tantas cosas...
there are many things I wish to talk about...
‒A tale of Fr. Pedro Arrupe‒

SUNGIL LEE, S.J.
translated by Cyril Veliath, S.J.

“tantas cosas...”there are many things I wish to talk about...
–A tale of Fr. Pedro Arrupe–
Introduction .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 2Preface: Hiroshima of that Day .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3Chapter 1: Early life and Vocation to the Society of Jesus .  .  .  .  .  . 11
Chapter 2: In Japan.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
To Hiroshima as Novice MasterTo Tokyo as Provincial
Chapter 3: As Superior General .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 35
The 31st General Congregation
The 32nd General Congregation
The Fourth Vow
The Jesuit Identity
The Fourth Decree“Men for Others”
The Origin of the Society of Jesus
Rooted and Grounded in Love (1981)
Our Way of Proceeding (1979)
Chapter 4: “tantas cosas…”.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 61
The 33rd General Congregation
Resignation as Superior General“Nunc Dimittis”
Afterword.  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 73
References

1

Introduction
I neither met Fr. Pedro Arrupe nor saw him from afar. I joined
the Society of Jesus in 1976, and at that time he was already theSuperior General of the Jesuits. During his 18 years as Superior
General he visited Japan just once in 1971, and I was told hedropped in on Jesuit institutes and communities within the country
and even set foot in Hiroshima. Since I was 16 years old at thattime, to be able to recall some of those events would not have been
unusual. Yet I have no memories of them at all, though I do recall mymother uttering the name “Father Arrupe” several times. However
his behavior and the episodes at Nagatsuka where the novitiate was
located, and above all the memories I have of my mother who stoodby observing his tireless work after the dropping of the atomic bomb,
have never faded from my mind, despite the passage of time.
What sort of a person was he? With naive queries in mind
I joined the Society of Jesus, underwent training, and becamea priest, and when I began to feel the time had come for me toconclude my role and ministry in the Society of Jesus, I decided
to write about Fr. Arrupe. This is because on looking back on mylife as a member of the Society of Jesus, I believe I was greatly
inspired by the decrees of the General Congregation of the Jesuits
whom he led, as well as its many letters and lecture records. I felt
my final task was to create the basis for my image of the Society ofJesus, explore its past, live in its present, and seek its future.
There are already many biographies of Fr. Arrupe and DVDs
portraying his life have also been produced, and so writing more
about him was needless. Yet for my own sake I decided to go ahead
and do so, and that happens to be my sole reason for writing. In
that sense this is not merely a personal “Biography of Fr. Arrupe.”
It is also a story.
2

Preface: Hiroshima of that Day
The morning of August 6, 1945, was a day with the usual
summer sky, which implied that it would be hot again. A little
after 8:00 AM in the morning an American B-29 bomber flew over
Hiroshima, making an uncanny explosive sound. As a matter offact an air raid warning had been issued at Hiroshima an hourearlier, but as it was soon lifted the residents resumed their usual
everyday lives. Those heading for work boarded trains or buses,
those employed at stores commenced their preparations, and evenstudents who had been sought for labor service, were seen walking
or cycling to their new locations. My father by the way was serving
at the time as an engineer for the Japanese National Railway,
and so on ending his night shift he returned to his residence at
Minamikannoncho and got ready to take a nap, after having ridden
by train past the Aioi Bridge at 8:00 AM.
At 8:15 AM, a bomb was released from the Enola Gay onto
Hiroshima city. It exploded about 600 meters above the Hara
Hospital, some tens of meters away from the Atomic Bomb Domein what is now the Peace Park. A beam of light flashed, hot windof several thousand degrees blew over the city in an instant, and amushroom-shaped cloud of smoke soared towards the sky.
What in the world had occurred? Not just wooden houses
but even concrete edifices had crumbled without a trace. Tiles ofhouses several kilometers away were blown off, walls collapsed,
and the houses themselves had tilted. On observing the Atomic
Bomb Dome which boasted a stately facade as an industrial
promotion center, you can easily imagine the ferocity of the heatrays and blast emitted by a single bomb. The newspapers on thefollowing day described it merely as a new type of bomb, for it was
only later was it learned to have been an atomic bomb.
What had become of human beings? People were burned out
3

by the heat rays. What remained on the walls of a bank in thecity center were mere traces of the shadows of people, possibly
people who had been seated there, but there remained no signs ofanything else. Many who had their skin burned collapsed, theirlives having been stolen away in an instant, and those who had
run out of breath crying for water and those who had gone to theriver in search of water, died on the spot.
There are many paintings depicting the immediate
consequence of the atomic bombing, and there are also videos ofsurvivors describing the situation at that time. Yet all of them are
so heartrending that we feel compelled to shut our eyes, and thetestimonies of the narrators are also such that one finds it hard tobelieve them. One narrator declared, “one should not drop things
like that in places where people live.”
A few kilometers north of Hiroshima city lies a mountain called
Mount Takeda. Although it is just 400 meters above sea level it is
one of the highest mountains in Hiroshima, and with a location in
the Seto Inland Sea it is quite a landmark. A Jesuit novitiate wassituated in a place called Nagatsuka, at the foot of the mountain.
A novitiate is a place where those wishing to join the Society ofJesus spend their first two years, and here their suitability formembership is tested. The edifice was erected in 1938, and as it
was built in the style of Japanese houses the roof was covered
with tiles. There also existed a chapel of 50 tatami mats and abelltower that rang out the Angelus bell, a veritable five-storied
pagoda. Moved by their respect for Japanese culture, the Jesuits
specifically erected a novitiate by adopting the Japanese style ofarchitecture.
Fr. Pedro Arrupe, a missionary from Spain, lived at thenovitiate, and he was the Novice Master. Most of the novices wereJapanese in their twenties, though there were also scholastics
4

from Germany who were engaged in the study of philosophy, andothers who had concluded their novitiate training and were busy
studying Latin and Greek. There were also three youngsters fromthe Korean Peninsula, and so the residents comprised in all a
total of 35 young people. They arose at 5:00 AM, prayed, heard
Mass, had a quick breakfast, attended lectures, studied, had lunch,
worked, and then prayed again. Even after dinner they studied,prayed, and attended lectures, and most of their days were passedin silence.
Even in a place like that an abrupt change occurred on
the morning of that day. The novitiate was situated around
6 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion, and yet thewindows, walls, and roof tiles were shattered by the blast, and thehouse beams seemed as though they would collapse any moment.
Fr. Arrupe happened to be in his room at that time. He climbed asmall hill above the novitiate in order to see what had happened,
and what his eyes revealed was the city of Hiroshima. It had been
reduced in an instant to ashes and rubble.
Although it was not possible to enter the center of Hiroshima
directly after the dropping of the atomic bomb, yet we were able toreach Noboricho church situated in the hub of the city at around
10:00 PM. The church building was still standing, but Fr. Lasalle
and Fr. Kleinsorge (Takakura) who had lived there had taken
refuge in Shukkeien Garden, located nearby. Since they were badly
injured Fr. Arrupe took them at once to Nagatsuka for treatment,
and at the same time, on noting the unduly appalling situation,
he hastily decided to transform the novitiate chapel into a relief
facility. Vast numbers of people who had experienced burns sought
to return to their homes, and while some succeeded in making it,others took their final breath along the way. From Nagatsuka one
can enter Hiroshima by crossing a river, and many on the verge of5death were walking along the road below the novitiate.
I shall speak of Fr. Arrupe later in greater detail, but he wasa graduate of a medical school. The injured were brought to thetatami chapel and treated, and in no time at all over 150 people
had congregated there. In fact the makeshift relief facility had
become so crowded, that there was scarcely place to stand. In due
course other individuals heard of the facility and began bringing intheir own injured, and besides, Fr. Arrupe personally visited thedwellings of those who were unable to move. At first burns weretreated merely with the iodine, aspirin, and sodium carbonatethat were available in the monastery, but later however thoseworking at the monastery brought bags packed with small bottles
and handed them over to Fr. Arrupe, stating that while they wereuncertain as to whether they would be effective against burns, yetthey might come in useful. It was boric acid, which could clean
wounds and relieve pain. This proved effective and gave rise toa miraculous situation, wherein none who received treatment at
the clinic died. “Providentially,” as Fr. Arrupe would say, the bags
contained 15 kilograms of boric acid.
My mother, who witnessed all this at close quarters would
often say, “That priest is a Saint.”
My mother was 9 years old at the time of the dropping of
the atomic bomb. She lived in Minamikannoncho, but as the war
situation became harsher children were sent away to rural areas,and hence she stayed a while with relatives in Hatsukaichi. Yet,
due to the fact that she occasionally grew homesick, apparently she
returned at times to the house of her parents. That happened to be
the case the day prior to the event, and so at her father’s requestthat she go to Hatsukaichi she set out weeping the next morning6

to the railway station at Koi, and there she encountered the atomic
bomb. “What in the world had happened?” She was simply unable
to imagine anything like that, but she began to worry about her
home. On her way back to the house of her parents she met an old
man at a bridge over the Fukushima River who was known to her,and on seeing her he shouted out saying, “Shizuko, what are you
doing? Don’t go home! Go to Hatsukaichi immediately!” So, having
no choice she plodded along to Hatsukaichi. On the way she noticed
a mother with a child who had collapsed, and who was moaning,“water, water...” My mother passed by with a sideways glance ather, saying to herself, “she seems to be in a lot of pain, but I don’tknow what I can do for her.”
My mother had a sister who was 7 years older than herself,and since she had already reached the age of 16 she had to go to
Ujina for labor service. She went over to Ujina on that particular
day as well, and there she was exposed to the atomic bomb. Since
she had not returned home for several days my grandfather who
was concerned went in search of her, but the bodies happened tobe so numerous that they were piled into trucks, heaped together
in the square, and burned all at once. In an effort to locate thebody of his daughter my grandfather climbed inside every single
truck, but her body was nowhere to be found. Around a week later
however his daughter returned to her home in Hatsukaichi, reelingand dragging herself along the railroad tracks. On seeing her andnoting her severe burns my grandfather swiftly laid her on a bed,
and turning to my mother he said, “Shizuko! Go to the rice fieldand get some green lettuce!” My grandfather was aware that green
lettuce was effective against burns, for it was a medicinal herbal
remedy that all in the Korean Peninsula were acquainted with.
Even so however, despite the care she received the girl’s breathingsteadily waned, and she finally begged my grandfather, “I would
like to eat peaches...” On hearing those words my grandfather
7

promptly hurried off to Furue, a production area for figs andloquats, and there were still some of them left. He perhaps thought
he could get some peaches by going there since the place had manyorchards, but he was unable to do so. A few hours later he returned
bearing a can of mandarin oranges, and as he fed them to his dying
daughter he said, “There were no peaches...,” and with that, mymother’s sister peacefully took her last breath. My mother, who
had observed everything meticulously, never ate a peach after thatincident. I however love peaches, but whenever I said to her, “Mom,I would like to eat a peach,” she would peel the peach for me, butwould never eat it herself.
When her sister returned in a dying state, my motherimmediately ran towards Nagatsuka, which lay about 20
kilometers away from Hatsukaichi. Although she was merely
a girl of 9 years age, yet she ran as though for her life, because
she wanted a priest to come and pray for her sister. As I statedearlier, in Nagatsuka there were three scholastics from the Korean
Peninsula, and one of them, namely Nobuhara (Jin Sungman),
happened to be a close friend of my grandfather. My mother wassent to Nagatsuka in order to fetch the scholastic Jin Sungman,and her sister thus received the Sacrament of Extreme Unction(now known as the Anointing of the Sick), and passed away
peacefully.

