St Ignatius Impact On Religion

In today’s secular and high paced world, there is one sixteenth-century saint whose life and legacy still has an enduring as well as a profound impact on modern Christians, and that is none other than Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Even though one of his spiritual sons presently occupies the Chair of Saint Peter (Pope Francis), Saint Ignatius’ spiritual teachings have continued to help Christians throughout the centuries to live a life of personal holiness. This paper will explore how Saint Ignatius is a source of theology for the Catholic Church. In order to accomplish this task, this paper will answer four questions by referring to four documents that Saint Ignatius wrote (i.e. his Autobiography, Spiritual Exercises, and two letters that he wrote
Regarding Principe’s first level, Saint Ignatius is known to have lived a holy life, and this is evidently clear by the fact that he was canonized a saint by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622 A.D. Other signs of his sanctity can be seen in the various papal approvals that he got for the establishment of the Society of Jesus, the Spiritual Exercises, and the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus. As for his understanding of the historical context in which he lived, Saint Ignatius was well aware of the need for reform within the Catholic Church of his time. At the time of his conversion (1521 A.D.), Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, and ten years later Henry VIII appointed himself head of the Church of England. Because of these and other unfortunate circumstances in the Catholic Church, Saint Ignatius felt the “desire to meet the needs of the Church[, and this] played a large part in the formation of his spirituality.” Saint Ignatius’ religious beliefs were rooted in the fact that “he saw all things both as created by God and as the means by which men and women make their way back to
Saint Ignatius developed the Exercises while he was living in the town of Manresa in Catalonia. Initially, all that Saint Ignatius wanted to do there was to stay a few days in the local hospital (which was also used at that time as a hostile by pilgrims) so that he could write a few notes in a book that he had about his experiences at Montserrat. During the eleven months that he stayed in Manresa, Saint Ignatius received several interior trials (i.e. about doubts and scruples he had) as well as divine illuminations (i.e. about the Trinity, Christ, and Mary). He also regularly performed minor works of charity for the poor and sick in Manresa, while also teaching the children catechism and talking to people about spiritual matters. These various acts of kindness earned him the admiration and respect of the local townsfolk, who referred to him as “the holy