Rome, Italy, Mar 12, 2022 / 11:00 am
Pope Francis reminded Jesuits and other religious orders on Saturday that their vocation is grounded in communion with the Catholic Church.
The pope spoke at a March 12 Mass marking the 400th anniversary of the canonization of Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, Philip Neri, and Isidore the Farmer.
“The saints we commemorate today were pillars of communion,” he said. “They remind us that, for all our differences of character and viewpoint, we have been called to be together. If we will be forever united in heaven, why not begin here?”
Saints Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier, Teresa of Avila, and Philip Neri were canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622. Isidore the Farmer was declared a saint 10 days later on March 22, 1622.