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12. TO
THE FATHERS DEPARTING FOR GERMANY
| Practical Norms
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Rome, September 24, 1549 |
summary | text
of letter | footnotes
In early 1549, Wilhelm IV, Duke of Bavaria, sent a request to Pope Paul III
asking for three Jesuits to teach at the University of Ingolstadt. Ever since
the death of Johann Eck1 in 1543, the university had declined in
the quality of professors and in the number of students. Wilhelm intended to
keep the university a bastion against the Reformation, as it had been during
the days of Eck and, thus, he requested the Jesuits to help restore it to its
former prestige. Since the duke had already been acquainted with Claude Jay,
who had taught at Ingolstadt, the duke asked for him by name and desired two
others. Pope Paul sent the duke's request on to Ignatius, who agreed to send
Jay, Alfonso Salmerón, and Peter Canisius2 to Germany. Both
Canisius and Salmerón were called from the college in Messina, and as the
group was about to depart Rome, Ignatius drafted a list of instructions
indicating how they were to act and what should be their goal. Their first
task was to be of service to the university, but Ignatius also felt that they
were to see to the spiritual needs of the citizenry suffering from the inroads
made by Lutheranism, and to look ahead to the possibility of starting a
college of the Society there. On their way north the three Jesuits stopped at
Bologna to take their doctorate, which they successfully did on October 4, and
arrived in Ingolstadt on November 13. What is given below is the first part of
the instruction, which was originally written in Latin [Ep.
12:240-242].
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Jhs
1. Your first and
greatest asset will be to distrust yourself and have a great and magnanimous
trust in God. Join to this an ardent desire, enkindled and sustained by
obedience and charity, to attain the end proposed. Such a desire will keep the
end always before your mind, and make you also commend it to God in your
sacrifices and prayers and to make diligent use of all other suitable means.
2. The second means
is a good life, and therefore an exemplary life. You should shun, not only
evil but the very semblance of evil, and show yourselves as patterns of
modesty, charity, and all other virtues. Since Germany is in great need of
good example, she will derive much help from it; and even though this example
be wordless, the affairs of the Society will prosper and God will do battle
for us.
3. You should
cherish a genuine affection for everyone and show it to everyone, especially
to those who have great influence over the common good, as the duke himself,
to whom you should offer your excuses for arriving so late, and to whom you
must show an affection which not only the Apostolic See but our Society
cherishes for him as well. Courteously promise him that you will devote your
every effort and endeavor to help his people.
4. Show your love in
truth and in action by bestowing favors on many, offering them spiritual
assistance, and also in exterior works of charity, as will be explained later.
5. Give proof that
you are not seeking your own interests, but those of Jesus Christ [Phil.
2:21], that is, His glory and the good of souls. In keeping with this, accept
no stipends for Masses or sermons or the administration of the sacraments. You
must have no income of any kind.
6. Make yourselves
loved by your humility and charity, becoming all things to all men [1
Cor. 9:22]. Show that you conform, as far as the Institute of the Society
permits, to the customs of the people, and whenever possible see to it that no
one goes away from you sad, unless it be for the good of his soul. But do not
gratify others at the expense of conscience, and let no excessive familiarity
breed contempt.
7. Do not take sides
in faction and party strife, but follow a middle course and be friendly with
both sides.
8. It will be
helpful if you are known to hold sound doctrine both as representatives of the
Society and as individuals. This should be with everybody, but especially with
the duke and men of influence. It will greatly enhance your reputation not
only to cultivate interior composure, but also to manifest it exteriorly:
namely, in manner of walking, gestures, appropriate clothing, and above all in
circumspection of speech, the maturity of your advice on both practical
matters and speculative questions as well. This maturity will keep you from
giving your opinion too hastily if the matter is difficult. In such a case
take your time to think the matter over, study the question, and even discuss
it with others.
9. You must try to
be on good terms with those in governmental positions and be kindly disposed
toward them. It will help to this if the duke and those members of his
household, who have a wide influence, confess to Ours, and insofar as their
duties permit, make the Spiritual Exercises. You should win over the
professors at the university and other persons of authority by your humility,
modesty, and obliging services.
10. Consequently, if
you should learn that you or the Society is in ill esteem, especially with
persons in authority, you should prudently undertake a defense, and try to get
them to understand the work of the Society and your own, to God's greater
glory.
11. It will help to
have an exact knowledge of the disposition and character of the men involved,
and to consider beforehand all possibilities, especially in matters of
importance.
12. It will help if
all the companions not only think and speak alike, but even dress alike, and
observe the same external manners and social customs.
13. Each of the
companions should be careful to reflect on what is adapted to the end
proposed, and they should talk matters over among themselves. The superior,
after having heard what the others think, shall decide what is to be done or
left undone.
14. They should
write to Rome to ask advice, and to describe conditions. This should be done
frequently, as it can be of no little help to all.
15. From time to
time they should read this instruction and what will be stated later, and
other points which they think ought to be added, so that their memory may be
refreshed should it begin to grow dim.
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Footnotes
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1
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Eck was a renowned German theologian, born in 1486. He
came to Ingolstadt in 1510, and after Martin Luther’s break with the
Church, entered into controversy with him and Karlstadt. Eck wrote
many anti-Lutheran treatises, but his most famous work, Enchiridion,
was directed against Melanchthon’s Loci communes. Eck died at
Ingolstadt on February 10, 1543. |
| 2 |
Canisius, whose family name was Kanis, was born in
Nijmegen, the Netherlands, on May 8, 1521. While a student in Cologne
he heard about the recently established Society of Jesus and went to
Mainz to search out Pierre Favre and to learn more about it. Favre led
him through the Exercises and accepted him into the Society on May 8,
1543. He was ordained on June 12, 1546, and served as Cardinal
Truchsess’ peritus at the Council of Trent in 1547. His next
assignment was teaching in Sicily, from which task he he was called to
go to Germany. Canisius remained in Ingolstadt until March 1552, when
he went to Vienna, and then in 1555 to Prague. He was appointed
provincial of Germany in 1556 and held office until 1569, when he went
to Innsbruck to devote his time writing. In 1580 he travelled to
Fribourg, Switzerland, to found a new college and remained there until
his death on December 21, 1597. He was beatified by pope Pius IX on
August 2, 1864, and canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 21, 1925. |
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