email : Webview : What might Ignatius say about the election?

Share this:

Connect with JSRI on Twitter & Facebook

JSRI Upcoming Events

November 4-5
The JSRI Advisory Board will meet in New Orleans.

November 11
Fr. Kammer will chair the meeting of the board of the Ignatian Solidarity Network.

November 13
Fr. Kammer will lead a workshop on Catholic Social Thought at the Ignatian Family Teach-In.

JSRI Recent Activities

October 26
Fr. Kammer provided a study day in Baltimore to clergy working as Global Fellows with Catholic Relief Services on the writings of Pope Francis.

October 17
Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Weishar met with criminal justice reform advocates at the Southern Poverty Law Center.

October 14
Dr. Weishar co-presented the findings of Recovering the Human Face of Immigration in the U.S. South, at the Conference on Immigration to the U.S. South.

October 13-14
Fr. Kammer co-hosted and addressed members of FADICA (Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities) meeting in New Orleans.

October 12
Ms. Donovan presented the findings of the State of Working MS 2016 to the MS Democratic Caucus in Jackson.

October 12
Ms. Donovan appeared on the Jackson State WJSU radio station’s “The Full Spectrum” to discuss the State of Working Mississippi report.

October 8
Dr. Weishar volunteered at the El Colibri Clinic for immigrants working to rebuild flooded homes in Baton Rouge

October 6
Ms. Donovan and Dr. Weishar participated in the New Orleans Bread or Stones Campaign Listening Post at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church.

October 1
Dr. Weishar spoke at the annual meeting of Burning Bush: Catholic Sisters and Brothers for Peace on the need to have a media strategy when advocating for social justice issues.

Number 64 October 2016

Election 2016 and the Common Good

An Ignatian Way of Proceeding

by Edward B. “Ted” Arroyo, S.J., Ph.D., JSRI Associate

As we approach November’s election, we at JSRI encourage discerning assessment of the difficult political choices at hand.

At the beginning of his Spiritual Exercises, St. Ignatius Loyola advises that in facing an “election” about one’s state in life, we “let the Creator act immediately with the creature, and the creature with its Creator and Lord” because in decisions like these “it is more fitting and much better, when seeking the Divine Will, that the Creator and Lord should communicate with the devout soul, inflaming it with love and praise, and disposing it for the way in which it will be better able to serve in the future.” (Spiritual Exercises #15). Such criteria for discernment may also well apply to the political elections we now face.

Recently when Pope Francis was asked about these upcoming U.S. elections he responded within this Jesuit tradition of “election” when he replied “I never say a word about electoral campaigns….The people are sovereign. I will only say: Study the proposals well, pray and choose in conscience.”

In this context, our Jesuit provincial superior, Fr. Ron Mercier, S.J., in a recent letter provides multiple resources for wise election discernment, inviting Jesuits and our colleagues “to create that space of civil discourse which allows for true democratic dialogue and lets the foundational principles of our faith inform the ways we ponder and speak to one another about the grave challenges we face.”

Fr. Mercier first suggests we consider how “All of us are affected by the racial, political and religious divisions in our society, and these can even affect our communities. Each of us needs to ask where we are tempted to judge others or to close ourselves to hearing one another. How does God call us to conversion of heart, thought, and speech during this time? Charged moments like this can help us hear God’s voice.”
Secondly he suggests "we model civil discourse, open to understanding even when we do not agree... The important task is to nurture understanding. The website launched by the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, offers helpful insights along these lines."
Finally, Fr. Mercier suggests that "we promote the teaching of the church as a resource for our political and social reflections" in this campaign season and provides links to multiple resources to help us in discerning this election. Especially in our regular column summarizing perspectives from Catholic Social Thought. JSRI’s website also provides multiple resources on a variety of issues which are part of the current election debates.

The pilgrim Saint Ignatius models and invites us to a process of ongoing discernment in these and many other important elections of our lives, examining the relevant issues, asking for God’s grace, and deciding AMDG (for the greater glory of God.)

Monthly articles reflect the opinions of the authors and not necessarily those of Loyola University New Orleans. Please send feedback to jsri@loyno.edu



	As our number of enrolled students continues to rise, we need to make sure that each and every one has access to an exceptional educational experience. We can't do it without your help. Give today! Published by the Jesuit Social Research Institute Office Phone: 504- 864-7746 \| E-mail: jsri@loyno.edu \| Website: www.loyno.edu/jsri Mailing Address: 6363 St. Charles Avenue, Campus Box 94, New Orleans, LA 70118

6363 St. Charles Avenue | New Orleans, LA 70118

This email was sent to .
To ensure that you continue receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list.

manage your preferences | opt out of all Loyola e-newsletters

Got this as a forward? Sign up to receive our future emails.