Jesuits Eastern Africa (AOR)
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| First Simple Perpetual Vows 2022-Dodoma Tanzania |
The Society of Jesus, more commonly known
as the Jesuits, is a society within the Roman Catholic Church that was founded
by Ignatius of Loyola and instituted by Pope Paul III. The Society of Jesus demands
four vows of its members: poverty, chastity, obedience to Christ, and obedience
to the Pope. The purpose of the Jesuits is the propagation of the Catholic
faith.
Ignatius of Loyola was a Spanish nobleman, who intended to have a career as a professional soldier. A cannonball shattered his leg in 1521, and his
career was shattered with it. During his long recovery at the castle of Loyola,
he spent much time reading religious books, fasting, and praying. As a result of
these studies, Ignatius decided to become a soldier of Christ and hung up his
sword at the altar of Mary in Montserrat. From 1522 to 1534, Loyola traveled
to monasteries and schools, studying and praying in preparation for a life
consecrated to Christ.
Toward the end of his graduate studies at the University of Paris, he and six friends who have been meeting for times of extended prayer and meditation vowed to continue their companionship after graduation by living in evangelical poverty and traveling as missionaries to Jerusalem. When war between the Turks and Venice prevented their passage to Jerusalem, they determined to work in the cities of northern Italy. Loyola presented his plan for service to the Vatican and received a papal commission from Pope Paul III in 1540, with Loyola receiving a lifetime appointment as General.
The Eastern Africa Province of the Society of Jesus was formed in 1986 and consists of 220 Jesuits from Ethiopia, Kenya, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. True to their missionary vocation, many of them work in Eastern Africa, while others are studying or working in Zimbabwe, West Africa, Italy, India, the United States, Great Britain, the Philippines, and elsewhere in the world.
They see themselves as “contemplative in action,” people who can find God not only in prayer but also amidst the preoccupations of everyday life. Jesuits are “contemplative” because they regularly turn to God in prayer, drawing sustenance and discerning wisdom from Jesus Christ whom they imitate. From prayer a Jesuit can go out and “act”: working long and hard, day after day, confident that with the help of the Holy Spirit, he can make a lasting difference in the lives of many people. Their organization is founded on the love of the Church and inspired by loyalty to Jesus Christ in his zeal for souls. Pope Francis is one of the Jesuits and the first “Jesuit pope,” he joined the Jesuits in Argentina in 1958. Jesuits pray as if everything depended on God and work as if everything depended on them.