General Congregation 32, Decree 4, Our Mission Today

This decree, adopted by General Congregation 32 in 1975, marked a major development in the Jesuits’ understanding of the essential link between the service of faith and work for justice in the mission of the Society of Jesus.

This document is available here.

General Congregation 34, Decree 4, Our Mission & Culture

This 1995 Decree explores the role of dialogue with cultures in the mission of the Society of Jesus. It promotes the incarnation of the Gospel through inculturation.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 34, Decree 9, Poverty

This 1995 Decree calls on Jesuits to consider whether their way of life is a credible witness to the vow of poverty. It proposes guidelines to assist in deepening this witness.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 34, Decree 3, Our Mission & Justice

The most recent General Congregation, held in 1995, affirms in this decree the integral role of the promotion of justice in the mission of the Society of Jesus. Dialogue between cultures and between religions are highlighted as new dimensions of the promotion of justice.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 34, Decree 5, Our Mission & Interreligious Dialogue

This 1995 Decree explores the role of dialogue between religions in the mission of the Society of Jesus. It promotes a four fold dialogue of life, of action, of religious experience, and of theological exchange.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 34, Decree 14, Jesuits and the Situation of Women in Church and Civil Society

This 1995 Decree names the unjust treatment and exploitation of women as a central concern of a mission which seeks to integrate faith and justice, and a personal concern of those who work with the Jesuits in mission.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 35, Decree Two, A Fire That Kindles Other Fires,

This decree reflects on the Ignatian charism and what is to be a Jesuit. This poetic and readable Decree shows how Ignatian spirituality leads inexorably to the service of faith and the promotion of justice. It is a very useful document for those who wish to better understand the underpinnings of the organizational culture and ethos of a Jesuit work.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 35, Decree Three, Challenges to Our Mission Today, Sent to the Frontiers

This decree reaffirms the last three General Congregations’ expression of our mission as the service of faith and the promotion of justice, in which inculturation and dialogue are essential elements. Globalization and increasingly urgent ecological issues are seen as important new dimensions of the context of mission today. The response of the Jesuits, and of Jesuit works, is framed in terms of seeking right relationships through reconciliation with God, with one another, and with creation. This gives a stronger place to ecological concerns in mission than previous General Congregations.

The document is available here.

General Congregation 35, Decree Six, Collaboration at the Heart of Mission

This decree reflects with gratitude on how the Society has responded to GC 34’s call to cooperation with the laity in mission. Growth in collaboration with lay people has been limited in some contexts, while in other contexts collaboration includes lay people, other religious, and people who share our values but not our beliefs. The Decree asks: ‘what constitutes and sustains a Jesuit work?’, ‘what are the elements of formation for collaborative mission?’, and ‘what connections might make our work more fruitful?’

The document is available here.