Pedro Arrupe
This article is written like a personal reflection, personal essay, or argumentative essay that states a Wikipedia editor's personal feelings or presents an original argument about a topic. (July 2023) |
Superior General of the Society of Jesus | |
---|---|
Installed | 22 May 1965 |
Term ended | 3 September 1983 due to a paralyzing stroke |
Predecessor | Jean-Baptiste Janssens |
Successor | Peter Hans Kolvenbach |
Orders | |
Ordination | 30 July 1936 |
Personal details | |
Born | Pedro Arrupe y Gondra 14 November 1907 |
Died | 5 February 1991 Rome, Italy | (aged 83)
Buried | Church of the Gesù, Rome |
Nationality | Spanish |
Denomination | Roman Catholic |
Alma mater | Complutense University of Madrid |
Motto | "Only by being a man or woman for others does one become fully human." & "Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything."[1][2] |
Pedro Arrupe Gondra,
Stationed as novice master outside Hiroshima in 1945, Arrupe used his medical background as a first responder to the atomic bombing of Hiroshima.[5]
In 1983, a paralysis from a stroke caused him to resign from office. He lived on until 1991, when he died in the local Jesuit infirmary.[5] His cause for sainthood was opened by the Jesuits and the Diocese of Rome in 2018.
Education and training
Pedro Arrupe attended school at the Santiago Apostol High School in
In 1926, Arrupe's father died, an event which filled him with great sadness. In the summer of the same year he went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes with his four sisters. The experiences he gathered from Lourdes were fundamental for his future life. In the conversations with Jean-Claude Dietsch, SJ he described his experiences as follows:
- "For me Lourdes is the city of miracles. I stayed there for some three months. Being a medical student, I obtained permission to observe the work of the Office of Verification. I was, thus, the witness of three miraculous cures from the very moment they took place in the midst of the faithful who were praying to the Virgin Mary, and then on through the medical verification that was carried out by the doctors who were atheists. This impressed me very much, because I had often heard my professors in Madrid, who also were atheists, speak of the "superstitions of Lourdes." There was born my vocation, in that atmosphere of both simplicity and grandeur at the feet of the Virgin Mary, midst the noisy insistent prayer of the pilgrims and the sweet murmurings of the river Gave."[6]
- "For me Lourdes is the city of miracles. I stayed there for some three months. Being a medical student, I obtained permission to observe the work of the Office of Verification. I was, thus, the witness of three miraculous cures from the very moment they took place in the midst of the faithful who were praying to the
Subsequent to these gathered findings, Arrupe decided not continue his medical studies. On 15 January 1927, he joined the
He was unable to pursue his studies for the
Assignment in Hiroshima, Japan
After his doctorate, Arrupe was sent to work as a missionary in Japan. His early years as missionary were very frustrating for him. No matter what he did, what he organised, people did not attend, and few if any converted to Christianity. When the
Arrupe was appointed Jesuit superior and novice master in Japan in 1942, and was living in suburban Hiroshima when the atomic bomb fell in August 1945. He was one of eight Jesuits who were within the blast zone of the bomb, and all eight survived the destruction, protected by a hillock which separated the novitiate from the center of Hiroshima. Arrupe described that event as "a permanent experience outside of history, engraved on my memory."[11] Arrupe used his medical skills to help those who were wounded or dying. The Jesuit novitiate was converted into a makeshift hospital where between 150 and 200 people received care. Arrupe recalled, "The chapel, half destroyed, was overflowing with the wounded, who were lying on the floor very near to one another, suffering terribly, twisted with pain."[12] In 1958, Arrupe was appointed the first Jesuit provincial for Japan, a position he held until being elected Father General in 1965.
