Cesare Sposetti SJ: A faith that does Justice
Cesare Sposetti SJ, from the Jesuit social justice journal Aggiornamento Sociali in Milan, was one of the guest speakers at a recent conference hosted by the Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice in Manresa. Jesuits and colleagues from various works in the Irish Jesuit Province attended. He guided those gathered through a reflection on the relationship between justice work and Ignatian spirituality in a presentation entitled: ‘A Faith That Does Justice: Why It Still Matters’.
Cesare traced how the Jesuit mission – rooted in the Ignatian contemplation of God looking upon the world – calls us to respond to the suffering and needs of our time. A ‘faith that does justice’ might be a slogan turning 50 years old, but it is a sentiment that can be traced to the very beginning of the Society. Building on a careful examination of Decree 4 of General Congregation 32, he explained how attending to our own personal spiritual movements of consolation and desolation is a way to engage in social and political struggle.
Dr Kevin Hargaden of the JCFJ says, “It was a really remarkable talk that allied his longstanding engagement at the forefront of justice issues in Asia and Europe with this winsome, accessible, but profound spirituality.”
After the lecture, Pat Coyle of Irish Jesuit Communications interviewed Cesare on the content of his presentation, asking him about the questions that his talk elicited. Listen to the full interview above.
