Jesuit Father Arrupe's sainthood cause opens in Rome

Spanish priest who survived atomic bomb in Hiroshima hailed for bridging tradition and need for Church for adapt.

Jesuit Father Pedro Arrupe, superior general of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983, is pictured in an undated photo. The sainthood cause for Father Arrupe was formally opened in Rome at the Basilica of St. John Lateran Feb. 5, 2019, the 28th anniversary of his death. (Photo courtesy of Jesuits Global)

Vatican City:  The sainthood cause of Jesuit Father Pedro Arrupe was formally opened in Rome at the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Feb. 5, marking the 28th anniversary of his death.

The move to beatify Father Arrupe, superior-general of the Jesuits from 1965 to 1983, was set in motion by the Diocese of Rome, where the former superior-general passed away in 1991 after battling a long illness.

The formal process of beatification and canonization includes compiling the priest's writings and gathering sworn testimonies about his life and holiness. Once the Jesuit postulator was in possession of a list of potential witnesses and had collected the writings, the formal opening of Father Arrupe's sainthood cause — the diocesan inquiry — could begin.

Documentation from the diocesan inquiry will be sent to the Vatican Congregation for Saints' Causes, which reviews the gathered information. If he is found to have led a heroic life steeped in Christian virtues, the Church bestows on him the title "venerable."

The next steps would be beatification and canonization. In general, two miracles determined to have occurred through the candidate's intercession are needed for sainthood — one for beatification and the second for canonization.

Cardinal Angelo de Donatis, vicar of Rome, presided at the ceremony on Feb. 5, formally opening the diocesan inquiry.

He said Father Arrupe was firmly "rooted in Christ, whom he passionately loved and, with courageous faith, he let himself be guided in his journey by the wisdom and freedom that comes from the Holy Spirit."

"He was a true man of God" and a man of the Church as he sought to "integrate the best values from tradition with those necessary for adapting Christianity to new times" in accordance with the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal de Donatis said.

He was also "rich" in such treasured qualities as the ability to listen, understand, respect, help and trust others, teaching many how to become "men and women for others," said the cardinal.

Born in Spain in 1907, Father Arrupe entered the Society of Jesus in 1927. Following the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain in 1932, he continued his studies in Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States. After his ordination, he was sent to Japan in 1938.

According to the official U.S. website of the Jesuits, Father Arrupe was serving in a Japanese mission outside of Hiroshima when the United States dropped the atomic bomb there in 1945. He is credited with being one of the first responders, as detailed in his memoirs of that catastrophic event.

The Jesuit priest, who studied medicine before entering the society, and several companions "were able to give aid to 150 victims."

In 1965, Father Arrupe was elected superior-general of the Society of Jesus.

He worked to help Jesuits rediscover the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, and the method of personal discernment and discernment in common helped the Jesuits renew their life, vows, community and mission.

He also established the Jesuit Refugee Service, which today serves refugees and other forcibly displaced persons in 52 countries.

Upon returning to Rome from a trip in Asia in 1981, he suffered a stroke. He resigned in 1983 and died in Rome Feb. 5, 1991.

Source: CNS