Prior to being elected Father General, Arrupe made a visit to Latin America and, on one occasion, was celebrating the Eucharist in a suburban slum. He was deeply moved at the devotion and respect the people had for Christ, in the midst of their abject poverty. After the service, a man invited Arrupe to his hovel, where he told him that he was so grateful for his visit and that he wanted to share the only gift he had, that of watching the setting sun together. Arrupe reflected, "He gave me his hand. As I was leaving, I thought: 'I have met very few hearts that are so kind.'"[10]
Superior General
At the thirty-first
After the changes following
Arrupe warned of repeating the answers of yesterday for tomorrow's problems, saying: "If we speak a language no longer appropriate to the hearts of people, we speak only to ourselves because no one will listen to us or try to understand what we say."[16]: 228 Arrupe was "hailed as a prophet of our time,"[16]: 231 not unlike Jesuit Pope Francis[citation needed] who was in theological studies, learning, when Arrupe became Superior General and began speaking his "prophetic" words. The Union of Superior Generals of religious, seeing Arrupe as the right man for our time, elected him five times as their president.[16]: 231
Faith and justice
In an address to Jesuit alumni in 1973, Arrupe coined the phrase "men for others" which has become a theme for Jesuit education worldwide, educating students to be "men and women for others".[18][19][20]
At the thirty-second General Congregation which convened in 1975, Arrupe's dream of working for the poor was crystallised in the document "Our Mission Today: the Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice." It stated: "Our faith in Jesus Christ and our mission to proclaim the Gospel demand of us a commitment to promote justice and enter into solidarity with the voiceless and the powerless."[21] Thus, the decree basically defined all the work of the Jesuits as having an essential focus on the promotion of social justice as well as the Catholic faith. Arrupe was keenly aware that in the political climate of the 1970s, the Jesuits’ commitment to working for social justice would bring great hardship and suffering, particularly in those Latin American countries ruled by military juntas.[21][13]
In a speech to European educators Arrupe made it clear where he stood on matters of faith and justice, saying: "I take very seriously the words of Gandhi, 'I love Christ but I despise Christians because they do not live as Christ lived.' Without a doubt Christian love of neighbor entails a duty to care for the wounds of those that have fallen victim to robbers and are left bleeding by the wayside."
A cause worth dying for
On 20 June 1977 the White Warriors Union death squad threatened to kill all 47 Jesuits serving in
Jesuit Refugee Service
Touched by the plight of the "Vietnamese boat people" in 1979, Pedro Arrupe sent cable messages to some 20 Jesuit major superiors throughout the world sharing his distress at the suffering of these people.[20] He asked them what they could do to help bring relief to refugees and displaced persons in their own regions. He received a positive response, with numerous offers of personnel, medicine, and funding. The following year in 1980, Arrupe founded the Jesuit Refugee Service to coordinate the Society's refugee work. In a speech launching the service he said "Saint Ignatius called us to go anywhere where we are most needed for the greater glory of God. The spiritual as well as the material need of more than 16 million refugees throughout the world today could scarcely be greater. God is calling us through these helpless people." In 2017, JRS listed 47 countries where its 10 regional offices were currently serving nearly 950,000 individuals.[26] Over the years JRS had served an estimated 40 million refugees.[4]
Later life
On 7 August 1981, after a long and tiring trip throughout the
"More than ever I find myself in the hands of God. This is what I have wanted all my life from my youth. But now there is a difference; the initiative is entirely with God. It is indeed a profound spiritual experience to know and feel myself so totally in God's hands."[9]
During his ten years in the infirmary, Arrupe received many and frequent well-wishers, including Pope John Paul II. Arrupe had earlier expressed what some regard as the key to his life: "Nowadays the world does not need words but lives that cannot be explained except through faith and love for Christ's poor."[4]
Death and burial
Arrupe died at 7:45pm on 5 February 1991, the anniversary of the 26 Martyrs of Japan. His final words had been: "For the present, Amen; for the future, Alleluia."[28]
His funeral was held in the
Beatification process
On 11 July 2018, the Father General of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa, announced the beginning of Arrupe's beatification process.[30] On 14 November 2018, a website was established with testimonials and archive material on his life.[31]
Memorials
Numerous Jesuit buildings, schools, communities, institutions, and programs have been named after Pedro Arrupe. They include:
- The Colégio de Pedro Arrupe, a private school in Portugal dedicated to Arrupe which opened in 2009.
