Greetings From The Arrupe Coordinator 

Pope Francis: Vicar of Christ, Friend of the Powerless

The future enters into us

so as to transform itself in us
long before it happens.
- Rainer Maria Rilke, “Letter Eight” (Epigraph in Pope Francis’s Autobiography)

It is a surreal but beautiful experience to be reading Pope Francis’s autobiography while he is lying in a hospital in Rome battling pneumonia. Surreal in the sense that I can no longer imagine the Catholic Church without Francis as pope, and beautiful because it draws me close to him. Everyone’s life is deeply interesting and wonderous, but reading Francis’s autobiography makes me feel his life was touched by a special grace right from the start. 

To say something meaningful about the astonishing papacy of Pope Francis in such a brief reflection is a rather daunting prospect. But here goes! 
Pope Francis has already transformed the Church of the past 11 years, he is transforming it in the present, and will continue to transform it long after he finishes his journey on earth; for he is not only a force of nature, he is a force of the Spirit as well. His written output alone is extraordinary. How he can get so much written with his punishing public schedule is truly astounding (I think of him as the Mozart of the papacy!). But it’s the quality of his ideas and the touching power of his words that really strikes through to the heart. He seems to be in possession of the theologian’s forensic insight, the scientist’s power of scrutiny, the historian’s long view, the poet’s eye for the commonplace, the mystic’s feeling for the presence of God, and all topped off with the saint’s commitment to vulnerable reliance on God’s grace. This is not to say that Pope Francis is some sort of perfect human being (like Jesus!); in fact his humanity and weakness is visible to all, but he is an example of what C.G. Jung would call a fully individuated human being. He refuses to comply with stereotypes, charts his own unique path and is comfortable in his own skin. 

I know this is the experience of many, but for me personally Pope Francis is an inspiring figure who has revitalised and reenergised my own faith. Whenever I read virtually anything Pope Francis writes, I feel the gospel coming to life, and experience a sense of connection with the very essence of my own true self. I think this strong response has a lot to do with his Ignatian spirituality. To me, he is a living embodiment of the Ignatian way of being in the world. This is a way of being that doesn’t seek perfection, but seeks instead to be faithful to the call that rises up from the depths of one’s being. Francis’s Ignatian spirituality is one that prioritises interiority, particularly through desire to foster a deep intimacy and friendship with the person of Jesus Christ. He also prioritises discernment as he knows how easily we can be tricked into believing we are doing good when in reality, we are doing damage to ourselves, others, and the earth. Part of the interior path he consistently and persistently promotes is the nurturing of Ignatian Indifference. This of course does not mean ‘not caring’; on the contrary it means to care deeply, but the very deepest desire is to do what God wills, come what may. This means one is willing to hold all the options in tension and wait patiently for the grace to choose what the Spirit is calling us to choose. In this sense, Francis’s spirituality (following Ignatius), is direct and practical. One of his many great gifts is his ability to communicate complex theological ideas and nuanced spiritual movements, in plain and accessible language. 

Sadly, we often associate the spiritual life with a way of being that is super-serious, and humourless – perhaps even dour and “sour-pussed” (to use a Francis term!). But he promotes the Joy of the Gospel. For Francis, true conversion to the Way of Jesus Christ, should fill us with consolation and make our heart smile (and maybe our face as well!). The current Father General of the Jesuits, Arturo Sosa points to Francis' evident “joy,” saying it is “a clear sign of a spirituality that asks for consolation in the relationship with the Lord and lives with it.”

When speaking with the Irish Jesuits in 2018, Francis revealed that every day for forty years, after saying the psalms and prayers from the Church’s Morning Prayer, he has recited one written by Saint Thomas More that ends: “Grant me, O Lord, a sense of good humor. Allow me the grace to be able to take a joke and to discover in life a bit of joy, and to be able to share it with others.” (Wounded Shepherd). What a beautiful prayer! How different our world would be if we all took this to heart each day! This is not to deny in any way that life and our world is full of suffering; in fact our capacity to experience of joy is proportionate to our willingness to enter deeply into our own suffering, the suffering of those who are in relationship with us, and the suffering of the world and the cosmos at large. This is the essential paradox of faith; and it is the paradox of Weeks Three and Four of the Spiritual Exercises.  

