The Secret History of the Jesuits – by Edmond Paris
2. The Spiritual Exercises
Contents
When the time came at last for Ignatius to leave Monresa, he couldn’t foresee his destiny, but the anxiety concerning his own salvation was not his main concern any more; it is as a missionary, and not as a mere pilgrim, that he left for the Holy Land in March 1523. He arrived in Jerusalem on the 1st of September, after many adventures, only to leave again soon after, on the orders of the Franciscan’s provincial who was not desirious to see the precarious peace between Christians and Turks endangered by an untimely proselytism.
The disappointed missionary passed through Venice, Genoa, and Barcelona on his way to the University of Alcala where he started theological studies; it is there also that his “cure of souls” amongst voluntary listeners began.
“In these conventicles, the most common manifestations of piety amongst the fair sex were fainting fits; by that, we realise how hard he applied his religious methods, and how such a fervent propaganda would soon arouse the curiosity and then the suspicion of the inquisitors… “In April 1527, the Inquisition put Ignatius in prison to try him on the grounds of heresy. The inquiry examined those peculiar incidents amongst his devotees, the strange assertions of the accused concerning the wonderful power his chastity conferred on him, and his bizarre theories on the difference between mortal and venial sins; these theories had striking affinities with those of Jesuit casuists of the subsequent epoch.(lO) Released but forbidden to hold meetings, Ignatius left for Salamanque and soon started the same activities. Similar suspicions amongst the inquisitors led to imprisonment again. Release was only on condition of desisting from such conduct. Thus it was, he journeyed to Paris to continue his studies at the college of Montaigu. His efforts to endoctrinate his fellow-students according to his peculiar methods brought him into trouble again with the Inquisition. Becoming more prudent,he met with just six of his college friends, two of which will become highly esteemed recruits: Salmeron and Lainez.
(10) H. Boehmer, op.cit. pp.20-21, 25.
What did he have in himself that so powerfully attracted young people to an old student? It was his ideal and a little charm he carried on himself: a small book, in fact a very minute book which is, in spite of its smallness, amongst those which have influenced the fate of humanity. This volume has been printed so many times that the number of copies is unknown; it was also the object of more than 400 commentaries. It is the textbook of the Jesuits and at the same time the resume of the long inner development of their master: the “Spiritual Exercises”.(11)
Mr Boehmer says later:
“Ignatius understood more clearly than any other leader of men who preceded him that the best way to raise a man to a certain ideal is to become master of his imagination. We “imbue into him spiritual forces which he would find very difficult to eliminate later”, forces more lasting than all the best principles and doctrines; these forces can come up again to the surface, sometimes after years of not even mentioning them, and become so imperative that the will finds itself unable to oppose any obstacle, and has to follow their irresistible impulse”.(12)
Thus all the “truths” of the Catholic dogma will have to be, not only meditated, but lived and felt by the one who devotes himself to these “Exercises”, with the help of a “director”. In other words, he will have to see and relive the mystery with the greatest possible intensity. The candidate’s sensitiveness becomes impregnated with these forces whose persistence in his memory, and even more so in his subconscious, will be as strong as the effort he made to evoke and assimilate them. Beside sight, the other senses such as hearing, smell, taste and touch will play their part. In short, it is mere controlled auto-suggestion. The angels’ rebellion, Adam and Eve driven out of Paradise, God’s tribunal, the evangelical scenes and phases of the Passion are, as one would say, relived in front of the candidate. Sweet and blissful scenes alternate with the most sombre ones at a skilfully arranged rythm. No need to say that Hell has the prominent part in that “magic lantern show”, with its lake of fire into which the damned are thrown, the awful concert of screams, the atrocious strench of sulphur and burning flesh. Yet Christ is always there to sustain the visionary who doesn’t know how to thank him for not having thrown him already into hell to pay for his past sins.
( 1 1 ) and (12) H. Boehmer, op.cit., pp.25, 34-35.
Here is what Edgar Quinet wrote:
“Not only visions are pre-arranged, but also sighs, inhalings, breathing are noted down; the pauses and intervals of silence are written down like on a music sheet. In case you do not believe me, I will quote: “The third way of praying, by measuring the words and periods of silence”. This particular manner of praying consists of leaving out some words between every breath; and a little further: “Make sure to keep equal gaps between every breath and choking sob and word”. (Et paria anhelituum ac vocum interstitia observet), which means that the man, being inspired or not, becomes just a machine which must sigh, sob, groan, cry, shout or catch one’s breath at the exact moment and in the order which experience shows to be the most profitable”. (12a)
It is understandable that after four weeks devoted to these intensive Exercises, with a director as his only companion, the candidate would be ripe for the subsequent training and breaking.
This is what Quinet has to say when referring to the creator of such an hallucinatory method:
“Do you know what distinguishes him from all the ascetics of the past? The fact that he could observe and analyse himself logically and coldly in that state of rapture, while for all the others even the idea of reflection was impossible.
Imposing on his disciples actions which, to him, were spontaneous, he needed just thirty days to break, with this method, the will and reasoning, in the manner in which a rider breaks his horse. He only needed thirty days “triginta dies”, to subdue a soul. Note that Jesuitism expanded together with modern inquisition: while the inquisition dislocated the body, the spiritual Exercises broke up the thoughts under Loyola’s machine”.(12b)
In any case, one could not examine his “spiritual” life too deeply, even without the honour of being a Jesuit; Loyola’s methods are to be recommended to the faithful and ecclesiastics in particular, as we are reminded by commentators such as R.P. Pinard de la Boullaye, author of “Mental prayer for all”; inspired by saint Ignatius, this very valuable aid for the soul would, we think, be more explicit if the title read “alienation” instead of “prayer”.
(12a) Michelet et Guinet: “Des Jesuites”, (Hachette, Paulin, Paris 1845, pp.185-187). (12b) Michelet et Guinet: “Des Jesuites”, (Hachette, Paulin, Paris, 1845, pp.185- 187)