- The Sports hall in Wimbledon College, London.
- The Pedro Arrupe Center for Business Ethics at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia
- A residence hall at the University of San Francisco
- Arrupe Hall at Fairfield College Preparatory School, Connecticut
- The Fr. Pedro Arrupe Campus Ministry Center at Fairfield University
- The main auditorium at the ITESO, a Jesuit university in Guadalajara, Mexico
- Arrupe Jesuit High School, Denver, Colorado
- The middle school of Boston College High School, was named the "Arrupe Division" in 2007.
- A Jesuit Volunteer Corps house in Santa Clara, California, is named Casa Pedro Arrupe
- A school in the Philippines, the Pedro Arrupe Academy.
- The neighbourhood partnership program named the Arrupe House at Saint Ignatius High School in Cleveland, Ohio
- The "Arrupe Scholars" scholarship program at John Carroll University, Cleveland, Ohio[32]
- A building in Pontifical Xavierian University in Bogotá, Colombia
- A class taken by Seniors at Creighton Preparatory School in Omaha, Nebraska, called the "Arrupe Experience Service Class" where the students make service trips every other day to local schools
- The Fr. Pedro Arrupe S.J. Office of Faith and Justice serves the students of Brophy College Preparatory by organizing service trips, immersion experiences, retreats, the annual Summit on Human Dignity, and much more.
- Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago's Water Tower Campus is a 2-year college designed to serve underrepresented and underserved students. On their Lake Shore Campus, one of the Jesuit Community Houses is named Arrupe House, but has no direct tie to Arrupe College.
- Jesuit High School in Portland, Oregon has its History, English and Library building named after Pedro Arrupe.
- A residence hall at Loyola University Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland.
- A building in the Saint Louis University, Madrid Campus, called Padre Arrupe Hall
- The Arrupe Office of Social Formation of the Ateneo de Davao University, Davao City, Philippines[33]
- A building on the campus of Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, called Pedro Arrupe, SJ, Hall which opened in 2015
- A residence hall at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., called Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall, which was opened in August 2016[34]
- Arrupe International Residence at the Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines
- The Pedro Arrupe Footbridge in Bilbao, Spain links the Guggenheim museum to the University of Deusto.[35]
- Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute, an academic institution attached to the University of Deusto in Bilbao[36]
- Arrupe Etxea, a civilian foundation initially covering all the social and pastoral activity of the jesuits in Bilbao and, since 2014, also San Sebastián, Vitoria-Gasteiz and Pamplona[37]
- The Pedro Arrupe Centre, a multipurpose hall, and The Arrupe Building, a block of classrooms, at Jesuit school St. Aloysius' College, in Sydney, Australia
- Arrupe Hall at Sogang University, Seoul, South Korea
- Pedro Arrupe Auditorium at Carlos Pereyra School, Torreón, Mexico
- Arrupe Global Scholars Program, an MD-MPH combined degree program at the Creighton University School of Medicine, for students dedicated to global health[38]
Gallery
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Arrupe International Residence at Ateneo de Manila University
-
Entrance to Residence at Ateneo
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Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Hall, Rockhurst University, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
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Arrupe Auditorio, Instituto Tecnológico, Guadalajara, Mexico
References
- ^ "Men and Women for Others | Fr. Pedro Arrupe S.J."
- ^ "Life".
- ^ a b c "Pedro Arrupe – Arrupe". arrupe.jesuitgeneral.org. Retrieved 2021-02-07.
- ^ a b c d "Pedro Arrupe, S.J." president.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2017-06-02.
- ^ a b "Pedro Arrupe | The Arrupe Office of Social Formation". Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ISBN 2 227 32030 3Note: The french word ‘supercheries’ was translated here with the english word ‘superstitions’. But ‘supercheries’ has the meaning of cheating.
- ^ "Pedro Arrupe | Biography, Facts, & Hiroshima". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
- ^ "Administration/Faculty". kenrick.edu. Retrieved 2018-05-11.