Personally, I feel that this is the most beautiful feature of Pope Francis’s personality; his feeling for and identification with those who are weak and powerless - those living on the margins. Even his choice of pilgrimage destinations reflects this preference for the margins. In the Church we are very familiar with the phrase ‘preferential option for the poor’; but for Francis it is ought to be very much a ‘preferential option with the poor’. His is a theology of encounter, a flesh-and-blood accompaniment. This is why Ivereigh named him the ‘spiritual director of the Church’. He truly is, for the Ignatian spiritual director is one who accompanies, who reaches into the very depths of another’s experience and holds it gently, reverently, and lovingly – especially in the places where we are most wounded and vulnerable. Just before coming down with bronchitis and then pneumonia, he penned an assertive letter to the Bishops of the United States, urging them in no uncertain terms to support migrants. The second last paragraph reveals the clarity, passion and the critique that have been a hallmark of his papacy:
 I exhort all the faithful of the Catholic Church, and all men and women of good will, not to give in to narratives that discriminate against and cause unnecessary suffering to our migrant and refugee brothers and sisters. With charity and clarity we are all called to live in solidarity and fraternity, to build bridges that bring us ever closer together, to avoid walls of ignominy and to learn to give our lives as Jesus Christ gave his for the salvation of all.

I have always loved the opening line of Gaudium et Spes; it is a clarion call to every person of faith: “The joys and the hopes, the griefs and the anxieties of the men of this age, especially those who are poor or in any way afflicted, these are the joys and hopes, the griefs and anxieties of the followers of Christ.” One senses an almost physical appropriation of this vision within Pope Francis. He is one who is willing to put himself out there and walk with all the casualties of this anguished and bewildered world. He feels the joys and hopes, and griefs and anxieties. We see this shining through with particular clarity and urgency in Laudato Si’, the encyclical that stands as the embodiment of a new vision for humanity and for the earth in this critical historical moment.

Another strong current that runs through Pope Francis’s writings is his deep suspicion of ideology of every hue. Ideology tends to entrap us psychologically and spiritually. We can easily become enchanted by an ideology to such a degree that the ideology begins to trump the Gospel (excuse the lame pun!). He understands from his experiences in Argentina where he witnessed ideologies, (extreme Left and extreme Right), that were destructive and inimical to human flourishing. This is one of the many reasons why synodality is so close to the heart of Francis. He wants us to climb out of our ideological bunkers and enter into generous and meaningful dialogue with each other; to listen, even if what we are hearing is difficult for us to hear. “Our main task”, he reflects in Let us Dream, “is not to disengage from polarization but to engage with conflict and disagreement in ways that prevent us from descending into polarization. This means resolving division by allowing for new thinking that can transcend that division. In this way, divisions do not generate sterile polarizations but bear valuable new fruit. This is a vital task for our time of crisis.” This is why he eschews ideology and clericalism and promotes synodality. As Antonio Spadaro SJ told NCR, “the government of Francis is a government that is based on the main point of Ignatian spirituality, that of discernment. The pope, said Spadaro, tries to carefully understand ‘how God is at work’ both in history and the lives of men and women today, allowing him to be flexible and listen to others before giving answers and making decisions. This, Spadaro added, has a mystical dimension but allows for concrete, pragmatic reforms.”

The last, and perhaps the most important attribute I would like to celebrate about Pope Francis is his infectious habit of engendering hope, particularly at this time of growing turbulence and crisis in the world. Hope is not the same as optimism in Francis’s view. “Optimism can let us down”, he observes,
but hope never does! These days our need for hope is great because we feel surrounded by darkness, disoriented by evil and violence, and distressed for the plight of so many of our brothers and sisters. We truly need hope! We feel disoriented, sometimes even discouraged and powerless, as though this darkness will never end. We must not let hope slip away from us. God and His love walk alongside us. “I hope because God is with me.” Each of us can say these words. 
(From A Gift of Joy and Hope by  Pope Francis)
And the last word on the connection between Ignatius and Pope Francis: when he was flying back from Canada in 2022, a reporter asked him to what extent, as pope, he still feels as if he maintains his Jesuit roots. Francis responded: “The Jesuit tries to — he tries, he doesn't always, he can't — do the Lord's will. The Jesuit pope must do the same.” (Quoted in the National Catholic Reporter)

