Reflection on Ignatian Reconciliation

In its initiatives, the Task Force has facilitated a reflection on the specific contribution of Ignatian reconciliation. Concretely, they have addressed the question: What is reconciliation in the context of the Jesuit mission? To answer that complex question, we turn to the volume of proceedings from the 2021 IAJU International Conference on Ignatian Reconciliation.

The commitment of the Society of Jesus to university life is expressed in the desire to contribute effectively to making a dignified and fulfilling life possible for each and every human being, both now and in the future. To achieve a dignified and fulfilling life, reconciliation is essential. Therefore, the Jesuit university must be a source of life, deeply committed to the processes of reconciliation. The Pontifical University of Comillas and the Pontifical Javeriana University worked under the guidance and encouragement of Father Michael J. Garanzini, SJ, in organizing the International Conference on Ignatian Reconciliation from Crisis and Confrontation to Healing and Forgiveness: How is Reconciliation Possible?, which took place from May 10 to 12, 2021, in a blended format (in-person and remote) from Madrid. In addition to conceptual approaches to reconciliation, this conference presented consolidated experiences in specific territories or communities of peacebuilding and reconciliation within institutions linked to the Society of Jesus. The conference proceedings presented here aim to contribute to fostering and expanding conversations of forgiveness, so that the reconstruction of the social fabric ceases to be a utopia and becomes a tangible possibility. Ultimately, this conference was the result of the unity that reconciliation so strongly promotes, for we must not forget that part of the process of achieving it stems from love and a shared goal of transcending all that divides us, a goal that, in this case, is being pursued by committed universities guided by the spiritual legacy of Saint Ignatius.