- ^ a b "Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907—1991) - IgnatianSpirituality.com". Ignatian Spirituality. Retrieved 2017-06-02.
- ^ a b c "Pedro Arrupe, SJ (1907—1991) - IgnatianSpirituality.com". Ignatian Spirituality. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- ^ Arrupe Formation Centre website: Arrupe Archived 2011-07-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Hiroshima insider's imprint on Jesuit sensibility – Eureka Street". www.eurekastreet.com.au. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- ^ a b c Boston College Website: Arrupe Archived March 26, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Steinfels, Peter (6 February 1991). "Pedro Arrupe, Jesuit Chief for 18 Years, Dies at 83". New York Times.
Father Arrupe had embarked upon his role as Superior General with enthusiasm for the revisionist themes of Vatican II.... He cautioned the world Synod of Bishops in 1971 against 'authoritarian or paternalistic attitudes'.... He insisted that the Jesuit order, long identified with work among social and political elites, increase its activities among the poor.... He also introduced new forms of decentralization into the Jesuit decision-making process.
- ^ ""Reinvention" of Society of Jesus, from obit in America". America Magazine. 1991-02-16. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ ISBN 9780852444467. Retrieved 13 July 2018.
- ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the originalon January 10, 2008. Retrieved 2017-06-01.
- ^ "Time Magazine on "Men for Others"". America Magazine. 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ^ Arrupe, Pedro (July 31, 1973). "Men for Others". Online Ministries, Creighton University. Retrieved November 15, 2019.
- ^ a b "The Arrupe Office of Social Formation | The social formation arm of the Ateneo de Davao University". Retrieved 2021-02-06.
- ^ a b John Carroll University: About Pedro Arrupe Archived May 28, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Steinfels, Peter (6 February 1991). "New York Times". Retrieved 14 March 2017.
- ^ "El Salvador priests in peril (July 20, 1977)". Retrieved 2017-06-02.
- ^ "Archbishop Óscar Romero: setting the record straight". National Catholic Reporter. 2018-10-10. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ^ ISBN 1566392535.
- ^ Service, Jesuit Refugee. "Jesuit Refugee Service | Where we work". en.jrs.net. Retrieved 2017-03-15.
- ^ "Of Many Things". America Magazine. 2012-08-27. Retrieved 2019-11-15.
- ISBN 9781947617087.
- ^ "Memorial Mass". 1997-12-20. Retrieved 2 June 2017.
- ^ "Rome Diocese opens beatification process of Jesuit superior general Fr. Arrupe – Vatican News". 2018-07-26. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ "Pedro Arrupe – Arrupe". arrupe.jesuitgeneral.org-gb. Retrieved 2018-11-14.
- ^ "Arrupe Scholars Program". sites.jcu.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ^ "The Arrupe Office of Social Formation | The social formation arm of the Ateneo de Davao University". Retrieved 2021-01-11.
- ^ "Pedro Arrupe, S.J. Hall". studentliving.georgetown.edu. Retrieved 2016-07-27.
- ^ "Pedro Arrupe Footbridge". bilbaoturismo.net. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ "The Pedro Arrupe Human Rights Institute". socialesyhumanas.deusto.es. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ "Arrupe Etxea". arrupeetxea.org. Retrieved 2018-09-26.
- ^ "University receives $25 million gift for the establishment of the Arrupe Global Scholars and Partnerships Program". creighton.edu. Archived from the original on 2021-11-17. Retrieved 2021-11-17.
Further reading
- Lamet, Pedro Miguel (2020). Pedro Arrupe: Witness of the Twentieth Century, Prophet of the Twenty-First. Chestnut Hill, MA: Institute of Jesuit Sources. ISBN 9781947617087
External links
- Official website
- "Men for Others", July 31, 1973 authored by Pedro Arrupe
- The Arrupe Collection at the Portal to Jesuit Studies, consisting speeches, letters, and interviews by Arrupe, is available at https://jesuitportal.bc.edu/research/documents/the-arrupe-collection/