In a piece featured at OpEdNews, Daily Kos celebrates Pope Francis's demotion of American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke. As this example shows, Pope Francis may at times do, or say, something that progressives and liberals may want to cheer about. But Pope Francis is a conservative on already established church pronouncements. To help people better understand this first Jesuit pope, I profile him as a Jesuit.

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Duluth, Minnesota (OpEdNews) January 18, 2015: On January 18, 2015, OpEdNews featured a piece by Daily Kos headlined "It's Finally Official: Pope Francis Demotes Highest-Ranking US Cardinal Over LGBT Issues."

Pope Francis did indeed demote Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, as the piece notes. In the parlance of the Roman Catholic Church, cardinals are referred to as princes in the church's hierarchy. Cardinals are also bishops. In the church's hierarchy, the pecking order is bishop, archbishop, cardinal. Like most monarchs throughout history, Pope Francis does not like to have his own views criticized publicly by a courtier at the Vatican, as Cardinal Burke had done.

As Daily Kos notes, Cardinal Burke's strident cultural-warrior views are shared by a number of other bishops in the United States. In addition, a certain number of lay American Catholic reactionaries hold strident cultural-warrior views as well. See Damon Linker's book THE THEOCONS: SECULAR AMERICA UNDER SIEGE (2006).

However, if you want to succeed as a discrete and prudent courtier at the Vatican, you should study the seventeenth-century Spanish Jesuit Baltasar Gracian's book THE POCKET ORACLE AND ART OF PRUDENCE, translated by Jeremy Robbins of the University of Edinburgh (Penguin Classics, 2011; orig. ed., 1647). I have no reason to suspect that Pope Francis read Gracian's book, but it is possible that he may have read it. However, it is far more likely that Pope Francis, the first Jesuit pope, learned in effect how to embody the spirit of Gracian's advice in that book by studying the life and example of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Jesuit religious order in the Roman Catholic Church that is known by the informal name as the Jesuit order (also known by the formal name as the Society of Jesus).

Progressives and liberals might cheer on Pope Francis when he inveighs against economic inequality. In addition, they might welcome his announced upcoming encyclical of climate change.

But Pope Francis appears to be a media darling still. In part, this is due to his off-the-cuff comments at times, which the journalists covering him dutifully report. Oftentimes, his reported extemporaneous comments do not seem scripted. On the contrary, they seem spontaneously and refreshing.

For example, his comment "Who am I to judge?" was widely reported -- and itself widely commented on. He made this comment in response to a hypothetical question about a homosexual possibly serving as a Roman Catholic priest.

In light of the Roman Catholic bishops' opposition to same-sex marriage, which Pope Francis is also on record as opposing, his comment seems almost "off-message" (as we say when a politician says something that does not seem to be the usual, scripted message we would expect to hear).

Clearly Pope Francis can hold to his position of opposing same-sex marriage, on the one hand, and say, on the other hand, "Who am I to judge?" regarding the hypothetical case of a homosexual possibly serving as an ordained Roman Catholic priest. In effect, Pope Francis's comment shows that he can walk and chew gum at the same time, as we say.

However, Pope Francis is decidedly conservative regarding established positions taken by the Roman Catholic bishops. As a result, he is not likely to initiate any significant changes in established positions. But because of his ability to walk and chew gum at the same time, he may continue to come across as something less than a fervent cultural warrior regarding the established positions that he is not likely to change.

Of course Pope Francis is the first Jesuit ever elected to serve as pope. As noted, the Jesuit religious order in the Roman Catholic Church was founded by St. Ignatius Loyola. In a relatively short time, the comparatively well-educated Jesuits were being characterized pejoratively as being "Jesuitical" by certain detractors.

Historically, the Jesuits adopted the approach known as moral Probabilism in their practice of being confessors for the faithful. Their Probalism contended with the more legalistic medieval approach known as Tutiorism. No doubt the Jesuit use of Probabilism as confessors also contributed to their detractors' use of the term Jesuitical in a pejorative sense. See Robert Aleksander Maryks' book SAINT CICERO AND THE JESUITS: THE INFLUENCE OF THE LIBERAL ARTS ON THE ADOPTION OF MORAL PROBABALISM (2008).

Incidentally, in six of his 112 learned endnotes, Robbins mentions Cicero in connection with various points that Gracian discusses.

