Description

Emphasis on the Indian Mission

When Ignatius of Loyola, San Ignacio de Loyola, (Ignaci, Inas, Inasu in Tamil and Malayalam) died, on 31 July 1556, there were about 1,000 Jesuits in all divided into 12 administrative units, called provinces, of which only two were outside Western Europe: one in South America in Brazil and one in South Asia in India. “Loyola was, in his last years, much occupied with Germany and India, to which he sent his famous followers Peter Canisius and Francis Xavier.” These facts indicate the importance South Asia in general and India in particular occupied in Loyola’s thoughts on and schemes for the Catholic Church, which were largely influenced by the Reformation - Counter - Reformation atmosphere in which the Church found itself at that particular juncture in history. In carrying forward and fulfilling Loyola’s vision and plan for South Asia his society’s patron Jesus, and his beloved companion Xavier appear to have moved together with him from the very beginning as is clear from the innumerable ‘accidents’ and ‘coincidences’ that brought all three together and the Papal, Royal, and Societal decisions which finally ended in Ignatius sending Francis to India. It is not possible, and not really necessary, at least in this assembly, to dwell at length on the peculiar circumstances of the conversion of Ignatius, the conversion of Francis, the solemn filing of the companions to the holy “High Place,” the small and deserted chapel of St. Denis, on Montmartre (“Mont des Martyrs”) in Paris on that other fateful 15th of August, and the formation and naming of the Society, and of the final selection of Xavier for India and his departure thereto5 to illustrate this close nexus which inspired and fulfilled the Society’s South Asia dream.