(Fr.Arrupe taking care of A-bomb survivors)
8At that time there was a person who had managed to survive
by receiving the medical care of Fr. Arrupe, and who later becamea priest in the Hiroshima diocese. That was Fr. Hasegawa Tadashi,and since he was close to our family we often heard tales of his
experience of the atomic bomb, his encounter with Fr. Arrupe,and how he commenced his career as a priest. He was exposed tothe bomb near a school along the Ota River, 2 kilometers awayfrom the hypocenter. He was being sought after to serve as aschool security guard. An air raid siren sounded just before 8:00
AM, but as it was soon lifted, he and his friends went to swim in
the river. At 8:15 AM when the bomb was dropped everything
abruptly became dark, and he was exposed to hot air of about 4,000
degrees. Concerning that incident he later remarked as follows,“A mixed sensation of heat and pain pervaded my entire body,and in that instant, there was no doubt at all that the back halfof my body was utterly seared.” He also lost his home, but luckily
he was able to see his parents and receive medical care, though it
was just a matter of rubbing oil on his burns. Later however, he
unpredictably came to know of the Nagatsuka novitiate, where Fr.
Arrupe provided medical treatment. Since moving to Nagatsuka
was hard for Fr. Hasegawa, his father rushed in person to
Nagatsuka and conveyed his son’s state to Fr. Arrupe, whereupon
Fr. Arrupe on his part came dashing over at once to his bedside.
There were indeed numerous occasions when it seemed as though
he was on the verge of death, but he barely managed to endure.
After encounters like these, Fr. Hasegawa graduated from highschool, regained assurance regarding his health, and acquired
aspirations with regard to becoming a priest. When he met Fr.
Arrupe and conveyed his desire of becoming a priest, Fr. Arrupe
replied, “What comes first is your faith. Without faith, becoming
a priest is ineffective. What comes second is wisdom. Without thewisdom we gain from God in order to guide believers and non9

believers, we cannot become worthy shepherds. The third is health.
In order to realize the Kingdom of God battles are necessary. Since
we live in a ‘Fighting Church,’ we will be unable to prevail if ourbodies are unhealthy.” Strengthened by these words Fr. Hasegawa
entered a seminary in Tokyo in 1956, and 9 years later in 1965,
he was conferred the grace of becoming an ordained priest. At
about that time, Fr. Arrupe who had become the Jesuit Provincialof Japan, visited Fr. Hasegawa and presented him with a chaliceand paten, saying, “Please offer your daily Mass with these, andpray for me as well. This is a commemorative present.” He utteredthese words while handing them over to Fr. Hasegawa, and shortly
after this Fr. Arrupe was elected Superior General of the Society ofJesus.
The number of individuals who received medical treatment at
the chapel of the Nagatsuka novitiate exceeded 200. Yet, regardlessof what the case may have been, Fr. Arrupe was himself a survivorof the atomic bomb, and despite witnessing the devastation it
caused he duly confronted the appalling situation. He later went
on to narrate those tales hundreds of times, but one must bear inmind that when speaking of Fr. Arrupe, it is impossible to avoid
those events. I shall deal with that issue when I speak of Fr.
Arrupe as a Novice Master and a Provincial.

10Chapter 1: Early life and Vocation to the Society of Jesus
In northern Spain lies a city called Bilbao. While studying
world geography we came to know that it was an area producing
iron ore, as well as Spain’s largest industrial city. I prepared formy examination by carefully checking its location in my atlas, andof course, I later learned that it was the birthplace of Fr. Arrupe.
The area at the foot of the Pyrenees is referred to as theBasque country, with the French side being termed the “French
Basque” and the Spanish side the “Spanish Basque.” The founderof the Society of Jesus, St. Ignatius of Loyola, hailed from the
Spanish Basque country. Beyond the Pyrenees lies France, anddespite the fact of its being a chain of rugged peaks, there havebeen many cases in European history when people had ambitionsof crossing this mountain range and taking control of Spain.
The first to do so was Pompey of the Roman Empire, but heseems to have suffered greatly due to the Basques. The capitalof Navarre is Pamplona, a name said to have been derived from
Pompey. Along the highway to Xavier castle a narrow valley isvisible, wherein the armies of Pompey are said to have entered.
The fact that they attacked from such a point is notable, for to doso must have been difficult indeed.
Charlemagne also targeted Spain, but the Basques were
nimble in their actions and possessed geographical advantages,
which greatly agitated his army. The first appearance of the word
“Basque” is in a book concerning Charlemagne.
In the 16th century too Francis the First who was ruler ofFrance sought to occupy Spain, but his efforts were thwarted by
the King of Spain, namely the Holy Roman Emperor Charles theFifth. Ignatius was involved in one of the local conflicts of thatbattle, namely the Battle of Pamplona, and despite having striven
valiantly his leg was hit by a cannonball and he had to spend
11time convalescing. The tale of his conversion at that time and his
founding of the Society of Jesus, are well known.
Bilbao also belongs to the Basque country, and that perhaps
is the reason why one notices similarities between the face of
Ignatius as seen through his death mask, and the face of Fr.
Arrupe. The height of the nose in particular is distinctive.

(St. Ignatius of Loyola and Fr.Pedro Awupe)
Fr. Arrupe was born on November 14, 1907. His father
was Marcelino and his mother was Dolores, and his paternal
grandfather, Juan Antonio, was a doctor. This may have hadsomething to do with his desiring to become a doctor, ever since he
was young. He had four older sisters, and on the day after his birth
he was baptized at the Santiago Cathedral in Bilbao, and given thebaptismal name Pedro.
Fr. Arrupe, who had lost his mother at the age of 9 and his
father at the age of 19, went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes alongwith his sisters in the summer of 1926. It is reported that at thistime he witnessed a miracle of healing, when a young boy in awheelchair immersed himself in the spring of Lourdes. From that12

time onwards, despite his already having entered the Universityof Madrid as a medical student, he began to experience a calling to
the priesthood.
Lourdes is a small village located in the Occitania region ofFrance, at the foot of the Pyrenees. It is said the Blessed Virgin
Mary appeared to a girl in the village named Bernadette, and said
to her, “I am the Immaculate Conception.”In the Catholic Church we have a teaching referred to as“original sin,” namely that all humans bear the consequences(death) of the first sin (original sin), committed by Adam andEve. Original sin gets absolved by Baptism, but according to theteaching, the effects of the sin remain. The term ‘Immaculate”
indicates that a person is free of original sin the moment theperson is born as a human being, and the teaching that theBlessed Virgin Mary was one such person, is an issue that was
hotly debated in the 19th century. The validity of the message to
Bernadette was verified and finally it became a Catholic doctrine,
when the Pope exercised his power of infallibility, namely that thesolemn declarations of the Pope are flawless. The doctrine statedthat the Blessed Virgin Mary was free of original sin the moment
she was conceived in the body of her mother Anne, and devotion
towards the Virgin Mary became very popular in the Catholic
world.
Even today Catholics the world over visit Lourdes, and many
who are ill seek to be healed either by washing their bodies ordrinking the water from the springs of Lourdes. Some truly
undergo healing, though it does not always occur. Pilgrims often
seek the “Water of Lourdes” which they take home with them, andwhich they often also pour into the mouths of the sick.
In 1927, while yet a medical student in his fourth year, Fr.
13

Arrupe joined the Society of Jesus and knocked on the door of thenovitiate at Loyola. Initiates to the Society of Jesus first underwent
two years of novitiate training. Later they engaged in a study ofthe humanities including Latin and Greek, and after completingstudies in philosophy and theology they became priests, and finallyon concluding their third stage of training known as tertianship,
they became full-fledged Jesuits. Had it been an era of peace it
may have been possible to conclude all these studies in one’s own
country, but such was not the case with Fr. Arrupe.
The modern era in Europe commenced with the rejection of
the monarchy and establishment of nation-states, and the French
Revolution of 1789 was one such pivotal event. Moreover, thistrend gave rise to movements that rejected the Catholic Church,which had strong ties to the monarchy. The Society of Jesus had
developed under the patronage of royal families and via obedienceto the Pope, and so for the political forces seeking to advancemodernization, it was above all else an entity that needed to be
spurned. Hence in 1773 the Society of Jesus was disbanded, andits assets were seized. It was revived in 1814, but that was because
the return of the monarchy occurred in a way so as to profit fromthe distortions created by the rapid institution of modern states,
and a new autocratic state was born under Napoleon. In the 20th
century, the upsurge of communism ushered in an era whereinnations and regimes opposed to capitalism were born. Fascism
was on the rise, and autocratic states began to appear. Spain too
was a recipient of the effects of this era, and the world entered anage wherein governments advocating communism were launched,
and monarchies were restored. It was in a setting like this, whereconflicts like these had arisen and unrest had attained its peak,that Fr. Arrupe joined the Society of Jesus.
Five years after his entering the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits
14were driven out of Spain. In 1936 the Popular Front government
was constituted in Spain, but even prior to that, the Jesuits who
happened to be at the forefront of the Catholic Church werebanished from Spain by the Popular Front, since the Front was
opposed to both the monarchy as well as the Catholic Church thatfavored it. With that, Fr. Arrupe fled to Belgium and later to theNetherlands where he pursued studies in philosophy and theology,
and was ordained a priest in 1936. A year later though he shiftedto the United States to continue his studies, but around that timea people’s government was formed in his home country of Spain,a rebellion was launched by Army officers who were opposed to it,
and civil war broke out.
The dissident army was led by General Francisco Franco, andthis civil war had the potency to trigger off the Second World War.
This was around the time when the Nazi Party of Germany wason the rise, and in Italy too, the Fascists led by Mussolini weresecuring power. Russia favored the people’s government, and if
Hitler or Mussolini had backed Franco, that in itself would have
evolved a structure that would have led to the Second World War.
How would England or France react to this conflict? A situation
arose that made all Europe tense. After nearly 3 years of hostility
the war ended with victory for the nationalists led by Franco, andyet pitiful scenes of carnage were visible everywhere, as families,
brothers, and kin assailed each other, leaving agonizing scars
within the hearts of the Spaniards, scars that remain to this day.
Since Franco favored “ultra-Catholicism” the Vatican swiftly
accepted his regime, while Germany and Italy which emerged as
fascist states, followed suit. The Catholics in Spain were also in awelcoming mood, but England and France remained silent.
In 1946, Fr. Arrupe wrote a book entitled, “The Reality ofCommunism.” Even in postwar Japan, around the time the15

communist movement began showing signs of gaining momentum,
Fr. Arrupe gave lectures at several schools as to what communism
really was, and he was asked to compile this information into abook. He stated that communism had been in European history
since the time of ancient Greece. He mentioned the ideas ofRousseau upholding human freedom, of the communism of Marxand Lenin and the political movements wherein they were realized,
and he even touched on issues he personally experienced in Spain.

16Chapter 2: In JapanIn 1938 Fr. Arrupe arrived in Japan. It was a time when hehad gone over to the USA to conclude his studies, and it was also
at the end of his third and final stage of formation as a Jesuit,
what we refer to as Tertianship. There are various theories as
to why he selected Japan as his missionary destination. Somesay he volunteered because he had a desire to go there, whileothers declare that he was assigned there by the Jesuit Superiors.
Regarding the Society of Jesus in Japan of that period, in 1908
three Jesuits entered the country, and in 1913 they acquired landin what is now Kioicho of the Chiyoda ward, and founded Sophia
University. Later it became a mission area under the concern of
the West German Province of the Society of Jesus. Many German
missionaries were dispatched to the place, and they began to
manage institutions and provide secondary education. Their
first school was Rokko Gakuin, which was founded in 1936. In
1934, the Toledo Province of Spain was also given responsibility
for evangelical work in Japan, primarily in the Yamaguchi area
where St. Francis Xavier had conducted his missionary activities.
Fr. Arrupe belonged to the Province of Castile, and so when
the Superior General sent him to Japan, he wrote the following
sentence in his letter, “In order to be delegated to Japan you will
provisionally be assigned to the German West Province, but yourfinal assignment will be to the Toledo Province.” This is a situationthat needs to be grasped because it is an issue linked to Jesuit
governance, an issue concerning the province to which a mission
field is entrusted. It concerns the Jesuit vow of obedience.
On reaching Japan, Fr. Arrupe at first studied the Japanese
language in Tokyo. However, since the parish priest of Yamaguchi
Church decided to travel to Spain in order to collect donations
17

for the building of a church, Fr. Arrupe was suddenly ordered to
Yamaguchi. His leaving for Yamaguchi was done in a mood ofgreat anxiety, since he did not know the Japanese language, he
was still unaccustomed to Japan, and besides, he was heading
towards a rural township.
Yet Fr. Arrupe served diligently, and he was especially activewith regard to working with youngsters. Many who met him at
this time were inspired by his personality, and decided to become
Jesuits. They later underwent training at the novitiate with Fr.
Arrupe as Novice Master, and soon became members of the Japan
Jesuit Province, with weighty responsibilities.
On December 8, 1941, with the Japanese invasion of Pearl
Harbor, the Pacific War erupted. Even prior to that the Japanesearmy had moved into mainland China and the Southern Islands,
and war against the United States and Britain had begun. On thatday, Fr. Arrupe was suddenly led before the Military Police, since
he was suspected of being a spy.
Since Japan had forged a tripartite pact with Germany and
Italy, Germans and Italians were not considered spies. Although
Fr. Arrupe was Spanish, yet the fact that he had studied in
America led him to be suspected of espionage. He endured
detention for approximately a month, putting up with the freezingcold solitary confinement, harsh interrogation in the Japanese
language which he had still not fully grasped, and so on and soforth. Recalling this experience later he stated as follows:“I passed many days and nights alone in the December cold,
with no bed, no desk, and nothing but tatami mats to sleep on. I
suffered because I had no idea as to why I was incarcerated, andyet I learned a lot during this time. What I learned were lessons
in silence, in being alone, in harsh and ruthless poverty, and18

colloquies within my heart with ‘a visitor to my soul.’ Throughout
my entire life I think this was the period when I learned the most.”

To Hiroshima As Novice MasterOn the conclusion of his detention in Yamaguchi, Fr. Arrupe
was assigned to the Nagatsuka novitiate as Novice Master.
A person who joins the Society of Jesus has initially toundergo two years of training. A novitiate is referred to as a ‘houseof probation,’ and here the suitability of the candidate for theSociety of Jesus is tested. Specifically there are five “experiments”(trainings) to be undergone by the candidate. The most vital is
the retreat of thirty days based on the Spiritual Exercises of St.
Ignatius, but trainings are also conducted in kitchens, hospitals,
and so on. In our time training was also conducted in the church.
There also used to be a pilgrimage training, where people would
go to pilgrimage sites with no money whatsoever in their pockets.
Through practical means like these the novices were tested, andafter two years of training, if they are deemed worthy of becoming
members of the Society of Jesus, they are granted permission totake their first vows.