In theory, however, the term "Jesuitical" could also be used in a non-pejorative sense as a positive characterization of certain typical tendencies or behaviors of Jesuits. After all, the quip about not being able to walk and chew gum at the same time can be turned into a positive quip by saying that somebody (e.g., Pope Francis) can walk and chew gum at the same time.

So if the pejorative descriptor "Jesuitical" can also be used in a non-pejorative way, we might wonder what the non-pejorative way of using "Jesuitical" might mean beyond the obvious sense of meaning "like a Jesuit." For example, we might wonder if Pope Francis is Jesuitical beyond the obvious sense of meaning "like a Jesuit." In other words, can we amplify a bit about what it may mean to be like a Jesuit?

Because the term "Jesuit" is an informal name for the religious order, we should note that the order's more formal name is the Society of Jesus. Therefore, first and foremost, to be a Jesuit means to be like Jesus. Thus the non-pejorative meaning of Jesuitical should mean "like Jesus."

But what does it mean to be like Jesus? For example, does it mean to imitate Jesus (assuming that it is somehow possible to imitate him)?

The American Jesuit Walter J. Ong (1912-2003) addresses this question in his short piece "Mimesis and the Following of Christ" in the journal RELIGION AND LITERATURE, volume 26, number 2 (Summer 1994): pages 73-77. Briefly, Ong argues that Jesus in the gospels is portrayed as calling for people to follow him, not calling for people to imitate him (whatever that might mean). In this view, Jesuits claim to be followers of Jesus, but not necessarily imitators of Jesus (whatever that might mean).

Arguably Jesus is portrayed in the four canonical gospels as a kind of cultural warrior and hero. For this reason, imitating Jesus could be understood to mean imitating him as a cultural warrior. But the spirit of following might not necessarily entail being a cultural warrior.

In any event, we might wonder if the self-described Christians who originally used the term "Jesuitical" in the pejorative sense meant that they (the detractors) did not perceive the historical Jesuits as imitating Jesus as they (the detractors) expected them (the Jesuits) to. In other words, the distinction that Ong develops between imitating Jesus and following Jesus is an important distinction to understand.

Of course the cardinal-electors who elected Pope Francis to be the new pope were aware that he was a Jesuit. As a result, they surely must have understood that Jesuits tend to be Jesuitical in the non-pejorative sense of the term. But any Jesuit who is Jesuitical in the non-pejorative sense may for this reason be open to the charge of being Jesuitical in the pejorative sense. Surely the cardinal-electors must have understood this possibility as well.

But when we consider how Jesuits themselves understand what it means to be a Jesuit, we should consider St. Ignatius Loyola to be the primary exemplar of what it means to be a Jesuit. He was a mystic, and all Jesuits aspire to be mystics.

However, as far as I know, Pope Francis has not publicly claimed at any time in his life that he has had profound mystical experiences of the order of St. Ignatius Loyola's profound mystical experiences. No doubt this has been the case with most Jesuits over the centuries.

Nevertheless, Jesuits over the centuries have considered St. Ignatius Loyola to be a great spiritual master and exemplar. As a result, they aspire to follow his example, just as they also aspire to follow Jesus's example. So what does it mean to follow the example of St. Ignatius Loyola?

In the introduction to his translation of Gracian's book THE POCKET ORACLE AND ART OF PRUDENCE (2011; orig. ed., 1647), mentioned above, Robbins makes a relevant comment: "Reading early modern Jesuit lives of Ignatius, it is striking how the saint's recorded actions and attitudes embody the specifics of much of Gracian's advice, or vice versa" (page xliii).

Gracian was a moralist and a stylist. His famous book consists of 300 maxims, most of which are accompanied by a brief explanation. They are not arranged in any obvious order. So reading them in the order in which they are numbered involves a hop-skip-and-jump from one topic to the next to the next. Occasionally, some of them can be connected with one another thematically. For example, one theme involves what Robbins renders as "moral sense." As a stylist, Gracian wrote each accompanying explanation/commentary is a staccato style, not in a long-winded Ciceronian style. As Robbins notes, Gracian's style is Senecan, not Ciceronian (page xxx).