Pedro Arrupe SJ: His Writings, His Inspiration

We all know that refuges and asylum seekers are close to Pope Francis’s heart. When you read excerpts from this impromptu address given by Pedro Arrupe SJ to Jesuits working with refugees in Thailand, you will recognise immediately the voice and perspective of Pope Francis – they are of one heart and mind. This talk is poignant and beautiful for two reasons: 1) It was delivered on August 6, 1981, the thirty-sixth anniversary of Hiroshima; and 2) It turned out to be Pedro Arrupe’s last public address, for upon his return to Rome the next day, he suffered the stroke that left him partially paralysed and with impaired speech for the rest of his life. When you read this, you will see that it is as if Pedro Arrupe anticipated the apostolic thrust of Pope Francis’s ministry, including his vision for synodality.

Address by Pedro Arrupe SJ, 1981

I am very happy to hear all of the information you have given. It is natural that those working with refugees should have different reactions and points of view. Service to refugees adds a new dimension to your Jesuit work here in Thailand. The international Society can help, but this new development has special implications for you.

First, I want to repeat what Fr Bob Rush (the Jesuits’ Regional Assistant for East Asia) was saying: I think you should be very happy with your work here. You are doing a wonderful work, though a difficult one. It is an important work. You see little success externally in a country that is mostly Buddhist and where there are so few Catholics.

This is the hardest type of missionary apostolate. I think I can speak from experience. In Japan you may find a parish priest baptising only two people in 10 years. Actually, what is in question here is not external success but commitment. We are to work as best we can – as I have been telling the Society all over the world.

The Society has initiative and creativity. But sometimes the way it has used these has meant choosing the easier apostolates. I doubt whether the easy apostolate is the real apostolate!

The apostolate in Thailand is one of the most difficult in the Society because of the cultural conditions, the weather conditions, the political conditions, and all the rest. So you require a great heart to work with enthusiasm in a work whose results you do not see. Those who come after will say: ‘What a wonderful job we are doing!’ But they should not forget the many people who went before preparing the way.

Do not misunderstand me: I can see that you are happy. But I can also see that your work is burdensome. Sometimes when you speak from the heart some feelings come out, not bitter feelings exactly, but ones that result from the burdens of your work – really hard work. And perhaps this is not always recognised by others.

Now it is time to consider the kind of help that the Society can give to the work among refugees. First, this new direction has implications for the Society’s work here in Thailand. That is because what I am calling a new dimension will involve collaboration with those Fathers already working in Thailand. As your Father Superior has indicated to me, this will mean an added burden for all. It will mean taking someone away from his present work for what is virtually a full-time new job – while you are so short of people.

I see my commitment, then, as not only to the Thai apostolate as it is now, but also to the new Thai apostolate with the refugees. Because of this new dimension, the Society as a whole should assist the direct work being done by the Jesuits in Thailand.

At present the situation all across the world is changing very greatly. It is difficult, then, to have a fixed plan. A 10 year plan? Oh no, excuse me! If you have a two-year plan that will perhaps be enough, or even a day-to-day plan, because the situation is changing all the time and you are experimenting. And this is where prudence comes in, prudence to take calculated risks. You don’t have to be a 100 per cent certain. In today’s world nobody can be a 100 per cent certain.

For this reason a fortiori, great risks have to be taken in many places. ‘I made a mistake!’ Well, what this means is that we make a communal discernment as a group, then set a policy. And this policy should be flexible precisely so that we can experiment further. In all of this you have to think and pray as a group if you are to discover a general policy, and principles that everybody will accept. The ‘elasticity’ of this experimentation and risk-taking should be all in one direction - the direction pointed out by the Holy Spirit.

To come to an agreed policy you will have to face tensions, because we have different opinions. Everybody has to express his opinion and his experiences clearly. And at the end there has to be a conclusion of some kind. Perhaps someone will have to change his opinion, or at least act according to the opinion of someone else. That is the price we have to pay.