（Nagatsuka Noviciate and Fr. Arrupe）

19

During this period, the German missionaries were among
the earliest to make efforts to adapt Christianity to Japaneseculture. To enable Christianity to get rooted in the mission field,
the Jesuits in the 16th century initiated the process of integrating
local cultures. It is a well-known fact that this was the method
adopted by Matteo Ricci in the course of his evangelical workin China, and in Japan also Valignano sought to conduct hisevangelical work by adapting it to Japanese culture. He createdsome “Guidelines for Etiquette” based on the performance of thetea ceremony, and established tea rooms in monasteries. Fr. La
Salle, who was in charge of the Japanese mission area (and who
became known as Enomiya Makibi after acquiring Japanesenationality), incorporated Zen ascetical practices into the methodsof prayer used in the Spiritual Exercises. Through his personal Zen
experiences he actively introduced Zen to Christian nations, anderected a facility for Christian-style Zen practices in a place called
Kabe in Hiroshima. However due to the construction of a dam theplace had to be relocated, and so it is now a Zen-style meditation
house in Shinmeikutsu located in Akikawa of Tama city, in theTokyo metropolis.
Fr. Arrupe introduced the tea ceremony into the novitiate. A
teacher of the tea ceremony would visit the novitiate each week,
and instruct the novices regarding the preparation and etiquette
involved in the ceremony. Although there was no tea room in thenovitiate there was a large room with tatami flooring, where thesessions were conducted.
One often sees photographs of Fr. Arrupe in prayer. He isshown squatting straight in Japanese style, with his head tilted
slightly downwards and his hands on his lap. One may call thisa Japanese-style prayer posture. Later when he became Superior
General he had a private prayer room next to his office, which was
lined with tatami mats.
20

One significant demand Fr. Arrupe made of his novices was“humility.” The Jesuits refer to themselves as the “minima societas”(least society), and St. Ignatius in his “Spiritual Exercises” calleda certain exercise “The Three Degrees of Humility.” He thus
underscored the value of humility. What they needed to learn asnovices was to “humble themselves” as Jesus did, and hence thenovices of those days are said to have been forced to “pick up horse
manure.” In those days horses were still being used to transport
goods in Hiroshima, and so roads were littered with manure.
Senior members among the Jesuits who had received theirnovitiate training from Fr. Arrupe unitedly affirmed that “Novice
Master Arrupe was strict,” and there were some who simply
asserted that fact and remained silent. It is reported that lights
used to be on in the Novice Master’s room until late at night, andby 3:00 AM or 4:00 AM in the morning the lights were alreadyfound to be on. He was a person who wore a black soutane andprayed in a tatami chapel, and that perhaps was the sight that was
witnessed by the novices.

21

However, there do exist also some impish anecdotes like thefollowing. There was a certain novice, who prior to entering theSociety of Jesus had to travel with Fr. Arrupe from Nagatsuka to
Misasa Church, and as it was a trip of 5 kilometers, they decided
to cycle all the way. At the foot of the hill on which the novitiate
lay flowed a narrow river of about 10 meters width, known as the
Yamamoto River. Fr. Arrupe suddenly proposed, “let’s have a raceon the river bank.” The novice was startled. Yet he answered “yes”
and the race began. Being a young man of around 20 years age hebelieved there was no chance of his losing against Fr. Arrupe, andso they set off. Nevertheless however, Fr. Arrupe was healthy, andbesides he was perhaps in his late forties. They raced along theriver bank, and Fr. Arrupe steadily began to take the lead. Yet,when the novice felt he was going to lose, Fr. Arrupe suddenly
yelled out “Aah” in a loud voice, and on glancing sideways to check
what the matter was, the novice noticed something black flying
away from Fr. Arrupe’s head. It was his favorite beret, and thenovice was outdone by Fr. Arrupe while he was diverted by theberet. Yet since an unforeseen situation had occurred, the race wasapparently declared null and void.
As I mentioned earlier in the preface, when speaking of Fr.
Arrupe as Novice Master, one needs to cite what he did at the timeof the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945. As everyonesays, he devoted himself to treating the sick by using the novitiate’schapel as a clinic. Nevertheless it is reported that in later years,
he felt intense emotional pain concerning the events linked to theatomic bomb as such. It was most painful in 1950 when he visited
Columbia on his first study tour, which he himself recalled ashaving traveled “one and a half times around the earth.” There, hereceived a chance to witness a documentary concerning the atomic
bomb, that was produced in the United States. The documentary22

revealed precisely what he had undergone, and for him the fact of
having endured that situation was so intense, that he was unable
to watch anymore.
Fr. Arrupe declared that the Mass he celebrated at themonastery on the day after the dropping of the atomic bomb, was
one of the most momentous Masses he had celebrated in his life.
The half-destroyed chapel was swarming with the injured. Masses
in those days were celebrated with the priest facing the altar, withhis back to the faithful. During Mass he was in a position wherein
he was unable to observe the state of the faithful, and yet, thatwas the time he saw them, and he spoke about it as follows, “I cannever forget the dreadful sensation I experienced the moment I
witnessed that scene from the altar. I could not even move. I stoodthere as though paralyzed with arms out-stretched. I was deeply
distraught by that tragedy, wherein advances in science andtechnology created by humans, were used for the destruction of
mankind. All of them were gazing upon me with pain and despair
reflected in their eyes. It was as though they were awaiting someform of consolation to be poured down upon them from the altar. It
was indeed a terrifying sight!” The treatment activities continued
for 6 months, but many received baptism and left the monastery.
Based on his own experience of the atomic bombing Fr. Arrupe
also conveyed a passionate message of peace, wherein he had thisto say:“The explosion of the atomic bomb is a symbol of this era inwhich we live. It reveals the hopes and toils of present-day men
and women. It is hope understood in one sense, an uncertain hopeoffered by the discovery of atomic energy. It is also unflinching
proof that mankind can adopt any means within reach, in order toattain a goal. And the agony! Who can guarantee that no nation
will attempt to detonate an atomic bomb once again in order to23

achieve political and national goals? From the human experienceavailable to us, we know that as long as atomic bombs exist in thearsenals of nations, there is no reassurance they will not be used.
The only reliable guarantee they will not be used, will be whenatomic bombs do not exist.”
Needless to say, this message is valid even today.
I would like to say that during his period as Novice Master, atriumph of Fr. Arrupe’s was his Japanese translation of the lettersof Xavier, a missionary revealed in textbooks as the person who
first introduced Christianity into Japan. In his preface to the work,
Fr. Arrupe writes as follows. “I would like all Japanese brethren to
get to know the spiritual image of St. Xavier. He for the first time
introduced the Catholic religion into Japan. He likewise conveyed
the culture of Europe into Japan, and he also ushered into Europe
the splendid nature of the Japanese people. For that purpose wehave nothing better than the letters of the Saint himself.” At thattime, not only were there no Japanese translations of the letters of
Xavier, there was also no decisive academically rectified original
text. In 1945, by a process of confirmation that was reported tobe the best, Fr. Schurhammer completed the entire collectionof Xavier’s letters and published them. In response to this, Fr.
Arrupe in 1949 published his “Excerpts from the Correspondenceof St. Francis Xavier.” It was a publication of Iwanami Shoten, tovenerate the 450th anniversary of the arrival of Francis Xavier
into Japan. The book was published as a paperback and reprinted
in 1991, but it is now out of print. Later Fr. Kono Yoshinoritranslated all the letters, but nevertheless through the translationof Fr. Arrupe we are able to discern the heart of Xavier. It is
written in superior Japanese, and that is believed to be due to thefabulous Japanese sensitivity of Inoue Ikuji, who was listed as aco-translator. Yet, these days it is not something one can easily
pick up and read, which is a pity.
24

In 1942 Fr. Arrupe was sent from Yamaguchi to the
Nagatsuka novitiate, and until his selection as Vice Provincial andhis moving to Tokyo in 1954, he spent twelve years in Hiroshima.
He was Novice Master to the novices, but to believers of nearby
churches he was the Rector of the monastery, and also pastoral
director in charge of the Hiroshima/Yamaguchi area. As pastor
there were many who were motivated by him, yet most are nolonger with us, and those able to recount their memories of him
are very old. In 2003 a bust of Fr. Arrupe was placed before
the novitiate entrance. There are also inscriptions extolling his
successes, which convey his desire that future generations cometo know about them. However, when my mother saw the bust, she
exclaimed, “This is not the face of Fr. Arrupe! No...!”To Tokyo As Provincial
As a mission area of the West German Province and Toledo
Province of Spain, the Jesuits in Japan began to manage
universities and junior high schools. They were also in charge ofthe pastoral care of the Church in the China area, and in 1949
they were constituted a Vice Province. Fr. Arrupe became Vice
Provincial in 1954, and was later promoted to Provincial in 1958.
It is indeed curious, but the fact is that concerning Fr. Arrupe
as Provincial, not much is mentioned in his biographies, in records
dealing with him, or in his sets of interviews. I asked many people
why this was so, but the only answer they gave me was that it wasprobably because his overseas trips were rather long.
There were two major issues confronting Japan, which had
become a Province. One was to increase the number of Jesuits in
response to the increasing number of apostolates, and the otherwas to establish a solid financial foundation. What Fr. Arrupe
undertook to solve these two issues, was a long overseas study
tour.
25

To settle these two issues, what Fr. Arrupe did was to embark
upon lengthy overseas inspection tours, and so in 1954 he spentaround a year visiting the United States, Spain, Italy, France,
Germany, Belgium, Canada, and nations in Central and SouthAmerica. Even after becoming Provincial he visited nations in
Europe as well as North and South America for 6 months from1958 to 1959, and for around 4 months in 1962. In Rome hediscussed Japan’s mission with the Superior General and otherleading Jesuits, he visited each nation to apprise them of thestate of affairs in Japan, he recruited missionaries, and appealed
for donations. He spoke in particular of his personal experienceof exposure to the atomic bombing in Hiroshima, of the horror of
nuclear weapons and the devastation they engendered, and herepeatedly delivered messages pleading for peace.
The contents of the lectures were wide-ranging, but when it
came to speaking of the atomic bomb and postwar renovation ofJapan, he did not speak merely about the phenomenon. Rather, heserenely analyzed and spoke of the reality as viewed via the eyes ofa scientist, who had aspired to become a doctor in his earlier days.
That became clear when the content of an interview by Fr. JeanClaude Leach that had taken place between Christmas 1980 andEaster the succeeding year, was published as a book. Fr. Arrupe’s
own memoirs entitled “Reminiscences” were also included, andon reading, “Surviving an Atomic Bomb” and “Thoughts 25 Years
After the Atomic Bomb,” we come to realize it. Regarding theradioactivity effects of the atomic bomb, he is full of thoughtful
insights regarding observations and methods linked to burntreatment, postwar renovation and the Japanese mindset thatmade it possible, and so on. Permit me to quote just one passage.
“The spiritual power of the Land of the Rising Sun, rooted in26patriotism and spiritual ideals and almost a religion in itself, hadbeen crushed. Japan pursued solutions to problems lying at its
deepest level. Having lost the ideals of its ancestors, Japan suffereda spiritual hunger and strove for new truths, and this is revealedby the fact that 60% of the books sold in post-war Japan had
philosophical or religious themes. By turning to the West in searchof solutions, it seemed to many in the West as though Japan, at
any instant now, was showing signs of converting to Christianity.
However, what the West offered was merely materialism andits upshots, symbols of a decadent consumer society. From aspiritualism instituted on the love of the nation, ancestors, andEmperor, Japan turned to a religion relying on advances in goods,
science, and technology, a religion related to money, pleasure, andelation. This transformation of values explains many of the eventsoccurring in Japan today. This occurrence which is exclusive toJapan is also a good reference for emerging nations, which plan todevelop on their own. Viewed purely from a material perspective,
Japan is certainly a model, a nation unique in the world. Yet, thenation has paid a heavy price to attain such a goal.”
Responding to this message of his and moved by a desire to dosomething for Japan in its current situation, we are unsure as toprecisely how many missionaries came, but they did arrive fromseveral provinces. Obviously since the nationalities were many,it truly come to resemble an “international” or “multinational
province.” The apostolates embarked upon by the Society of Jesus
in Japan also spanned a wide range, including universities, juniorcolleges, vocational schools, junior high and high schools, parishes,
retreat houses, social facilities, and others.
This in turn evoked problems of interaction, due to themultinational nature of the body. Although the common language27was Japanese yet there were differences among members
regarding its usage, and there were also variances in culture andways of thinking. Due to the fact that it initially commenced asa mission of the West German Province, German missionaries
constituted the core group. Yet, the number of Spaniards andAmericans steadily increased, and missionaries arrived not justfrom European nations such as England, France, Belgium, theNetherlands, Ireland, and Hungary, but also Latin American
states like Cuba, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, and Colombia. This
alone enables us to perceive the divisions that must have arisen,
in ethnicity, culture, and ways of thinking and living. Besides
these we had the Japanese, and one can see that bringing them all
together, must have been an unduly grueling task.
Under such circumstances, when it came to deciding how theapostolate of the Society of Jesus needed to be directed with an eye
to the future, there were various discussions, and there were many
who opposed the ideas of Fr. Arrupe. I once heard the following
story from a Dutch missionary.
The issue involved the nature of pastoral care in the Hiroshima
Diocese. The Diocese of Hiroshima had jurisdictional authority
over five prefectures, specifically Hiroshima, Okayama, Tottori,
Shimane, and Yamaguchi, and many of the parish churches were
founded by the Society of Jesus. In 1921, a decision was taken by
the Holy See to divide the Diocese of Osaka and specify the westernpart as a Hiroshima Apostolic Vicariate, where jurisdiction would
belong to the West German Province. After the war, as the number
of Diocesan priests steadily increased, the problem arose as to how
pastoral care needed to be provided to the 5 prefectures as a whole.
Possible options included having Jesuits and Diocesan priests
jointly offer pastoral care to all the 5 prefectures, or to divide the28

