in education, formation and social communications, in pastoral and retreat work. In many places concern for justice is an essential part of our public image in both Church and society, thanks to those ministries of ours which are characterised by love for poor and marginalised, defending human rights and ecology, and promoting non-violence and reconciliation.