The culminating maxim and its commentary, numbered 300, says the following:

"In a word, a saint [like St. Ignatius Loyola?], which says it all at once and for all. Virtue links all perfections and is the centre of all happiness. It makes a person prudent, circumspect, shrewd, sensible, wise, brave, restrained, upright, happy, praiseworthy, a true and comprehensive hero. Three S's make someone blessed: being saintly, sound, and sage. Virtue is the sun of the little world of [humankind] and its sphere is a clear conscience. It is so fine, it gains the favour of both God and [humankind]. Nothing is worthy of love but virtue, nor of hate and vice [e.g., as expressed in the pejorative sense of "Jesuitical"]. Virtue alone is real, everything else is a mere jest. Ability and greatness must be measured by virtue, not by good fortune. It alone is self-sufficient. Whilst someone is alive, it makes them worthy of love; when dead, of being remembered" (page 112).

Gracian's thought here is consistent with the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. The Jesuits helped promote the thought of St. Thomas Aquinas. Robbins makes it abundantly clear that Gracian's thought about prudence is deeply attuned to St. Thomas Aquinas's thought. For a study relevant to Gracian's above-quoted explanation/commentary, see A. N. Williams' book THE GROUND OF UNION: DEIFICATION IN AQUINAS AND PALAMAS (1999).

No doubt Gracian and other early Jesuits saw St. Ignatius Loyola as embodying all of these qualities.

But does Pope Francis embody all of these qualities? If he does, it would not be hard to understand why the cardinal-electors would be willing to elect him to be the first Jesuit pope.

Christopher Maurer also published an English translation of Gracian's book as THE ART OF WORLDLY WISDOM: A POCKET ORACLE (Crown Business/Random House, 1992). In his introduction to his translation, Maurer points out that both Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) and Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) admired Gracian's book. Schopenhauer translated Gracian's book into German. His translation was published posthumously in 1862. Maurier quotes Nietzsche saying that "Europe has never produced anything finer or more complicated in matters of moral subtlety [than Gracian's book has]" (quote on page vi).

Maurer notes that Gracian's writings were not regarded as heretical and that "the Jesuits never accused Gracian of contradicting Catholic doctrine" (pages xiii, xiv).

In a related vein, Robbins points out "[f]or what it is worth, the 1647 censor's license granted by the Augustinian Gabriel Hernandez states that the POCKET ORACLE 'has nothing against Our Faith [ . . . ] nor is it a reef on which Christian customs will founder'" (page xli; ellipsis inserted by Robbins).

In 10 of his 112 learned endnotes, Robbins discusses St. Ignatius Loyola in connection with 10 of Gracian's maxims and explanation/commentaries. Perhaps each of Gracian's 10 items will help us understand Pope Francis. However, more than one of Robbins' notes connecting something in Gracian's text (numbered as 144; and the related item numbered as 193) with St. Ignatius Loyola involves Robbins in explaining a rather complicated connection. As a result, I will quote here only eight items from Gracian's text that are numbered as 49, 70, 77, 187, 242, 251, 288, and, in part, 297.

(49) "A judicious and observant person. Such people master things, things don't master them. They plumb the greatest depth and know how to dissect perfectly the talents of every individual [e.g., Cardinal Burke?] As soon as they see someone, they understand and evaluate their very essence [Robbins notes that Jesuits attributed this quality to St. Ignatius Loyola]. Uniquely perceptive, they can decipher even the most cautious person's inner self. They observe acutely, understand subtly and infer judiciously: they discover, notice, grasp and understand everything" (page 20; Robbins' note, page 114).

Is Pope Francis a judicious and observant person as Gracian describes such a person here?

(70) "Know how to refuse. Not everything has to be granted, nor to everyone. This is as important as knowing how to grant something, and is a vital necessity for rulers. Your manner is important here: one person's 'no' is valued more than another's 'yes', because a gilded 'no' satisfies far more than a blunt 'yes'. Many are always ready to say 'no', turning everything sour. 'No' is always the first reaction, and although they subsequently grant everything, they are not held in esteem because of the taste left by the initial refusal. Things shouldn't be refused in one fell swoop; let disappointment sink in gradually. Nor should refusals be categoric, for dependants then give up all hope. Always let there be a few crumbs of hope to temper the bitterness of refusal. Let courtesy make up for the lack of favour, and fine words the lack of deeds. 'Yes' and 'no' are quick to say, and require much thought" (page 27; Robbins' note, page 115).