5 prefectures into zones and have the Jesuits, Diocesan priests,
and other orders offer pastoral care to them separately. Fr. Arrupe
however adopted the method of splitting the entire area into
zones. Explicitly, the Diocesan priests would be in charge of theHiroshima Prefecture, the Jesuits of the Yamaguchi and Shimane
Prefectures, while the CICM missionaries would be in charge of the
Okayama and Tottori Prefectures. Many Jesuits objected to thismethod, since they felt that uniting the Diocese of Hiroshima into
one would be impossible, and that the 3 zones would be separated.
Though the idea of Fr. Arrupe was finally adopted after heateddebate, yet there were Jesuits who fought it to the very end. On
hearing this tale from the priest, I was struck by the manner inwhich he insisted with a rather irate expression on his face, “Arrupe
was wrong!”
This is a usual occurrence when erecting certain apostolic
institutions, and in situations like these it is not hard to
imagine impassioned discussions arising. This is even more soin communities that are multinational, and I am sure there aremany Jesuits who at some time in the past must have bitterly
remarked, “this is not what I thought.” Even now there are Jesuits
who affirm, “Arrupe was wonderful as Superior General, but as
Provincial…”
Another issue was with regard to the economic footing, andthis too is something I learned from a senior priest. Apparently,
despite being ordered to study abroad in Rome, he himself
had to pay all the expenses related to his residence and dailyliving. Hence on arriving in Italy he settled in a church locatedsomewhere, assisted at the offering of daily Mass, accepted theMass offerings of the people, and with those offerings he somehow
managed to survive. That apparently was the only choice he had,since he was not too fluent in Italian. Speaking of those hardships29

he remarked, “there was no money in the Japanese Province.”
The fact of the Japan Province having no money was also
stated by another priest. This priest was ordered to study
chemistry, since Sophia University was to create a Faculty of
Science and Engineering. He thereupon commenced studying forthe doctoral course at the University of Tokyo, when his director
suddenly had to shift to America. His director subsequently invited
him to come along saying, “Would you like to come and continue
your research with me?” On speaking of this to Fr. Arrupe though
he was curtly told, “That’s impossible,” and the reason given
was, “the Japanese Province had no money.” Luckily his advisor
contacted an American university and he was able to obtain ascholarship, and so he was able to study in the United States.
Apparently the professor came all the way to see Fr. Arrupe, andmanaged to persuade him.
Urged on by a desire to resolve this situation, Fr. Arrupe
had no hesitation about journeying abroad so as to accumulate
the necessary funds. Since Japan originally was a mission of theGerman province, beginning with the Diocese of Cologne the nation
willingly provided contributions. When commencing projects
German missionaries would often return home to acquire donations,and there exist numerous facilities and churches that have been
established in this manner. When the California province started
a junior high and high school in Hiroshima, aside from donations
provided by benefactors they offered vast quantities of funds, andfurthermore, they generously dispatched some Jesuits as well.
Spain set up an office to collect donations for Japan, and many
donations poured in. Mexico was a nation with financial problemsof its own, and yet despite their lack there were many who offeredmoney to Japan. On the basis of assets accumulated in this way
Fr. Arrupe created several funds, considered how they could be put
to effective use, and even saw to the training of experts who could30deal with them. Finances related to the creation of facilities andtraining of members, were made secure. In particular, he enhanced
the funds for the training of Jesuits, and made the province a place
where individuals could concentrate on their studies.
On May 22, 1965, Fr. Arrupe was elected Superior General.
According to the province catalog of that year the number ofJesuits in the Japan Province was 441, and this included 315
priests, 90 scholastics, and 36 brothers. They hailed from 38 Jesuit
provinces and 18 nations of origin. The apostolic institutionsof the province included 2 universities, 3 middle and highschools, 26 parishes, and one retreat house, and the houses offormation included a novitiate, institutes to study philosophy andtheology, and a Japanese language school. The number of Jesuit
communities was 38, and we may say that all this was the upshotof the robust activity of Fr. Arrupe.
However, there is an interesting issue here. After Fr. Arrupe
had become Provincial, a Visitor was ordered to Japan. What werefer to as Visitor, is a Jesuit who is sent to a particular province
by order of the Superior General. He conducts a detailed study ofthe situation in the province, he meets each and every province
member and listens to what they have to say, and he has thetask of reporting to the Superior General details concerning theinternal affairs of the province. On this occasion the person sent toJapan was Fr. Kester of the Indonesian Province. The Visitor was
free to hear the opinions of the Jesuits, and when Visitors arrived,
Jesuits could even bypass the provincial in expressing their views
to him. What sort of views did Fr. Kester receive? And on the basisof these views, what specific proposals did he make to the Superior
General regarding missionary activity in Japan? Although it is amatter of concern, yet two years later when Fr. Kester had fulfilled31his mission and was about to report to the Superior General, hefound that the Superior General had been replaced by Fr. Arrupe.
Regarding the Japan Province, of which Fr. Arrupe had been
provincial, what sort of report could the Visitor have given to thesame Fr. Arrupe who was now the Superior General? It is said thatwhen Fr. Arrupe entered the office of the Superior General for the
first time and occupied the chair, the report was found on his desk.
As an apostolic facility established during Fr. Arrupe’s time asprovincial, I must comment on the Twenty-Six Martyrs Museumand Monument, erected on Nishizaka Hill in Nagasaki. This was
an institution that possessed a profoundly symbolic significance forhim.
Nagasaki was a place donated to the Society of Jesus, by the
feudal lord Omura Sumitada in 1580. After Francis Xavier had
departed from Japan in 1551, Fr. Cosme de Torres built a port in
Nagasaki, which at that time happened to be just a small fishingvillage, in order to permit access to Nanban ships, and he made ita base for Christian missions. It was also the place where Omura
Sumitada received baptism, and where the people of the territory
also became Christians. Nevertheless in 1596, Toyotomi Hideyoshi
issued a ban on Christianity. At this time 26 Christians werearrested in Kyoto, and these included the Franciscan Fr. Pedro
Baptista, who had disobeyed the ban and carried out missionary
activities. They were forced to walk to Nagasaki, and they werecrucified on a small hill in Nishizaka on February 5, 1597.
In 1862, these 26 individuals were canonized as martyrs by
His Holiness Pope Pius IX. Since the discovery in 1863 at Oura
Cathedral of the descendants of those Christians who had persisted
in upholding their faith for about 260 years despite the ban on
Christianity, the Catholic Church, which sought to evangelize
32Japan once more, praised the faith of these early martyrs, whoregardless of the harshest persecution refused to bow down.
As mentioned earlier, the Jesuits returned to Nagasaki in
1908. The city remained a soulful place for them, and one may saythat maintaining a missionary base there was a long-cherisheddesire of theirs. In 1958, Yamaguchi Aijiro, who at the time wasArchbishop of the Nagasaki Diocese, advised Provincial Arrupe
on his visit to Nagasaki that a monument be erected there for the
26 Martyrs, and in response to this the Japan Province decided
to erect a museum and residence in Nishizaka. The land was cityproperty, yet the mayor of Nagasaki Mr. Tagawa Tsutomu offered
it on lease to the Society of Jesus. Mr. Funakoshi Yasutake wasauthorized to create in relief statues of the 26 martyrs that would
serve as the monuments, while the memorial hall was conceived
by Imai Kenji, who was also involved in designing the Memorial
Cathedral for World Peace in Hiroshima. The monument wascompleted on June 10, 1962, and a grand opening ceremony washeld on the centennial of the canonization of the Japanese martyrs,
and on that occasion, Fr. Arrupe made the following statements.
“Although this monument is composed of stone and bronze,
what emanates from it is a dynamic and tender spirit of love.
This monument is a document conveying the testimony of love,
and a forceful appeal for lasting world peace through love. Today,
conflicts of hatred and cold wars continue to occur in places aroundthe world. Yet the zeal of all of you gathered around the symbolof love will enable people of Japan and the world to hold handswith each other, and never permit mankind to repeat this tragedy
again.”
Hiroshima and Nagasaki are places that were affected by theatomic bomb. For Fr. Arrupe, who was exposed to the atomic bomb33

in Hiroshima, it would be no exaggeration to say that as a Jesuit
Nagasaki was a soulful place for him, and February 5, whichhappens to be the day on which the 26 Saints were martyred, also
marks the end of Fr. Arrupe’s life.

(high-relief of 26 martyrs)

34

Chapter 3: As Superior General
In 1958, following the demise of Pope Pius XII a conclave wasconvened in order to elect a new Pope, and the individual chosen
was His Holiness Pope John XXIII. As he had already reached theage of 76, people had no expectations whatever of anything newarising from him. Nevertheless however, no sooner had he been
elected Pope, he proclaimed to the Catholic Church around theworld a message that was most vital, specifically that he intended
convoking a public assembly, namely the Second Vatican Council.
The entire world was stunned by this news. In fact the earlier
Council was convoked in 1869, but it had not yet formally been
declared as having ended. This was partly due to the unrest causedby the conflicts that were occurring in Europe at that time, but it
was also due to the fact that there existed a firm tendency within
the Catholic Church itself to ignore the trends of modernization,and swallow the leanings of the new eras within its traditions.
Pope John XXIII proclaimed something none had thought
about, and that was the convening of the Second Vatican Council.
None had any idea as to what the purpose of the Council was, orwhat sort of a Council it was going to be. The Pope however was
clear on those issues. The keyword was “aggiornamento,” whichmeant to modernize the current Catholic Church, to adapt andrenew it to the contemporary era, and to enable it to cast asidesome old traditions in which it was entrenched, so that it may bein line with modern times.
The Council was convened in 1963. Bishops and theologicalexperts from nations the world over as well as bishops from
Eastern Churches and delegates from Protestant groups, were also
invited. Although Christianity had experienced splits in its links
with the Roman Catholic Church, it was an expression of its will35

to substantiate the fact that its faith was one. This gave the ideathat this Council would turn out into becoming a “groundbreaking”
experience.
Right now I cannot speak of the Second Vatican Council, sincethat does not happen to be my intention. Nevertheless however theCouncil affected all religious congregations, and the Jesuits were
no exception. When the Council ended Fr. Arrupe was chosen as
the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, and he was burdenedwith the heavy task of renewing the Society. Hence in view of this,
I wish to speak occasionally about the outcome and impact of theCouncil.
The Second Vatican Council concluded in 1965. The Council’s
official texts are vast, comprising 4 Constitutions, 9 Decrees, and 3
Declarations. Yet they all proved critical in the later renewal of theCatholic Church, as well as in opening it up to the contemporary
world and enabling dialogue. Among them, “the Decree on the
Adaptation and Renewal of Religious Life,” which was intended forthe amendment of religious life, transformed the way religious life
was pursued in all religious congregations.

