Healing a Broken World - Society of Jesus

8. NOTES
Healing a Broken World
1 Pope Benedict XVI devoted the whole of the fourth chapter of the Encyclical
Caritas in Veritate to this theme. In his last message on Peace, ‗If you Want to
Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation‘, (1 January 2010) he developed the relationship
between the ecological challenges and peace.
2 Ten years have gone by since the publication of ‗We Live in a Broken World:
Reflections on Ecology‘ (Social Justice Secretariat, Promotio Iustitiae, April 1999); the
document was prepared as a response to the request made by GC 34 in Decree 20.
3 We may recall the most important documents of the past 10 years: GC 34, D 20;
‗We Live in a Broken World‘, Social Justice Secretariat, Promotio Iustitiae, April 1999;
GC 35, D3; ‗Jesuit Responsibility for the Environment‘, a 2008/9 Survey of what
Jesuits are doing, Social Justice Secretariat, 2009; and ‗Seven Year Plan for
Generational Change for the Society of Jesus‘, presented at Windsor Castle in
November 2009.
4 See the Seven Year Plan for the Society prepared for meeting at Windsor Castle
(2009).
5 ― Jesuits and those who share our mission [are invited] to show ever more
effective ecological solidarity in our spiritual, communal, and apostolic lives‖ (P.H.
Kolvenbach, quoted by GC 35, D 3, no. 31). (For an explanation see nos. 33-34).
6 In order to help the Task Force to reflect on the issue of Ecology, the Expanded
Council (Consiglio Allargato) of Fr. General devoted half-a-day on 17 th May 2010 to
discuss this issue. The recommendations collected from group discussions and the
plenary session have been shared with the members of the TF at their first meeting
in Rome from 5 to 9 July 2010.
7 Questionnaires have been prepared and sent to the following apostolic sectors:
Communication/media, Higher Education, Spirituality, Pastoral/Indigenous,
Social, Secondary Education); to formation houses and theologians, to some
Provincials, Presidents of Conferences and Counsellors. A complete list is provided
in the section of ‗Acknowledgements.‘
8 GC 35, D 3, nos. 12, 18.
9 The summit was one of the largest gatherings of Heads of State and Prime
Ministers ever held, and although they all recognized the threat to life on the planet
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