Not An Option
Students from Saint Peter's College reflect on their experience of the 2008 Ignatian Family Teach-in at Columbus, GA, and the School of the Americas protest that followed in Fort Benning, GA.
Produced by Michael Braden, S.J.
Fall 2008
|
|
|
Jesuit Students participate in the March for Life. Above are Rich Sanchez, Fordham Prep, John Paul Montemayor, St. Peter's Prep, Kathleen Tolan and Kristin Schwam, Loyola School. |
Join the Efforts to End Torture National Religious Campaign Against Torture - NY Religious Campaign Against Torture - What You Need to Know to Witness Against Torture - Flyer
Ministries in Support of Social Justice
In its most recent general congregations, the Society of Jesus has repeatedly affirmed that the promotion of justice is integral to our faith. This was most recently affirmed in Decree 3, Our Mission and Ministry, of the 34th General Congregation:
In response to the Second Vatican Council, we, the Society of Jesus, set out on a journey of faith as we committed ourselves to the promotion of justice as an integral part of our mission. That commitment was a wonderful gift of God to us, for it put us into such good company--the Lord’s surely, but also that of so many friends of his among the poor and those committed to justice. As fellow pilgrims with them towards the Kingdom, we have often been touched by their faith, renewed by their hope, transformed by their love. As servants of Christ’s mission, we have been greatly enriched by opening our hearts and our very lives to “the joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men and women of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted.”1
And we have done so in many ways. The promotion of justice has been integrated into traditional ministries and new ones, in pastoral work and social centers, in educating “men and women for others,” in direct ministry with the poor. We also acknowledge our failures on the journey. The promotion of justice has sometimes been separated from its wellspring of faith. Dogmatism or ideology sometimes led us to treat each other more as adversaries than as companions. We can be timid in challenging ourselves and our institutional apostolates with the fullness of our mission of faith seeking justice.
Therefore we want to renew our commitment to the promotion of justice as an integral part of our mission, as this has been extensively developed in General Congregations 32 and 33. Our experience has shown us that our promotion of justice both flows from faith and brings us back to an ever deeper faith. So we intend to journey on towards ever fuller integration of the promotion of justice into our lives of faith, in the company of the poor and many others who live and work for the coming of God’s Kingdom.