The 31st General Congregation
The 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus washeld on May 7, 1965. Following the death of the Superior General
Fr. Janssens, it was convened in order to select the next Superior
General. However, aside from the election of a Superior General,
the General Congregation had also to consider and see how they
could integrate the outcome of the Second Vatican Council into thereligious congregation, and thereby bring about its reform.
On an occasion like this the individual elected as Superior
General was Fr. Arrupe, who participated in the General
Congregation as head of the Japan Jesuit province. As stated36

earlier, Fr. Arrupe was a priest who had shouldered the great
responsibilities of missionary work in Japan, as Novice Master,Vice Provincial, and Provincial. I also mentioned the fact that
he toured the world over, informing people concerning thedevastation caused in Japan, and testifying to the horrors of theatomic bomb. He keenly insisted on the need to aid the Catholic
Church in Japan, and above all, he spoke of the urgent need tosend missionaries. In response to this, young Jesuits the world
over who wished to volunteer for missionary work wrote to theSuperior General, imploring him to send them to Japan. The
Superior General also responded to the call, and Japan accordingly
became an international province, comprising local Jesuits andmissionaries from 18 different nations.
Thus, Fr. Arrupe’s name became known throughout the world.
Since he had studied in Belgium and the United States prior toarriving in Japan, Fr. Arrupe was multilingual. Just before he left
for the General Congregation, apparently the priest serving as
secretary to the provincial whispered to him saying, “Fr. Arrupe, if
you go to Rome, you will never return to Japan.”
Directly after the General Congregation an election was held tochoose the succeeding Superior General, and after several roundsof voting Fr. Arrupe was chosen. On the day following his election,
while addressing the delegates of the General Congregation hesaid:
In delivering my first address as Superior General, what comesnaturally to my lips are the words of the prophet Jeremiah, “Alas,
Sovereign Lord, I do not know how to speak.” (Jeremiah 1:6). Thisis a perfect representation of the feeling of insignificance that I
experience right now. Yet, it is proof that the will of God will bringit to fulfillment. This is my sole consolation, and it raises up my37

spirits. “Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you.” (Jeremiah
1:8). The God who chose me through all of you, will also give me
the grace to carry out this great task with my feeble hands. I havenever felt so close to the words of our Lord, “because without me
you can do nothing.” (John 15:5), and the words of the Apostle
Paul, “if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing,
he deceives himself.” (Galatians 6:3). Furthermore, since thiselection is from God, I can affirm what the Apostle Paul says withdeep humility, “I can do all things through Him, who strengthensme.” (Philippians 4:13). Also, the word of the Lord strengthens me. “I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” (Acts 9:16).
True to these words, Fr. Arrupe as Superior General wasforced to suffer greatly, “for my name’s sake.”
On July 15, after the election of the Superior General, the 31stGeneral Congregation was provisionally adjourned, since it was
not possible to provide clear and instant responses to each of thedemands made by the Second Vatican Council.
The members of the General Congregation were to reconvene
a year later, and so a second session commenced on September
8, 1966. I shall refrain from debating the details of this General
Congregation here. This is due to the fact that although thedecrees of this General Congregation address all points of reformof the Catholic Church laid out by the Second Vatican Council,
and present a reform policy for the Society of Jesus, yet, not muchmention is made as to what clearly needs to be done. In that sense
we need to speak of the 32 nd General Congregation, that wasconvoked in 1974. This is because it was convoked by Fr. Arrupe,and guidelines were set up to concretely steer the current Societyof Jesus, things that would have been impossible without his
leadership as Superior General.
38

The 32nd General Congregation
In 1974, ten years having elapsed since the 31 st General
Congregation, the Superior General Fr. Arrupe studied the processof reform that the Society of Jesus, which had undergone a variety
of upheavals during that period, had gone through. Furthermore,
he decided to convoke a General Congregation, in order toreconsider what the essential mission of the Society of Jesus wasin modern times.
This General Congregation was not held in order to elect a new
Superior General, upon the death of the earlier one. In the 450year history of the Society of Jesus, such General Congregations
have been summoned only seven times. These were special General
Congregations, which were convoked when there were urgent
issues that needed to be resolved.
The General Congregation commenced on December 2nd 1974,
and on the following day, which was the feast of St. Francis Xavier,the reigning pontiff, His Holiness Pope Paul VI, appeared at theCongregation and addressed the delegates. His Holiness showeda keen interest in the General Congregation, and all throughthe planning process the Superior General Fr. Arrupe kept him
informed.
The Pope wished to know from where the Jesuits came, where
they stood right now, and where they were headed. He spoke of thenecessity of returning to the charism of the founder and origins of
the Society of Jesus, as well as the need to adapt to modern times.
In particular, concerning the charism of the founder St. Ignatius
of Loyola, his profound understanding and energetic manner ofspeech were impressive.
Nevertheless though, the Pontiff’s concern for the General
Congregation exerted a great impact on the course of theCongregation itself, and at times it even evoked some confusion.
39

On December 16 a handwritten note by Pope Paul VI was delivered
to Fr. Arrupe, wherein it was stated that no changes should bemade to the “Fourth Vow,” which was a charism unique to theSociety of Jesus.

The Fourth Vow
For non-Jesuits, to grasp the significance of the term “FourthVow” may be hard, yet for Jesuits it constitutes the very core of
their identity.
The fourth vow differs from the 3 vows of poverty, chastity, andobedience, and it is taken when Jesuits conclude their training andare officially accepted into the Society of Jesus. It implies that “theJesuit will be totally obedient to the Pope, regarding matters related
to being sent on missions.” This was a vow taken by St. Ignatius at
the time of the birth of the Society of Jesus, since he was keen that a
special bond be formed between the Pope and the Jesuits.
However, among Jesuits, this Fourth Vow is taken only by“those professed of the solemn vows.” In the Society of Jesus,
although all are known as “Jesuits,” there is a hierarchy among
them. There are priests who take the “Fourth Vow” and those who
only take the three religious vows, and besides, there are Jesuits
who take the three religious vows but do not become priests. These
are referred to as “Brothers.” There are some Jesuits who havetaken religious vows and yet are still in the process of formation,and they are referred to as “theologians,” and there are also Jesuits
who have just joined the Society of Jesus, and who are undergoingtraining as novices. All these in a broad sense are Jesuits, but inthe strict sense of the term a Jesuit is a person who is professed of
the “Fourth Vow.” Hence, it is only these who are entitled to takepart in General Congregations as well as preliminary provincial
meetings, and the Provincials and Rectors too are chosen fromamong them.
40

There is possibly a historical background as to why such
distinctions arose. However in modern times, this sort of hierarchy(referred to as “gradus”) can at times become an obstacle, especiallywhen considering the unity of spirit among the Jesuits. Henceduring the 31st General Congregation, doors were opened to Jesuitsother than those professed of the solemn vows, to participate inprovincial meetings and General Congregations. This was one of
the renewals of the Society of Jesus.
This issue was raised once again in the 32 nd General
Congregation, and the possibility of permitting the Fourth Vow to
be taken by all members of the Society of Jesus, was considered.
However the Pope was not in favor of this move, since he believedthat making changes to the “Fourth Vow,” which formed theunique charisma of the Society of Jesus, would not lead to a true
reform of the Jesuits.

The Jesuit Identity
Issues like these arose, but there were other snags too that
had to be dealt with. While some Jesuits had misgivings regarding
the line of the reforms advised at the 31st General Congregation,and felt that the Society of Jesus ought to return to its pre-Vaticanstance, others on the contrary felt the reforms needed to be much
more radical. In such a situation, there arose a mounting need todecide anew as to who the Jesuits were, and what their mission
was in this present age. Once that was done, the lifestyle andconduct of the Jesuits as well as the mode of training they undergo
needed to reassessed, in order to see if they were suitable.
The 32 nd General Assembly accepted these challenges andconcluded on March 7, 1975, and the resulting “decrees” breathed
new life into the Society of Jesus. I cannot introduce all of them
here, but there are two I wish to comment on. These decrees are
extremely crucial, for they enabled Fr. Arrupe to guide the Society
41

of Jesus as the Superior General.
The first is the “Second Decree,” which clarifies the issue as to
who the Jesuits are in modern times and their identity.
What does it mean to be a Jesuit? It is to know that eventhough we are sinners, we are called like Ignatius to be companionsof Jesus. Ignatius asked the Virgin Mary to “place him with herSon,” and he also saw the Father Himself asking Jesus who carried
the cross, to make this pilgrim His companion. (11).
What does it mean to be a companion of Jesus today? It is toengage under the banner of the cross in the great battle of ourtime, the battle for faith and the justice involved in it. (12).
The Jesuits assembled at the 32 nd General Congregationreflected on the purpose for which the Society of Jesus was founded,
namely, “the greater glory of God and service of humanity.” They
conceded errors committed by the Society in sustaining the faithand upholding justice. With hearts of pain they stood before thecrucified Christ, and asked themselves, “What have we done for
Christ? What are we doing for Christ? What are we going to do for
Christ?” They chose to engage in this battle as a focal point, thatrevealed clearly who modern Jesuits are and what they do. (13).
In writing thus they returned to the source of their founder’scharisma, and clarified the nature of the Society of Jesus and its
members, in adapting to modern times.
What is potently avowed here, namely the fact that we are“engaged in a battle for faith and for the justice involved in it” isrelated to the Fourth Decree, to the primary choice wherein it issaid, “our mission today” is “to provide service for the sake of faithand promote justice.”42

(Pope Paul VI and Fr. Arrupe)

The Fourth Decree
The “Fourth Decree” states that preaching the Christian Faithand working for justice are not distinct issues, since the struggle
for justice is included within the preaching of the Christian faith.
The struggle for justice is not confined merely to Jesuits involvedin pursuits linked to social justice. Rather, it is required of Jesuits
involved in all undertakings and projects of the Society of Jesus,
and without this struggle for justice, no current missionary activity
would be classed as a Jesuit activity.
In brief, the mission of the Society of Jesus today is the serviceof the faith, and the promotion of justice is an unqualified demandof that service. This is because in order that all human beings may
be reconciled to God, justice forms part of the mutual reconciliationnecessary among human beings. (48).
While this General Congregation breathed in new life into
the Society of Jesus worldwide, it is also true that it triggered
off great unrest. Certain provinces believed there was no point
in running schools that turn out merely social elites, and so theschools were shut, since it was believed that Jesuits should be43

engaged in causes allied to social justice. In some provinces it was
judged that for the sake of social justice the nation itself needed
to be renewed, and cases arose where Jesuits became ministers in
the government. According to Catholic canon law the clergy cannot
be directly involved in politics, and they are forbidden to enter thegovernment. Fr. Arrupe agonized greatly over these issues, unsure
as to whether such Jesuits should be dismissed from the Society ofJesus. Issues like these also evoked tensions between the Jesuits
and the Vatican Curia.
In situations related to the “Fourth Decree” we findevangelization leaning towards the “Pastoral Constitution on the
Church in the Modern World, that is, Gaudium et Spes,” and the
Catholic Church’s subsequent “Preferential option for the Poor.”
We also find close links to Liberation Theology, which became
popular in the 1970s.
Regarding the participation of the Church in social issues,
the “Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World”
clarifies the stance that though the primary mission of the Church
is religious, yet it can do a lot with regard to the realization of theideal human being. (See 42). In the 1971 Synod of Bishops when
“Justice in the World” was accepted and declared, it was stated,“Fulfilling the Church’s mission to save humanity and liberate
people from all kinds of harsh conditions, can be said to be therealization of justice and the reformation of the world.”
This, as proposed by Bishops mainly of South America, implies
viewing the salvation of those tyrannized in real society from thestandpoint of “liberation,” and combating social structural evil andstructural injustice. It reflects the trend to view evangelization asa “constituent element” of the Church, whose mission is to preachthe Gospel. This was known as “Liberation Theology.” It was very
popular in the 1970s, and it underscored the fact that addressing
44issues of social justice was an exceptionally crucial task for the
Church.
However, on seeking to advance “liberation theology” and put
it concretely into practice, occasionally the impression arose that
it was restricted to activities economic, political, and social. Hencein his apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi” (“In proclaiming
the Gospel”) (1975), Pope Paul VI states as follows: “The following
should be said about human liberation, which the proclamationof the Gospel claims, and strives to carry out. It should not be
restricted to the economic, political, social, or cultural spheres oflife. Genuine human liberation must look squarely at the entire
person and include a relationship to the Absolute to which humanbeings aspire, namely God.”“When the Church preaches about human liberation, works
for it, and interacts with those who suffer, she does not limit
her mission to the religious field and ignore people’s mundane
problems. However, the Church affirms that its spiritual mission
is a priority. The proclamation of the kingdom of God cannot be
replaced by mere human liberation.” (See paragraphs 33 and 34).
In preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, how do we integrate thereligious and secular dimensions? That is an issue that continues
to be debated. However it is notable that human salvation is nolonger dealt with merely in its religious or spiritual dimension.
Rather, the secular dimension has come to be viewed as a“constitutive” element.

