Today Pope Benedict XVI received the delegates of the 35th General Congregation in the Sala Clementina in the Vatican, for a meeting that lasted one-half hour. The pope began his comments by thanking Father Kolvenbach for his service, and as the official GC35 site describes, "The Pope also urged the Jesuits to pursue their mission with and for the poor and remarked on the specifically Jesuit ministry of giving the Spiritual Exercises." Vatican Radio carried a story on today’s address here "Vatican Radio on Jesuits" The Society of Jesus, said Benedict, must "witness and help create the understanding that there is instead true harmony between faith and reason." The full text of the Pope’s remarks and the welcome from Father General Nicolas is on the official GC 35 website here, "Papal address to Jesuits"in Italian now, in English later. James Martin, SJShow Comments ()
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Along with the commendation, the Pope also issued a serious request: 'I have invited and again I invite you today to reflection in order to rediscover the fullest sense of your characteristic 'fourth vow' of obedience to the Successor of Peter, which does not only involve readiness to be sent on mission to far-off lands, but also in the most genuine Ignatian sense of 'thinking with the Church and within the Church,' to 'love and serve' the Vicar of Christ on earth and with that 'effective and affective' devotion which should make you his most precious and irreplaceable collaborators in his service for the universal Church.'
