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22. TO
FATHER DIEGO MIRÓ
| On Dismissing
the Disobedient
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Rome, December 17, 1552 |
summary | text
of letter | footnotes
Diego Miró1 became provincial in Portugal at the very end of 1551,
after Ignatius had removed Simão Rodrigues from that position. This change
caused further tension in the province since Rodrigues was mild and easy-going
in his governing, while Miró was somewhat strict and demanding. The
unfortunate result was that some members of the province, siding with
Rodrigues, refused to show obedience to the new provincial. Miguel de Torres
had been sent by Ignatius to Portugal to see that Rodrigues accepted Ignatius'
decision, and to ensure a smooth transition for the incoming Miró. During his
several months in Portugal, Torres periodically reported to Rome about the
lamentable state of affairs in that province. Ignatius would not tolerate
disobedience and thus he wrote to Miró instructing him to dismiss from the
Society those who refuse to obey, or to send them to Rome if there is hope the
change might bring about amendment. He likewise asked him to notify John III,
King of Portugal, of this instruction. This letter was written in Spanish [Ep.
4:559-563].
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Jhs
May the sovereign
grace and everlasting love of Christ our Lord be ever our protection and
support.
According to
information coming to us from Doctor Torres, whom I sent to the province of
Portugal as my representative and visitor in the Lord, I understand that there
is a notable failing, among not a few of Ours, in that virtue which is more
necessary and essential in the Society than anywhere else, and in which the
vicar of Christ, in the bulls of our Institute, most carefully recommends that
we distinguish ourselves. I mean the respect, reverence, and perfect obedience
to our superiors who hold the place of Christ our Lord, even of His Divine
Majesty.
You can realize,
from what you have heard, how I should and do desire this virtue in my
brothers, and what satisfaction must be mine when I hear that some among you
disrespectfully say to their superior, "You should not order me to do
this," or "it is not good for me to do this," or, as I am told,
that some are unwilling to do what they are told, or that the actions of some
show so little reverence and interior submission to the one whom they ought to
reverence as the representative of Christ our Lord and, accordingly, humble
themselves in all things before His Divine Majesty. This matter seems to have
gone so far because of the fault of one whose duty it was to correct it, but
who failed to do so. May God our Lord forgive him! How much better it would
have been to remove a diseased member from the body of the Society in order to
protect the healthy members, than to allow it to remain and infect with so
serious a disease many others by example and association. On another occasion
I have written how gratified I was that Master Leonard2 in Cologne
had dismissed nine or ten together who had gone wrong. Later he did the same
again, which I approved, though if measures had been taken when the trouble
began, it might possibly have been enough to dismiss one or two. Now, though
late, the remedy is being applied in Portugal. Better late than never!
I command you in
virtue of holy obedience to take the following step with regard to the
safeguarding of that virtue. If there is anyone who is unwilling to obey you—and
I say this, not to you alone but to all superiors or local rectors in Portugal—do
one of two things: either dismiss him from the Society, or send him here to
Rome if you think that a particular individual can, by such a change, be
helped to become a true servant of Christ our Lord. If necessary, keep their
highnesses informed, who I doubt will make any objections, in keeping with the
spirit and holy good will which God our Lord has bestowed upon them. To retain
one who is not a true son of obedience does no good for the kingdom. Nor is
there any reason for thinking that such a person, his own soul being so
destitute, can help other souls, or that God our Lord would wish to accept him
as an instrument for His service and glory.
We see from
experience that men, not only with average talents but even less than average,
can often be the instruments of uncommon supernatural fruit, because they are
completely obedient and through this virtue allow themselves to be affected
and moved by the powerful hand of the author of all good. On the other hand,
great talent may be seen exerting great labor with less than ordinary fruit,
because being themselves the source of their activity, that is, their own
self-love, or at least not allowing themselves to be moved by God our Lord
through obedience to their superiors, they do not produce results
proportionate to the almighty hand of God our Lord, who does not accept them
as His instruments. They achieve results proportioned to their own weak and
feeble hands. Their highnesses understand this, and I am sure that they will
make no difficulty. And while we have enough to do here without burdening
ourselves with this additional task from Portugal, we will not decline the
added burden because of the special charity which God our Lord causes us to
feel toward Portugal.
This is all for the
present, except to beg the Divine and Supreme Goodness to give us all His
abundant grace to know His most holy will and perfectly to fulfill it.
From Rome, December
17, 1552.
This precept of
obedience which I am sending you, requiring you to dismiss those who are
disobedient, or to send them here to Rome, is to be published in all the
colleges and houses throughout the province. See that the king is informed of
it, so that those who are sent beyond the borders of the kingdom, because they
have need of help, do not appear as being withdrawn from Portugal because we
here are looking for workers who would otherwise be useful within the
territory of his highness. Rather, let it appear that they are being sent
elsewhere to prepare them to be such when they return, as his highness
desires, as are all the others in the service of God and of souls in his
kingdom.
Yours in our Lord,
Ignatius
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Footnotes
| 1 |
Torres was born in the province of Aragon in 1509. He
studied in Paris and became acquainted with Ignatius but always felt
some antagonism toward him. Upon his return to Spain, Torres taught at
Alcalá and eventually became its rector. In 1542 he went to Rome on
business for the university and again met Ignatius, made the
Exercises, and decided to enter the Society. He secretly pronounced
vows in 1545, and when his business in Rome was over he returned to
Spain (end of 1546) and openly joined the Society’s ranks in 1547.
When it was time to open a Jesuit college in Salamanca, Torres was
sent there as its rector (1548) , and then on January 1, 1552, he was
appointed visitor for Portugal. He became provincial of Baetica in
1554, and succeeded Miró as provincial in Portugal in 1556. When his
labors were completed in Portugal, he returned to Spain and died at
Toledo during the night of October 23-24, 1593. |
| 2 |
Leonard Kessel was born in Louvain, Belgium, about
1519, and there entered the Jesuits in December 1543. He was already a
priest. He was sent to the Jesuit college in Cologne, where he became
rector of the community, spent his life, and died on October 26, 1574.
The incident to which Ignatius refers took place in 1552. |
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