I have learnt many things today. For example, we talked about the local Church. But we have to be the local Church. When the Society comes to work in a new area, the first reaction of others is to be wary. The Society is feared everywhere: ‘These Jesuits are very shrewd. They are powerful’. As I was saying the other day at the Ateneo de Manila: we are not as bad as people say we are, nor are we as good as people think we are. We are normal in that we are not geniuses. Perhaps we have a few geniuses in the Society, but very few. Years ago, it was said that the great power the Society possesses is its well-trained mediocrity!

And unity? Yes, that is important. We share the same spirituality and the same commitment to Christ. Excellence as St Ignatius thinks of it is not scholarly excellence, though it may include that. Real excellence lies in commitment to Christ. We have to be excellent in our commitment.

Perhaps what Fr Ando [Isamu] was saying is utopian, but how terrific it would be for the Society to have non-Christians coming to work for the poor in the villages, coming motivated by philanthropy. If we could create a situation of that kind, we would have enormous possibilities for our work in Thailand. Then we would be collaborating with people to much greater effect than we can through those few Catholics that we are in the Orient. And through the mass media we can present matters in a human way, and so multiply the work and its effects. In that way we can build up the country indirectly.

This would amount to pre-evangelisation done by non-Christians! Yet in fact, by definition, we do not speak about Christ during pre-evangelisation. We cannot speak about Christ, but we have non-Christians doing something out of goodwill that we could do. I see an opening within refugee work for such an apostolate. I think this will be good to think about.

I am very happy. I see a tremendous opening for the Society, and not only as regards work among refugees. This work will be a school in which we learn many things.

I will tell you something I ask myself very often: Should we give spiritual help to the guerrillas in Latin America? No, you say? Well, I cannot say no. Perhaps in the past I have. But they are men, souls, suffering. If you have a wounded person, even if he is a guerrilla you have to help him. That is the meaning of being a Good Samaritan. Is this political? People say so. But no, I am being a priest now. I am helping this poor man. I don’t care if he is a guerrilla, a religious or a non-Catholic. He is a poor man. He is the poor man who is suffering.

We cannot be naive and allow ourselves to be used politically by other people. But on the other hand we need a real Christian commitment. So many in Latin America are helping other people – perhaps guerrillas among them – taking them into their homes in order to save them from being killed. Charity is one thing, principle another, and casuistry is a third. Actual cases can be very difficult to resolve.

Still, we have to be open to many things. We are close to limits here – not only to the limits of Cambodia and Thailand. We are close to the limits of morality and of our own positions. We have to be careful.

For me it was a very consoling experience to write the letter about communism and social analysis. In that letter, I said that sometimes we have to collaborate with Communists. I cited Populorum Progressio, paragraph 23, as a reference. Why? Because I think what it says is true. But people will be scandalised! True, but that is what the Holy Father is telling us, so I am safe.

Take the case of Ethiopia. There we have a university, once Catholic, which was taken over by a Communist government. The Holy Father has told me to send Jesuits to the University of Asmara, a Communist university. So we are collaborating with the Communists by order of the Holy Father. Wonderful! We are not going there because we think we can influence many people in Ethiopia. We are going without supporting any Communist ideology.

Situations such as these are very difficult and complicated. Everything must be done with great discernment. It is not enough to have a great idea one day and go straight ahead and act on it. No, that could be very bad – unless the person in question is a prophetic servant inspired with a wonderful idea. The mixture of prophecy and prudence, security and risk, makes for complex situations. In Thailand you are in one of the hottest spots in this regard. Courage, please!

I will say one more thing, and please don’t forget it. Pray. Pray much. Problems such as these are not solved by human efforts. I am telling you things that I want to emphasise, a message – perhaps my ‘swan song’ for the Society. We pray at the beginning and at the end – we are good Christians! But in our three-day meetings, if we spend half a day in prayer about the conclusions we expect to come to, or about our points of view, we will have very different ‘lights’. And we will come to quite different syntheses – in spite of different points of view – ones we could never find in books nor arrive at through discussion.

Right here we have a classic case: If we are indeed in the front line of a new apostolate in the Society, we have to be enlightened by the Holy Spirit. These are not the pious words of a novice master. What I am saying is 100 per cent from St Ignatius. When I decided to come to Thailand, they said I could visit refugee camps. I have been in camps before. What we have done here is much more important. I am so happy, and I think it is providential that I came here.

