Nikolaas Sintobin - Jesuits Telling Jokes: A (Serious) Introduction to Ignatian Spirituality

Who are those Catholic priests who were banned by the Pope at the end of the eighteenth century, only to find one of their own chosen as Pope two hundred and fifty years later?

Were about to find out through jokes about them. There are twenty Jesuit jokes in this book. Hopefully they provide a good laugh, but theyre also intended to illuminate some realities about the Jesuits. Humor often manages to touch, in a very subtle way, the core of the mystery surrounding how people live and work. Humor can make you think. So humor is well-suited for shedding some light on an order that is nearly five centuries old.

Jokes about priests and the religious have been making the rounds for millennia, including those about Jesuits. The Jesuits have been compared to Franciscans, Dominicans, and many other orders. Some jokes may make fun of a Jesuit superiority complex, but those times are over, especially after the Jesuit Pope Francis chose to take the name of the humble founder of the Franciscans.

The founder of the Jesuits, Saint Ignatius of Loyola (14911556), is often shown in paintings as ascetic, strong-willed, and icy-looking. He was ascetic and strong-willed, but those who knew him well give a subtler and more nuanced view of him. Luis Gonalves da Cmara, a Jesuit who lived and worked with him, describes Ignatius as a Spaniard, of small stature, rather lame, with joyful eyes. His friends talk about his sense of humor and capacity to make fun of himself.

Ignatius lived in a time of crisis, much as we do today. After centuries of religious stability, Europe was experiencing a period of religious uncertainty and fear. The discovery of highly developed cultures overseas led to doubts about Christian superiority, and new knowledge challenged established, centuries-old intellectual beliefs. In the midst of countless tensions that were the result of this rapid evolution, Ignatius went in search of meaning in his life. Little by little, he discovered that the all-too-easy answers he used to accept now required more discernment and nuances. Human reality doesnt fit into yes-or-no, black-or-white answers, and this complexity can be found in Ignatiuss spirituality and pedagogy. His complex spirituality can even be nuanced to such an extent that the term Jesuitical has become fairly synonymous with being ambiguous or seemingly hypocritical.

It is clear that Ignatius had an aversion to black-and-white thinking. His fondness for discernment, or prayerfully reflecting on ones inner movements and emotions, meant that he loved paradoxes. His own history had led him to seek God in the fickle nature of concrete experiences rather than in devout thoughts or generalities. In this way, Ignatius laid the foundation for a spiritual tradition that both attracts and repels: It is unpredictable and yet still within the tradition; it is subtle and bold; it trusts in God and in human efforts.

This little book introduces you to various aspects of the Jesuit approach to life in twenty brief sections. I hope you will better understand who the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) are and gain some insight into Ignatian spirituality, which offers sure guidance for developing a more meaningful life.

Special thanks to Hans Geybels, who gave me the idea for this book. I hope you enjoy it!

Nikolaas Sintobin, SJ