45

“Men for Others”

Regarding the significance of engaging in “social justice,”
there are certain words of Fr. Arrupe that have wielded a great
impact on Jesuit education, namely, “Men for Others.” In 1973, aconference of graduates of Jesuit schools in Europe was held in thecity of Valencia in Spain, and in his keynote address he posed thefollowing naive question to the members. “Did we Jesuits educate
you for justice?” This query arose with reference to the practicalactivities of the Catholic Church, with regard to realizing social
justice while conveying the word of God. He then continued saying,“We both know the answer many of your Jesuit teachers would
give to this question. They would say, We did not.” Having saidso, Fr. Arrupe went on to say that the future of Jesuit education
will be linked to social justice and evangelization, as conveyed by
the Catholic Church. A human being as envisaged by the Catholic
Church is a “person living for others,” and to become such a person,“conversion” was essential. It is said that during the lecture there
were some who reacted against the content. They grew upset andrefused to take it anymore, and later they quit the venue in a moodof anger. The speech of Fr. Arrupe may have evoked feelings ofdisquiet among graduates belonging to eras when Jesuit schools46

were seen as places for nurturing academic elites, and which
provided the type of education that enabled people to gain a highstatus in society. Nevertheless however, “Men for Others” later
became a motto common to Jesuit schools worldwide. In particular,
the term “other” does not refer merely to one’s neighbor. It signifies
also our “tiniest neighbors,” namely those obliged to live in poverty,
those oppressed by political powers, the marginalized, those forced
into refuge due to wars and conflicts, and the socially vulnerable.
Education that was imbued with an awareness of such service to“others,” began to be presented in Jesuit schools.
The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) which was launched by Fr.
Arrupe himself, is a concrete case of this basic policy of education.
He created a group to tackle the problem of refugees that had risen
worldwide since the late 1970s, particularly in nations of Africa
and Asia. Even in Japan, students and graduates of Jesuit schools
were sent to camp sites for Cambodian refugees, and fundraisingventures too were keenly conducted. At that time, I who was astudent of theology, stood at the east exit of Shinjuku Station alongwith Fr. Pittau the President of Sophia University and carried out
fundraising activities, while my theology companions were sent asvolunteers to refugee camps in Thailand.
The main policies of the 32nd General Congregation that arosein milieus such as these experienced slow progress in certain
Jesuit provinces, and at times tensions also developed among theJesuits. Some favored clinging to timeworn ways while others
were eager to leap into novel paths, and before anyone realized it,
the earlier monastic ambiance of training too died out. I shall now
introduce an episode that gives you an idea of the sort of mood thatexisted within the Society of Jesus. It occurred at the scholasticateof the Japan Jesuit province.
47

In my student days the scholasticate was located at
Kamishakujii in Nerima ward, and adjacent to it was situated the
diocesan grand seminary. Both the Jesuit scholastics and diocesan
seminarians studied at Kamishakujii, and members of the faculty
also resided in the same area. Among the professors was a priest
who had arrived as a missionary from Germany, and who had
lectured for several years on the Old Testament. The lectures were
hard, but the content was advanced. This priest always wore oldfashioned soutanes, and at breakfast he always consumed brownbread. He was a person who passed his days doing fixed jobs atfixed times, and he rarely spoke to the young seminarians andscholastics. He daily celebrated Holy Mass by himself in a small
chapel, and did not join in the community masses. On one occasion
however, the community of scholastics invited him to celebrate
Mass for them. Contrary to expectations he surprised everybody
by accepting the invitation, and I recall his sermon being mostimpressive. He said:“On observing my lifestyle, I am sure all of you must be
wondering a little. I joined the Society of Jesus because I love
the Jesuits, and I guess it is the same with you people as well.
However, the Society of Jesus that I love, is the one that I joined.
Since I do not deny the Society of Jesus that you people joined, youalso please do not deny the Society of Jesus that I myself joined.”
It was a symbolic sermon that brought the old and new Jesuits
together.

The Origin of the Society of Jesus
At the same time, we must not forget that owing to the Jesuits
returning to the origins of the Society of Jesus with a desire tomodernize it, research linked to the founders of the Society evolved
48

deeply. Research on the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius ceased
to rely solely on classical interpretations or literature basedon them, and in-depth pursuit of the origins truly made rapid
progress.
For example earlier, besides the official biography of St.
Ignatius penned by Fr. Ribadeneira, there was nothing else.
Fr. Ribadeneira’s biography presents an image of Ignatius ashe grew to maturity from a youthful age, but then his so-called“autobiography” was discovered, wherein he himself narrates half
the story of his life. This was then carefully revised and translated
within nations the world over, thereby providing us a glimpse into
his life.
Also, the Latin version of the “Spiritual Exercises” wasdeemed the official vulgate translation. However a handwritten
manuscript in Spanish was found, and this too after careful editing
was translated into many languages. This handwritten manuscript
included unique phrases and sayings of St. Ignatius, with nuancesthat differed totally from those in the official Latin translation, andthis in turn shed light on aspects that differed from conventional
interpretations.
The conditions surrounding the Society of Jesus during its
founding period were also investigated, and studies delving into
its spirituality were publicized in rapid succession. This type of
research entailed a reversion to the charisma of the founder andadaptation to the contemporary world, and needless to say it is agreat help towards realizing the ideals of the Society of Jesus thatare suitable for today.
Such types of reforms were sustained and shored up by Fr.
Arrupe, and besides he himself communicated them. He wrote
copious letters to Jesuits, he often spoke at Jesuit spiritual study
groups, he lucidly presented the characters of Ignatius and49other Jesuits of the foundation era, and specified cogently as tohow present-day Jesuits ought to be. The Center for Ignatian
Spirituality (CIS) was begun at the Jesuit Headquarters in Rome,
where every year themes were chosen and training courses were
offered. Fr. Arrupe also lectured at the center, and the content of
his lectures were incorporated into booklets which were distributed
to all the members. Although they amount to quite a few, yet I
intend highlighting just two of them over here, in order to see how
Fr. Arrupe perceived the Spiritual Exercises and presented thegenuine character of the Society of Jesus.

Rooted and Grounded in Love (1981)
For Fr. Arrupe, the Spiritual Exercises are a “Pedagogy
of Love.” That is, they are a step-by-step method for spiritual
practitioners to awaken to the love of God, and to learn to live in
His love.
From the beginning to the end the Spiritual Exercises areimbued with the “dynamism of love.” Caritas refers to a state ofmind, while “Love” refers to a movement of the heart. Let’s look atthese things in detail.
The “Annotations” that are seen at the beginning of theSpiritual Exercises, have some precautions for those who receive
and administer them. “Spiritual Exercises” are practices for the
training of the mind, similar to gymnastics in the case of the
body. The instructor briefly explains the central points pertaining
to meditation and contemplation to the practitioners, and thepractitioners use their intelligence and will to the maximum. Whatis vital here is, for the instructor to know whether there arises any
movement within the heart of the practitioner. If there is found nomovement whatever, we need to see how the Spiritual Exercises
are being performed. Above all, what we need to pay attention
to is the fact that when there does arise some movement within50

the heart of the practitioner, we need to assist the practitioner
to discern and see whether that movement comes from God, orwhether it comes from something that is against God (expressions
like devil, evil spirits, and enemies are used). With reference tothis movement of spirits and discernment, please refer to, “Rules
for Discernment,” in the Spiritual Exercises.
The point of these annotations lies in the fact that movements
within the hearts of practitioners should be oriented towards God,and it specifies the fact that God directly touches the hearts of thepractitioners.
During these Spiritual Exercises, the soul seeks His
will, and the Creator Himself enkindles the pious soul thatis His with the fire of love and praise for God, so that it
will be better able to serve God in the future. It would be
more fitting and better for souls to be guided in such a way.
(Annotation 15)
By providing these “Annotations” the Spiritual Exercisespresent us with the “Principle and Foundation,” and reveal thepath to be followed from the first to the fourth week. By this means
the movement of the practitioner’s heart enters the “dynamism oflove.”The theme for the “first week” is “sin.” Here we meditate on thehistory of sin, beginning with the sins of the angels who disobeyed
God and the sins of our progenitors, Adam and Eve, and lookback on our own history of sin. Here it is not an issue of merelyreflecting back. By gaining an awareness of our sins we repent,
weep, ask for pardon, and give thanks to God for having received
the grace of clemency. Here the issue of “burning with love forGod” does not directly arise. However when we come to know what51

the “consolation” and “desolation” experienced by practitioners of
the Spiritual Exercises mean, we realize that they constitute theinitial steps towards the state of “burning with love for God.”In the “Rules for the Discernment of Spirits” that areappropriate to the first week, “consolation” signifies an inner
movement of spirits that is stirred within the soul. As a result of
this, love for the Creator is ignited within the soul, and the person
realizes that without a link to God it is impossible to love any
creature on earth. There is an upsurge of faith, hope, and love for
God and the attaining of “inner joy,” that is, “peace and comfort” ofthe soul. [See 316]. For practitioners undergoing the first week of
the Spiritual Exercises, what is expected of them is that they cometo know about spiritual consolation, by meditating on the subject of“sin.”
Following this, in the second week we contemplate the lifeof Jesus Christ, and as a preparation we desire through themeditation to “know the Lord deeply,” so that we may better loveand follow Him. This preparation serves as an opening prayer inorder to contemplate all aspects of the life of Christ, and throughthese contemplations we ponder over what we ought to do for
Him. Also, we consider deeply as to what we ought to choose, as a
specific way of life. The “Spiritual Exercises” declare as follows:
The love that moves my heart and causes me to make thischoice must come from above, that is, from the love of God.
Accordingly, the person making the choice must first become
keenly aware within himself that the attachment he more or lesshas to the thing he is choosing, comes solely from his love for his
Creator. [184].
It is imperative that by contemplating his life we come to love
Christ ever more, and that this love serves as an incentive for us to52choose our own way of living.
Furthermore, the themes for the third and fourth week are
the passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Bearing in
mind the fact that the suffering and passion of Jesus Christ were
things borne for himself, the practitioner prays that he may sharein the suffering, and in the resurrection he prays for the ability topartake of the eternal joy, attained through the agony of death.
To conclude, in the “Contemplation to obtain Love,” thepractitioner of the Spiritual Exercises who is filled with the loveand grace of God, prays as to how he ought to respond to this love,closing with the prayer of self-dedication, the “Suscipe.”
Lord, take and accept everything. All my freedom, memory,
intelligence and will, all that I am and all that I possess. Since
you have given them to me my Lord, I give them back to you.
Everything is yours. Do with it what you will. Only give me yourlove and grace. That would be enough for me. [234].
Thus the Spiritual Exercises serve as a “pedagogy of love.”
They enable the practitioner to experience the “Contemplation to
obtain Love” step by step from the first to the fourth week, thereby
inflaming him with love for God.

Our Way of Proceeding (1979)
The number of letters sent out by Fr. Arrupe to all Jesuits
during his tenure as Superior General are voluminous, and after
the 32nd General Congregation in particular, they were frequently
written. Needless to say this was an era when major changes werecalled for, and people needed to speak about the form the Society ofJesus and its members ought to have.
During the seven years I spent at the Kamishakujii theologate,
I over and over again read and shared the contents of Fr. Arrupe’s
letters with members of the theologate community. Among them,53the one that exerted the greatest impact upon me was a letter
entitled, “Our Way of Proceeding.”
This letter incidentally was translated into Japanese by Fr.
Makoto Nakai, and I recall his saying that he endured a great
deal of pain in translating the title. The word “proceeding” in mostcases denotes “the way things are done.” Literal translations of theword did not make much sense, and as a word too it seemed a poor
choice. Yet after much thought he did come up with a translation.
Fr. Nakai translated several key texts into Japanese, including
the “Constitutions of the Society of Jesus,” the “Decrees of the 32nd
General Congregation,” and several letters of Fr. Arrupe. He too
did his novitiate training under Fr. Arrupe, and notwithstanding
his having had to toil with new and alien terms like “disponibility”
and “inculturation,” we may yet say he was a person who knew Fr.
Arrupe’s heart.
Returning to “Our Way of Proceeding,” when the draft of theConstitutions of the Society of Jesus was finalized, Fr. Jérôme
Nadal personally took them and visited communities acrossEurope, where he explained the structure of the Jesuit Religious
Order and rules governing the lives of its members. At the close of
his explanation he made the following remark: “Fr. Ignatius neverspoke of ideas. He always spoke of our way of proceeding.”
The words “Modus Procedendi” indeed appear often in
the Constitutions, and we understand on reading it that theConstitutions from start to close describe how things ought bedone. Who should be permitted to enter the Society of Jesus, whoshould be interviewed prior to entering, what questions are to
be asked in the course of the interview, who should be dismissedfrom the Society, and what procedures need to be followed for thedismissal. Also described are the content of the training provided
in the novitiate, issues to be noted regarding the period of study,54

issues to be borne in mind when sending Jesuits on missions, thelifestyle of the Jesuits, how meetings are to be conducted, and also
how to care for Jesuits who are dying.
This is b y no m e a ns a n issue co nfine d sol el y t o t he“Constitutions.” The “Spiritual Exercises” and also the “Academic
Regulations” that describe methods of school administration, also
spell out the “ways and means.” This is one of the characteristics of
the Society of Jesus.
Fr. Arrupe sought to envision a contemporary form for theSociety of Jesus, and judging by his efforts at presenting a decisive
picture, we see that it was only natural for him to adopt terms
such as “Way of Proceeding.”
Reacting to requests from Jesuits worldwide, in the decree“Jesuits Today” the 32 nd General Congregation described theidentity of contemporary Jesuits, and clarified what it meant tobe a Jesuit in this present age. This was done with the sanction of
the General Congregation. Nevertheless however, faced with such
issues, we now need to ask ourselves as to whether there have been
any variations in the characteristics and attitudes of each Jesuit
member, and of the Society of Jesus as a religious order.
To put it more specifically, as a person living within the Societyof Jesus, I am concerned as to how we may concretely resolve
the tension between the two guidelines set forth by the Council,
namely returning to the sources, and adapting to modern times.
If this question were to be reframed in Ignatian terms, it would
perhaps be thus: How has the “Way of Proceeding” of the Societyof Jesus changed? How should it have changed? And how should itchange in the future?
Having said this, Fr. Arrupe referred to specific guidelines
and modes of conduct that Ignatius conveyed to Jesuits in various
55