There has to be a basic unity of minds for this new type of apostolate just about to be born. What we are going through here is the dolor partus, birth pangs, before this new apostolate can be born. With this medical observation I conclude my talk!

Do you feel a calling to become a Giver of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius? If you do, consider joining us in the Arrupe Program in 2026.

We are accepting applications for 2026. If you feel you have a calling to become a spiritual director in the Ignatian tradition, we would be very happy to hear from you. Details of our program can be viewed on our website.

I can be contacted directly at michael.loughnane@arrupe.org.au. 

The Arrupe Program is separate from, but collaborates closely with the Spiritual Direction course at ACU. Most of our candidates study at ACU as part of their formation to become givers of the Spiritual Exercises.

Would you like to study spiritual direction at the Australian Catholic University?

Develop knowledge, understanding and the foundational skills suited to the ethical, self-aware and safe practice of spiritual direction in the Ignatian tradition by enrolling in the Graduate Diploma in Spiritual Direction, or, the Master of Spiritual Direction. 

Join us on a Lenten Journey of Love and Encounter

This Lent, we invite you to join us in a completely different, transforming experience – not by giving up something, but by going to the heart of Lent and Easter, our deepening relationship with God.

Each day from March 5th to April 24th you will receive a blessing and a link to a one-minute video in your inbox. One Person of the Trinity – Father, Jesus, or The Holy Spirit – will tell you how much they love and care for you, speaking directly to your heart.

Written by Michael Hansen SJ, who created the well-received Lenten Jailbreak daily prayers last year, these beautiful affirming, affectionate messages will bring you to the power and intimacy of Easter.

These 50 daily offerings are free. However, you may wish to support the work of the ministry with a donation at the time of registration. Thank you.

IM25 - Ignatian Earthing

We are delighted to bring IM25 to you in two parts this year – in Autumn leading up to Laudato Si Week and in Spring leading up to Season of Creation. 

Experience all eight Ignatian forms of prayer found in the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius, through the lens of four sacred earth forms. You will be grounded in the gift of creation, the earth and the Creator who has given so much.

SAVE THE DATES – REGISTER SOON!

Online in Autumn:
Sunday 4th , Monday 5th, Tuesday 6th, and Wednesday 7th May 2025

Online in Spring:
Sunday 31st August, Monday 1st, Tuesday 2nd, and Wednesday 3rd September 

2 options each day:
10am - 12noon OR 6.30 - 8.30pm AEST

Ignatian Silent Directed Retreats

Our JISA team of Spiritual Directors warmly welcome you to come and rest, contemplate, pray, and discern, in our Ignatian Silent Directed Retreats.

Retreats are available in Sevenhill in South Australia, Pymble in New South Wales, Cheltenham and Queenscliff in Victoria, and Ormiston in Queensland. There are retreats of 2 days (2 nights), 4 days (5 nights), 6 days (7 nights) or 8 days (9 nights).

The Spiritual Exercises 

Discover God’s unique love for us
Becoming free
To love and serve in all things
 
In daily life – in a silent retreat – flexibly
In person and online
Individually and in groups
 
Explore the Spiritual Exercises in all their forms here.
 
And explore Ignatian Spiritual Direction here.

The Australian Ignatian Trail 2025

Pilgrimages along the Australian Ignatian Trail in the footsteps of the first Jesuits in Australia. Experience Ignatian Spirituality in creation. Step aside from everyday life, walk, reflect, time in silence, conversation, listening to God’s presence in nature and discerning.

Dates for 4 walking days / 6 nights in 2025:

Sunday late afternoon 14 September to Saturday morning 20 September

Tuesday late afternoon 14 October to Monday morning 20 October

Ignatian Silent Directed Retreat, Brisbane

First Belong to God. An adaption of a retreat inspired by Pope Francis, drawing on his wisdom and the wisdom of the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. This retreat serves as a roadmap to deeper discipleship by focusing on the three foundational forms of belonging: to God, to creation, and to others.

8 days from Sunday 19 July 4pm to Friday 27 July 2025 3pm