Preliminary communication
»Sentire cum Ecclesia« of St. Ignatius of Loyola
Marijan Steiner
orcid.org/0000-0001-5700-1213
; Faculty of Philosophy of the Society of Jesus in Zagreb, Croatian Studies – University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
The article analyses the understanding of the Church in the eyes of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius' ecclesiasticism is based on his spiritual experience. The basics of his understanding of ecclesiasticism should be sought in his booklet "Spiritual Exercises", which contains the "Rules for feeling with the Church". They see the Church as a community, and not the benefit of the individual faithful. The term "sentire cum Ecclesia" is associated with what St. Ignatius says in the "Formuli Instituta", the founding document of the Society of Jesus: "To serve the Lord alone and the Church his Bride under the Roman Pontiff, the Vicar of Christ on earth." The article also presents some information on the relations of St. Ignatius and four popes. On the whole, the Founder of the Jesuit order always looked at the Church in her divine-human reality. For him, to love the Church at the same time meant to love Christ, and vice versa.
Keywords
St. Ignatius; spiritual experience; spiritual exercises; the Church; "sentire cum Ecclesia"; "rules"; popes
Hrčak ID:
153295
URI
Publication date:
24.2.2016.
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