regions via his letters, as well as the uses of the term “Way ofProceeding” and so on, which he adopted in his Constitutions andSpiritual Exercises. Also, indicating Fr. Jérôme Nadal, an adept
secretary as revealed in the Constitutions and who was also known
as the “Hand of St. Ignatius,” he spoke of the conduct of current
Jesuits, pointing out how much the term “Way of Proceeding”
characterized the Society of Jesus.
To the query as to what sort of procedure would describe theSociety of Jesus today, which happens to differ totally from what it
was when founded, Fr. Arrupe asserted that we should speak “permodum negationis” (that is, we should explain what something is
by saying what it is not). This is because in responding to majoralterations in modern society, incredible changes have arisen in
the way Jesuits lead their lives, including ways in which they live
and work. Also, due to variations in countries and cultures, it ishard to exhibit a unified and uniform mode of behavior in thiscurrent era. So, by describing the behavior of Jesuits by affirming
what it is “not,” we get an idea as to what it is. Concerning thisissue, Fr. Arrupe states as follows. Although the passage is long, I
shall quote it verbatim below.
The first type is the “full-time protester,” or full-timechallenger. He has no doubt at all that denouncing evil is aprophetic and evangelical duty. However it is equally true that fora protest to be truly evangelical and constructive, we need to knowwhat to denounce. We need to be clear about the how, when, what,
and about whom, and also the concerned viewpoints and principles.
Accusations we make can be highly subjective. Adjustment andsubordination are needed on our part rather than public protest,
since projects can be wrecked by sharp and lethal words. Sloppy
clothes, long stubbles, unkempt hair, unruly conduct and mode of56speech and so on, may remind us of protestors often seen during
the past decade. Regarding those who take action, we may havereason to suspect that they are the type of protesters describedabove. This type of outward facade diminishes the value of whata person is trying to do or his inner motivations, and certainly theJesuits do not want this type of a figure added to their image. Also,
sincerity of conviction, true poverty, or the severity of life should
not be expressed in such a manner, for even if they were done so,they would not be persuasive.
The second type are those totally dedicated to their professions.
There can be no doubt about professions having an apostolic value,
and a career-obsessed person is one who is fully rapt on the worldlyaspects of his profession. For the sake of our professions we should
not allow ourselves to live wholly independent lives, away from thecommunity and away from dependence on our superiors. If such a
profession is the outcome of a Jesuit’s own volition and not due to awell-discerned assignment given to him by the Society of Jesus, onemust say he is in a very risky situation. Excessive professionalism
can lead to secularization, which stifles spiritual life and apostolic
work. Also, the ability to take care of oneself financially, to travel
freely, and so on may be used in ways that are not consistent with
our way of proceeding. If a person becomes aware that he is in sucha state, he must realize that he leads a life that does not conformto the image of a Jesuit.
The third type is the irresponsible Jesuit. These people haveno respect for order, for the keeping of promises, for the value ofmoney, the limits of recreation, and so on. Often they are unduly
allergic to having the outcome of their work tested, regardlessof whether it be study or anything else. Notwithstanding thefact they are religious, when such people have unrestrained andimprudent contact with young women, hazardous situations may
also arise. One may assert that the image of a Jesuit as projected57

by such individuals, is, to say the least, bad.
The fourth type are political activists. These people differ
totally from those involved in social apostolates. They may enter
the ranks of the poor and oppressed and have a sincere desire toabolish unjust structures, but the struggle for justice is not effected
within valid areas of Christian criticism, assistance, or sharing.
At times when entering the arena of politics, and chiefly theactivities of political parties, where the idea of being missioned asa priest is totally rejected, it gets hard for those political or union
activities to be viewed as evangelical. It would be hard to say thatthey live and work as people sent by the Society of Jesus, and thisgets worse when that ideological stimulus is based on a view ofhumanity, society, or history that has no place for Christ. Activists
and images like these, are not those of authentic members of theSociety of Jesus.
The last type are the fanatic traditionalists. Such Jesuits
erect lives based on mannerisms, overly rigid life agendas,
formalism and so on in their personal, liturgical, and spiritual
lives, and outmoded symbols and customs. As flawless analystsof the Gospel and judges of the living and dead, via words andwritings, emotional criticism and so on of individuals or religious
congregations, they act as though they are prophets and behave
in a loathsome manner, or equally, they may fall into a state ofhopeless defeatism, a condition of acrimony and living in the past.
What typifies such Jesuits is the fact that they are full of
curiosity, and they hunt around for adverse news. They are also
harshly critical of the youth and find themselves unable to accept
their values, and they tend to fuse reality with fantasy andincessantly complain about the flaws of the young. They perhaps
will refrain from performing acts like opening their personalsavings accounts, but it may well be that they are amply cared for,by like-minded people or gentle family members. Such Jesuits are58

pained at the sight of empty churches, and also by the fickleness ofpeople who had come to them for spiritual direction in the past but
who do not come now. Yet, they have no questions as to whether
these are partly signs of their own spiritual bigotry and lack ofongoing formation.
They believe issues that change in our “Way of Proceeding”
have an eternal value, and they do not realize that if they were
truly Ignatian, they would pursue the eternal and dynamic valuesof our founder. In their hearts (I am not sure if it is confinedsolely to their hearts) they do not accept the 31st and 32nd General
Congregation, or even the Second Vatican Council. They are too
ineffective or too zealous to realize that their refusal to accept theGeneral Congregations of the Society of Jesus and Councils of the
Church, is something far more serious than the outward failures ofother people.
Fr. Arrupe asserts that these models are nothing more thanrough sketches, but he points out that each model complements theothers. While conceding the fact that the Jesuits exhibiting thesemodels have good intentions, yet he makes it clear that they do notreflect the Jesuit way of proceeding.
So, what are the special features of the way of proceeding formodern-day Jesuits? Fr. Arrupe lists 12 points.
① A Love for Christ② Responsiveness③ A Feeling of giving Freely④ Universality⑤ A Consciousness of Unity⑥ Having a Sensitivity to things Human⑦ Rigor and Quality59

⑧ A Love for the Church⑨ A Consciousness of ourselves as a “Modest Religious Order”⑩ A Sense of Discernment⑪ A tactful Concern for Chastity⑫ A Jesuit Sense
I have no desire to explain each of the points cited here. If I
were to briefly abridge them though they could be condensed into
the words “Sensus Societatis.” This is also an expression used by
Fr. Nadal. This is the “Jesuit Sense,” and it can be viewed as a
“Sixth Sense” possessed by Jesuits. This sense is acquired throughthe Spiritual Exercises and through a deep experience of unity
with Jesus Christ. This is where the way of proceeding of theSociety of Jesus takes shape.

60

Chapter 4: “tantas cosas…”
The 33rd General Congregation
On August 7, 1981, when Fr. Arrupe arrived at Fiumicino
Airport in Rome after a visit to the Philippines, he was pale,sweating profusely, and unable even to carry his luggage. He wasrushed to the hospital, where it was found that he had suffereda cerebral thrombosis. Although his life was saved his speech
and physical abilities were impaired, making it impossible forhim to continue his duties. Fr. Arrupe had often informed his
close associates and even the Pope of his desire to resign from his
post due to declining physical abilities, but his request was not
accepted, owing to the fact that from the beginning the post ofSuperior General of the Society of Jesus was a lifelong assignment.
If a Superior General became incapable of continuing his duties
due to sudden illness, a substitute would be appointed to continue
serving as Superior General, as stipulated in the constitutions. The
Jesuits attempted to do so, but to their surprise there occurred asudden intervention by the Pope. His Holiness Pope John Paul II
declared that he would send a papal envoy to the Society of Jesus,
in place of the substitute Superior General.
This news amazed and baffled Jesuits the world over, evoking
a range of speculations. Seventeen Jesuits of the German Province
jointly sent a letter to the Pope against his intervention in Jesuit
governance, and among those signing the letter was Fr. Karl
Rahner, the most influential theologian of the Second Vatican
Council and a renowned 20th century Catholic theologian. The
content of the letter stated that as Jesuits they accepted thedecision of the Pope who was head of the Society of Jesus in an
attitude of obedience, but they could not see in it the “Finger of61

God.” The “Finger of God” is said to be the “Quinque Capitura”(literally the Five Chapters, wherein St. Ignatius basicallyoutlined the nature of the Society of Jesus). On presenting thebasic outline of the Society of Jesus (which became the basis forthe ‘Formula Instituti’) to Pope Paul III, the Pope pointed to it
and said, “Digitus Dei est hic” (the Finger of God is here). It was adeclaration that the will of God was there.

(Pope John Paul II and Fr. Arrupe)

In actual fact though, in the backdrop of the incident of thePope’s intrusion in the governance of the Society of Jesus, there
lay a movement of forces opposed to the renewal of the Societyof Jesus as steered by Fr. Arrupe. Responding to the Second
Vatican Council, and based on the general policy of returning to
the roots of the Society and adapting it to modern times, General
Congregations 31st and 32nd sought to carry out so to say, a major
reform of the Jesuits. Specifically, as seen in the Second andFourth Decrees, the 32 nd General Congregation attempted tohighlight the inseparability of the proclamation of Faith and thePromotion of Social Justice. In seeking to put this into practice
however, in some areas many Jesuits were persecuted, and some62

even murdered. The socially affluent were in a sense conservative,
while the indigent were progressive. The “preferential option forthe poor,” which was the stance adopted by the Catholic Church
after the Second Vatican Council, was also a rebellion against
the existent political powers and the economic system. In SouthAmerica and Africa, where people were exposed to the reality of life
or death, the attitude of the Catholic Church inspired great hope.
Since the Jesuits in a sense were the vanguard of this movement,
it was only natural that they would also be counted among thevictims.
On the other hand, Jesuits who were conservative were unsure
if this was the authentic Society of Jesus, and they were alarmed
as to whether the traditional form of the Society would undergo a
primary change. The Jesuits who entertained such feelings of crisis
also took concrete actions. They notified the Pope via high-ranking
prelates that the governance and guidance of Fr. Arrupe wasperilous, and asserted that they were prepared to form a “Discalced
Society of Jesus,” in order that the genuine Society of Jesus may
be renewed. On receiving this information, it is not surprisingthat Pope John Paul II became suspicious of the Jesuits. Which ofthese two sides was right? Was it worth trusting Fr. Arrupe? His
predecessor Pope Paul VI knew the Jesuits well, but that was not
the case with Pope John Paul II. Hence, on receiving the news that
Fr. Arrupe had fallen ill, he decided to send his own representative
to the Society of Jesus. Happily though the representative assigned
was not a member of a distinct religious order, but a Jesuit named
Fr. Paolo Dezza. Fr. Dezza’s task was to convene the General
Congregation and decide on the selection of the next Superior
General. Furthermore, since Fr. Dezza was elderly and visually
impaired a special envoy was also dispatched to assist him, andthat was Fr. Giuseppe Pittau, who at the time was Provincial of
the Japan Jesuit Province.
63

On behalf of Fr. Dezza, Fr. Pittau actively visited Jesuit
communities the world over, and prepared for the 33rd General
Congregation. However, judging by what was heard, apparently on
visiting the United States he received cold and unreceptive looks
from certain Jesuits. Under normal circumstances, Fr. Vincent
O’Keefe, who was top advisor to the Superior General, shouldhave played the role of representative to Fr. Arrupe. Since he wasfrom the New York Province, certain American Jesuits had mixed
feelings about Fr. Pittau. Even so however, Fr. Pittau clarified
the situation with his natural exuberance and clear words, andentreated their understanding with regard to holding the General
Congregation.

