Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ, Promotio Iustitiae no 115, 2014/2

Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator SJ reflects: Looking back on the long trajectory of the inspiration and implementation of Decree 4, I am reminded of the words of Pope Francis to the delegates at GC 36. He declared that the Jesuit approach was to create processes rather than occupy spaces. This approach captures in essence the timeless value of Decree 4: it did not signal an event; it created a process that continues to inspire, animate, and challenge the mission of the universal Society. The places where contemporary lived realities challenge our mission as Jesuits have only expanded since the promulgation of Decree 4. The world is still roiled by turmoil, more than ever before. The gap between the wealthy and the poor is as wide as its occurrences seems to be normal. Wars and rumors of wars abound. And the fate of the earth our common home remains precarious as climate change distorts and disturbs the balance between natural and human ecologies. All this underscores the contemporary relevance of Decree 4. As I wrote in this short essay: “Decree Four serves as a basic grammar that undergirds the articulation of Jesuit life and mission in the 21st century.” The contemporary challenges summon Jesuits and Jesuit institutions to learn this grammar with greater depth and articulate its prophetic message with greater fluency.