The cause for the canonization of Pedro Arrupe, S.J. (1907-91), 28th superior general of the Society of Jesus, took an important step forward today, Nov. 14, the anniversary of his birth, with the closing of its diocesan phase.
The closing session of the diocesan process “on the life, virtues, reputation for holiness and signs of the Servant of God, Pedro Arrupe,” took place at midday today in the Hall of Conciliation of the Lateran Palace, presided over by Cardinal-designate Baldassare Reina, 53, the vicar general of the Diocese of Rome.
Father Arrupe died in Rome on Feb. 5, 1991, and his remains are interred in the church of the Gesù in Rome. His canonization process was officially opened in the Diocese of Rome in 2019, and its first session was held here on Feb. 5, 2019, the anniversary of his death. Today, the 99th and last session of that process was held in the very same place.
Over the period of almost six years between the first and final sessions, the diocesan tribunal gathered 70 oral testimonies in Rome, Spain and Japan from people who knew Father Arrupe, and its historical commission collected and reviewed almost 10,000 pages of his unpublished writings, especially his correspondence with Jesuits and others during his term of government of the order. Theological censors reviewed Father Arrupe’s numerous published works to ensure there was nothing in them contrary to the “faith and customs” of the Catholic Church. The commission also consulted published writings to verify attestations to his holiness.
The tribunal had this collection of oral testimonies and writings put into boxes, all of which were wrapped with red ribbons and sealed with wax and the official seal of the tribunal, as required by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The last of these boxes were sealed today by the notary in the presence of the tribunal and a large audience of more than 150 people, including Arturo Sosa, S.J., the current superior general of the Jesuits.
The postulator of the cause, the Spanish Jesuit Pascual Cebollada, was entrusted with the task of bringing all the documentation to the Dicastery for the Causes of the Saints, where the next stage of the process will unfold.
After the formal steps of sealing the documentation and entrusting them to the postulator, Archbishop Reina, in the keynote address, offered an account of Father Arrupe’s life and hailed him as “a model of holiness.”
Archbishop Reina declared today “a festive day” for all present. He traced the history of Father Arrupe from his birth in Bilbao through his study of medicine, his joining the Jesuits and his going as a missionary to Japan in 1938.
He recalled how the Basque Jesuit spent 27 years of his life in the Land of the Rising Sun, during which time he was witness to the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima by the United States in 1945 and the terrible consequences of that attack. He described how Father Arrupe had opened “a field hospital” at the Jesuit community outside the main blast area to try to care for some of the survivors. It was an event that forever marked his life.
Father Arrupe’s ministry in Japan came to an end, the archbishop recalled, when he was elected the 28th superior general of the Society of Jesus in May 1965 and had to move to Rome. There he attended the final session of the Second Vatican Council (1962-65) and, as the historical record shows, offered input during deliberations on “The Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World” (“Gaudium et Spes”). In the years following, he helped reform the Society of Jesus in accordance with the teachings of that council.
Under his leadership, the Jesuits made a decisive move to reform the Society at its 31st General Congregation, in accordance with the Second Vatican Council, by returning to the Ignatian sources of spirituality, especially the Spiritual Exercises. Archbishop Reina recalled too how Father Arrupe led the Jesuits to a deep commitment to the poor and the social apostolate, alluding to the Jesuits’ 32nd General Congregation (1974-75), with its fourth decree on “Our Mission Today: The Service of Faith and the Promotion of Justice,” and later on with the founding of the Jesuit Refugee Service on this day in 1980.
Cardinal-designate Reina underlined how Father Arrupe, during his term as superior general of the Jesuits, lived the fourth vow of the order by showing “faithful obedience” to the popes of the day—from Paul VI to John Paul II.
The archbishop emphasized how Father Arrupe’s life was always centered on Christ and quoted him as saying, “Take Jesus Christ out of my life and all will collapse.”
The cardinal-elect quoted from Father Arrupe’s profoundly moving words to the 33rd General Congregation that elected Peter Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., as his successor. His speech was read aloud for him because a stroke in 1981 had left him paralyzed and unable to speak. At that time, he told his brother Jesuits, “More than ever, I now find myself in the hands of God.” The archbishop recalled, too, Arrupe’s final meeting with John Paul II in 1991.
When the vicar general of Rome had finished speaking, Father Arturo Sosa rose to thank him and said, “Your words moved me, they moved me very much.” He recalled that the Society of Jesus had asked for the opening of the cause for Arrupe’s canonization “because we Jesuits are convinced of the holiness of our 28th superior general.”
Father Sosa said the Jesuits put their postulator general at the service of Father Arrupe’s cause, referring also to the fact that he will have to write the “Positio,” a text that is likely to be at least one volume, “on the life, virtues, reputation for holiness and signs of the Servant of God, Pedro Arrupe.” That text, a requirement of the dicastery, will then be reviewed by the dicastery’s theologians, bishops and cardinals. They will submit their verdict, which is expected to be positive, to Pope Francis, who will then be able to declare Father Arrupe “Venerable” for having lived the Christian life and theological virtues to a heroic degree.
On the eve of today’s event, Pascual Cebollado, S.J., the postulator for Father Arrupe’s cause, told Avvenire, the Italian Catholic daily, “The hope is that in a few years after the drafting of the ‘Positio’, Don Pedro, as he is lovingly known by some Jesuits, can be declared ‘venerable.’”
Once that is done, the next step will be that of beatification, but for this to happen one miracle will be required, and a second miracle after that for his canonization. Father Cebollado also told Avvenire that his office has already received “news of possible miraculous cures, but so far none of them has proven to be valid to be considered as a miracle. On the other hand, graces and favors, signs obtained through his intercession, continue to arrive and show [there is] devotion to his person.”
At the end of today’s session, Archbishop Reina read the prayer, together with all present, for the canonization of Father Arrupe, whom he described as “a model of holiness.”