Resignation as Superior General
On September 1, 1983, the 33rd General Congregation wasconvened, and Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach was elected as Superior
General. Although originally from the Netherlands he was a
missionary working in Beirut in Lebanon, and at that time he
was Rector of the Oriental Institute in Rome. Prior to the electionof the Superior General Fr. Arrupe’s request for resignation
was deliberated and unanimously approved, and his letter ofresignation was read aloud. Since it was addressed to Jesuits
all over the world, it conveyed a heartwarming message to eachgeneration of them. I have quoted the entire text below.
It was my earnest wish to have participated in thiscongregation with all of you, in better health. As you see, I canscarcely speak to you directly. However, my General Assistants
have understood what I wish to say to all of you.
Now more than ever, I see myself in the hands of God. Thisis something I have longed for all my life, ever since I was young.
However, what differs now is the fact that God now has complete
control. Indeed, to know and feel that we are completely in the64hands of God, is a profound spiritual experience.
As I conclude my 18 years as Superior General, first andforemost I wish to express my gratitude to the Lord. His generosity
towards me has been limitless. On my part, I have always
understood the gifts of the Lord as being for the benefit of thewhole congregation, and I have tried to respond in a way whereby
it can be shared with each and every Jesuit. This has been myunceasing effort.
During these past 18 years, my one desire has been to serve
the Lord and His Church with all my heart and soul. I thank the
Lord for the great progress I have witnessed in the Congregation.
Obviously there have been flaws as well, including my own. Yet, it
is a fact that great progress has been made in personal conversions,in apostolic work, and in concern for the poor and refugees. In
particular, special mention must be made of the faithful and filial
obedience that has been shown towards the Church and the Pope,in recent years. Thanks be to God for all this.
Beginning with Fr. O’Keefe, I would like to express mygratitude to those specifically who collaborated closely with me,
including the General Assistants, Counsellors, Regional Assistants,
and the entire Curia and Provincials. I also wish to express myheartfelt gratitude to Fr. Dezza and Fr. Pittau, who spared noeffort in serving the Church and the Society of Jesus, when they
were appointed to this exceptional task by the Holy Father. Above
all though, I express my gratitude to the Society of Jesus as awhole, to each and every one of my brothers. Nothing could havebeen accomplished if they had not displayed obedience of faith, tothis pathetic Superior General.
My request to you today is to be of use to the Lord. Let us
place God at the center, let us always listen to His voice, let us
constantly ask what we can do to serve Him more effectively,
and let us do so to the best of our ability, with love and perfect65

detachment. Let each one of us cultivate this awareness, whereby
we become conscious of the reality of God.
I would like to say a special “Tantas Cosas” (I have a lot to say)to each and every one of you.
I ask our young people to live in the presence of God andgrow in holiness, as the best preparation for the future. May they
surrender themselves completely to the will of God, who is both
awesome and intimate.
I entreat those engrossed in apostolic work not to become
overworked and exhausted. See what the world requires, think of
the millions of people who have no knowledge of God or behave as
though they don’t, and discover the right balance by centering yourlife on God, rather than on work. All are called to know and serve
God. What a wonderful mission has been entrusted to us – to assist
and guide all people towards the knowledge and love of Christ!
I urge people of my age to keep an open mind. Let us learn
what needs to be done now, and do it with enthusiasm.
To our dear Brothers too I wish to say “Tantas Cosas,” withdeep affection. I wish to remind the entire Society of Jesus of theimportance of the Brothers. It is through their assistance that our
vocations are centered on God.
As I see the Jesuits serving the one Lord and Church underthe Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ on earth, I feel suffused withhope. May the Society of Jesus continue along this path, and may
God bless us with many more worthy vocations to the priesthoodand to serve as brothers. For this purpose I dedicate to the Lord
the rest of my life, my prayers, and the sufferings produced by myillness. All I desire for myself is to repeat from the depths of myheart:“Lord, take and receive my freedom, my memory, my reason,
my entire will, and all that I have. You gave them to me O Lord,
66

and I give them back to you. They are all yours. Do as you wish
with them. Only give me your love and grace. With that alone I
shall be satisfied.”
This letter was made public later on under the title “Tantas
Cosas.” It turned out to be a stirring message for the Jesuits.

“Nunc Dimittis”(Chapel of La storta)

On September 4, 1984, on the occasion of his resigning the postof Superior General, Fr. Arrupe paid a visit to La Storta. A
small church is located there along the Via Cassia, roughly ten
kilometers from Rome. Ignatius, Laínez , and Xavier had stopped
at this church on their way from Venice to Rome, and Ignatius
prayed there and beheld a remarkable vision. It was a figure ofJesus staggering up the hill of Golgotha while carrying his cross,and a call issued forth from Him saying, “follow me.” It has been
said that because of this mystical vision, Ignatius decided to name67

the religious order they were going to establish the “Compañía deJesús” (Companions of Jesus). After occupying the post of Superior
General Fr. Arrupe restored this small chapel and strove to evoke
the vision of Ignatius, which was responsible for the name ‘Societyof Jesus.’ The brief sermon he preached during his visit to thechapel was delivered with reference to the prayer “Nunc Dimittis”(now let me leave).
“Nunc Dimittis” is a bedtime hymn recited in monasteries. It
is taken from the words of old Simeon, who saw the baby Jesus in
the temple in Jerusalem and took him in his arms (Luke 2:29). Let
me now quote part of this sermon verbatim, as this will enable Fr.
Arrupe’s final words to resonate within our hearts.
As I retire from my post of Superior General of the Societyof Jesus, I have come here to La Storta. I have come however insilence, due to my current state of health. Yet, singing my “Nunc
Dimittis” (Now let me leave), is timely in many ways.
At the close of his long life of service, old Simeon took the
infant Jesus in his arms within the splendor of the temple inJerusalem, drew him close, and fulfilled his ardent wish. When
Ignatius of Loyola was about to commence a new life of service asfounder and first Superior General of the Society of Jesus in thismodest church in La Storta, he felt drawn to the Heart of Christ.
In response to the fervent prayers of the Virgin Mary, “God theFather placed him with Christ his Son.”
I am in no way trying to compare myself to those twooutstanding servants of the Lord. However, it is true that I havealways had great faith in the Ignatian experience at La Storta, and
it is with great solace that at the end of my journey I am giving
thanks to God in this holy place, “for I have seen your salvation
with my own eyes.” How often during these eighteen years have I68

been assured that God has been faithful to his promise: “I will giveyou grace and help in Rome.”[Some lines omitted]
The reason why we have these words of the promise, “I will
give you grace and help,” is due to the fact that Fr. Laínez sharedthem with us. Fr. Laínez went on to say that Ignatius did notcomprehend these words as signifying that he and his friends
would not encounter suffering. On the contrary, he was convincedthat they were called to take up the cross and serve Christ.
Ignatius said that as Christ carried his cross, the Eternal Father
said to him, “I desire to choose this man to be your servant,” andChrist chose Ignatius by saying to him, “I desire that you serveus.” Owing to this vision Ignatius developed a great devotion to theHoly Name, and he desired to call his community the “Society ofJesus.”[Some lines omitted]
For Ignatius, the experience at La Storta was the climax ofmany special blessings he had received since his conversion, andfor the Jesuits, it was a pledge that as long as they remained
faithful to the guidance of the Holy Spirit who gave birth to theSociety, they would share in the grace of their founder. I pray that
this Holy Mass, which for me is a farewell and a conclusion, will bea new beginning of service with renewed enthusiasm, for you andfor all the Jesuits represented here.
Father Arrupe spoke about the vision of St. Ignatius at La
Storta and its significance. He encouraged all Jesuits to returnto the origin of the name “Society of Jesus,” and to take on the69

mission that the Society of Jesus needed to carry out in the future.
Then, by superimposing the life path of St. Ignatius on his own, heuttered the “Nunc Dimittis” prayer (let me leave now).
Thereafter for the next 8 years Fr. Arrupe made no publicstatement.
I would like to introduce an incident concerning two Japanese
Jesuits who visited Fr. Arrupe while he was on his sickbed. One
was a priest who was studying abroad to obtain a doctorate intheology at the Gregorian University, and the other was a brotherwho had joined the Society of Jesus after he had reached the ageof 60. What they had in common was the fact that they had both
received permission to join the Society of Jesus directly fromSuperior General Fr. Arrupe.
The priest who was studying abroad was a young man in his
twenties, who was searching for his “way.” After receiving training
in Zen and getting baptized after meeting a Protestant pastor, heacquired an interest in mysticism in medieval European thought,
and so he visited the SJ House located in the Sophia University
campus in order to see if there happened to be any experts living
there. There, he met a priest who had himself been a practitioner
of Zen, who had studied deeply the spirituality of St. Ignatius, andwho had received training under Fr. Arrupe. After this encounterhe accepted Catholicism with the aim of joining the Society ofJesus, but to enter the order, the condition was he had to finish atleast 3 years of life as a Catholic. Also, he had yet to receive thesacrament of Confirmation. Despite that however Fr. Arrupe as
Superior General specially approved his entry, and so he said, “Lessthan a month later I was permitted to join.” Coincidentally, he
and I were in the same novitiate group. As he had not yet received
Confirmation I served as his godfather, and I recall his successfullyreceiving the sacrament at Noboricho church. I had no idea that70

such backgrounds existed.
The Brother though was married and had both children andgrandchildren. After the demise of his wife however he led a deeply
virtuous life and acquired a keen desire to join the Jesuits as a
Brother, and so despite his being elderly and had topped the ageof 60, Fr. Arrupe okayed his entrance. I spent about a year withthis Brother during my novitiate at Nagatsuka, and we were also
together at the theologate. He had a deep faith in Mary, and soduring his novitiate, whenever he had a hard time, he went to thegrotto where a statue of Mary was enshrined and prayed. He often
said, “I am supposed to live to the age of 106,” but he died at 103.
These two Jesuits met Fr. Arrupe in his sickbed, and on
greeting him they said, “we received the letter of acceptance into
the Society of Jesus directly from you.” Notwithstanding thefact he was already at a stage where he was unable to speak, Fr.
Arrupe nevertheless communicating by gestures said, “Yes, that’s
right! Yes, that’s right!” It is not as though he knew all Jesuits
scattered over the world, but he must have had a special feeling for
the Jesuits of Japan.

(Fr. Sanji Yamaoka and Br. Seijiro Yamashita)71

After having led a quiet life in his hospital bed, Fr. Arrupe
encountered his final moment on February 5, 1991, when he waspeacefully taken up to heaven on the anniversary of the martyrdomof the 26 Japanese Saints. He loved Japan, he dedicated his life for
the Japanese Church, and above all, he ceaselessly bore in mind
the martyrdom of the 26 Saints of Japan, as a support for his own
faith. Fr. Arrupe’s life of pilgrimage which commenced in the cityof Bilbao in Spain came to a quiet end. After traveling throughEurope and America he arrived in Japan and then proceeded toRome, where he served the Church and the Society of Jesus untilthe very end of his life.
The enquiries for the canonization of Fr. Arrupe officiallycommenced on November 14, 2018. The title given to him at thattime was “Servant of God.”72

Afterword
On July 12, 2018, a conference of the International Federationof Jesuit Universities was held in the city of Bilbao. Fr. ArturoSosa, the Superior General of the Society of Jesus who was invited
to the conference, publicly announced during his homily at Holy
Mass the commencement of enquiries relating to the canonizationof Fr. Pedro Arrupe. On hearing this, the thought that arose within
my mind was, “It’s finally begun...” Calls for his canonization had
been coming in for some time. At St. Ignatius Church, ever since
he passed away parishioners with ties to Fr. Arrupe had opened a“Group to talk of Fr Arrupe.”
The Gion Catholic Church in Hiroshima has close links to
the Nagatsuka monastery. There are many Catholics who knew
Fr. Arrupe since the days he was a Novice Master, and they are
actively campaigning for his canonization. Even now on February
5, the anniversary of Fr. Arrupe’s death, a gathering is held eachyear in his remembrance. My mother too, had she been alive,
would have been happy to hear this news, and she would havebeen one of those willing to testify to his holiness. On November 14of that year, which happens to be the day Fr. Arrupe was born, theVatican Curia officially announced the opening of the enquiry forhis canonization.
From now on various things related to Fr. Arrupe will becollected. Edifices and associations with the name “Arrupe” may
be offered as testimonial material, if a written explanation isprovided as to why the name was affixed. Currently in Japan theauditorium at Hiroshima Gakuin is named “Arrupe Auditorium,”and the Sophia University students dormitory, which began
housing students from April 2019, is called the “Sophia-Arrupe
International Residence.” A school for the study of Japanese was
erected at Juniso in Kamakura. It was originally opened for young
missionaries in Japan, but was later used as a retreat center.
73

Currently though it is known as the “Arrupe Refugee Center,” andutilized as a facility for refugees. In the course of his activities forsocial justice Fr. Arrupe was initially involved in the service ofrefugees, though he was deeply conscious of the fact that it was an
idea he had inherited. Other nations too use the name Arrupe forseminaries, schools, and educational facilities. Such labelling is
also viewed as demonstrating the holiness of Fr. Arrupe.
This account of mine was by no means aimed at this type ofan enquiry. I just felt that those who knew Fr. Arrupe directly
were getting fewer, and so I tried to figure out how to keep ontalking about him with those having no direct contact with him.
Storytellers are needed in order that vital events that ensued in
the past may not be forgotten and lost, and that is true concerning
wars, disasters, affairs, and other past events. Yet, when wecome to generations having no direct contact with such events,
people begin insisting that these events should not be forgotten.
Nevertheless however, it is also true that at some point of timethese events will indeed be forgotten. If that happens, we need to
study the materials that remain with us, and convey their meaning
in a way suitable to the era. As a Jesuit, I felt that Fr. Arrupe wasa person for whom this had indeed to be done, and with that intent
in mind I undertook the writing of this narrative.
February 5, 2024
The Day Commemorating the Martyrdom of Japan’s 26 Saints andMartyrs
The Day Commemorating the Death of Fr. Pedro Arrupe

74

References
Besides those stated in the text I referred to the following
Japanese documents.
『日本のイエズス会史』 再渡来後、1908年から 1983年まで
編者

パウロ・フィステル

イエズス会

日本管区

昭和 59 年

『アルペ神父回想記』―第二版―
元イエズス会総長アルペ神父の列福を祈る会

2010 年『一イエズス会士の霊的な旅』―ジャン・クロード・リーチ S.Jとの自伝的対話―
ペドロ・アルペ著

緒方隆之訳

教友社

2015 年75