Editors’ note: This is a working translation of Pope Francis's remarks for an online prayer service on May 23 marking the 500th anniversary of the conversion of St. Ignatius of Loyola. The Ignatian Year lasts from May 21, 2021 until July 31, 2022.
Dear friends,
I am happy to join you in this prayer for the Ignatian Year, the celebration of the conversion of Saint Ignatius. I hope that all those who are inspired by Ignatius, by Ignatian spirituality, will truly live this year as an experience of conversion.
In Pamplona, five hundred years ago, all Ignatius’ worldly dreams were shattered in an instant. The cannonball that wounded him changed the course of his life, and the course of the world. Seemingly small things can be important. That cannonball also meant that Ignatius failed in the dreams he had for his life. But God had a bigger dream for him. God’s dream for Ignatius was not about Ignatius. It was about helping souls. It was a dream of redemption, a dream of going out into the world, accompanied by Jesus, humble and poor.
In Pamplona, five hundred years ago, all Ignatius’ worldly dreams were shattered in an instant.
Conversion is a daily occurrence. Rarely is it once and for all. Ignatius’ conversion began in Pamplona, but it did not end there. He converted throughout his life, day after day. And this means that throughout his life he put Christ at the center. And he did this through discernment. Discernment does not consist in always succeeding from the beginning, but in navigating and having a compass in order to be able to set out on the path, which has many twists and turns, but always allowing oneself to be guided by the Holy Spirit, who leads us to the encounter with the Lord.
In this pilgrimage on earth we meet others, as Ignatius did in his life. These others are signs that help us to stay on course and who invite us to convert again and again. They are brothers, they are situations, and God also speaks to us through them. Listen to others. Read situations. We are road signs for others, we too, showing God’s way. Conversion is always done in dialogue, in dialogue with God, in dialogue with others, in dialogue with the world.
I pray that all those who are inspired by Ignatian spirituality will make this journey together as an Ignatian family. And I pray that many others will come to discover the richness of this spirituality that God gave to Ignatius.
I bless you from my heart, that this year may truly be an inspiration to go out into the world, helping souls, seeing all things new in Christ. And also an inspiration to let ourselves be helped. No one is saved alone: either we are saved as a community or we are not saved. No one shows the other the way. Only Jesus has shown us the way. We help each other to find and follow this path.
And may Almighty God bless us, in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