Does the smooth-talking Pope Francis know how to refuse in the way that Gracian describes here?

(77) "Know how to be all things to all people [Robbins points out that St. Ignatius Loyola advocated this]. A discreet Proteus: with the learned, learned, and with the devout, devout. A great art to win everyone over, since similarity creates goodwill [today psychologists refer to doing this as mirroring someone]. Observe each person's temperament and tune yours to it. Whether with a serious or a jovial person, go with the current, undergoing a transformation that is politic -- and essential for those in positions of dependency. Such vital subtlety requires great ability. It is less difficult for the universal man [or woman] with his [or her] wide-ranging intellect and taste" (pages 29-30; Robbins' note, page 116).

Does Pope Francis know how to be all things to all people as Gracian describes this great ability here?

(187) "Anything popular, do yourself; anything unpopular, use others to do it [Robbins notes that St. Ignatius Loyola often said this]. With the one you garner affection, with the other you deflect hatred. The great are fortunate in their generosity, since for them, doing good is more pleasurable than receiving it. Rarely do you upset someone without upsetting yourself, either through compassion or remorse. Those at the top necessarily have to reward or punish. Let good things come directly, bad ones indirectly. Have something to deflect hatred and slander, the blows of the disgruntled. Common anger is normally like an angry dog which, not knowing the reason for its pain, attacks the instrument that inflicts it simply because this, though not the ultimate cause, is close at hand" (page 71; Robbins' note, page 118).

Does Pope Francis do himself the popular things but assigned others to do the unpopular things?

(242) "Carry things through. Some people put everything into the beginning, and finish nothing. They come up with something, but never press on with it, revealing their fickle character. They never receive any praise because they don't press on with anything; everything ends with nothing being ended. In others, this arises out of impatience, a characteristic vice of the Spanish, just as patience is the virtue of the Belgians. The latter finish things, the former finish with them. They sweat until a difficulty is overcome, and are happy simply to conquer it, but they don't know how to carry their victory through; they show they have the ability, but not the desire. This is always a defect, arising from taking on the impossible or from fickleness. If an undertaking is good, why not finish it? And if it's bad, why was it started? The shrewd should kill their prey, not give up after flushing it out" (page 91; Robbins' note, page 120).

Is Pope Francis likely to carry through the things that he has started to their completion?

(251) "Human means must be sought as if there were no divine ones, and divine ones as if there were no human ones. The rule of a great master [i.e., St. Ignatius Loyola]. No further comment is necessary" (page 94; Robbins' note, page 120).

Does Pope Francis follow this rule of the great master?

(288) "Live as circumstances demand. Ruling, reasoning, everything must be opportune Act when you can, for time and tide wait for no one. To live, don't follow your generalizations, except where virtue is concerned, and don't insist on precise rules for desire, for you'll have to drink tomorrow the water you shunned today. There are some so outlandishly misguided that they expect all circumstances necessary for success to conform to their own whims, not the reverse [Robbins notes that a key teaching of St. Ignatius Loyola "was precisely to accommodate the self to the situation, not the reverse"]. But the wise know that the lodestar of prudence is to behave as circumstances demand" (page 108; Robbins' note, page 122).

Does Pope Francis live as circumstances demand as Gracian describes this?

(297) "Act as though always on view. The insightful man [and woman] is the one who sees that others see or will see him. He knows that walls have ears, and that what's badly done is always bursting to come out. Even when alone, he [or she] acts as though seen by everyone, knowing that everything will eventually be known. He [or she] looks on those who will subsequently hear of his [or her] actions as witnesses to them already. The person who wanted everyone to see him [or her] wasn't daunted that others could see into his [or her] house from outside [Robbins notes that St. Ignatius Loyola "offers similar advice regarding what we say"]" (page 111; Robbins' note, page 122).

(Article changed on January 19, 2015 at 00:08)

Authors Website: http://www.d.umn.edu/~tfarrell

Authors Bio:

Thomas James Farrell is professor emeritus of writing studies at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD). He started teaching at UMD in Fall 1987, and he retired from UMD at the end of May 2009. He was born in 1944. He holds three degrees from Saint Louis University (SLU): B.A. in English, 1966; M.A.(T) in English 1968; Ph.D.in higher education, 1974. On May 16, 1969, the editors of the SLU student newspaper named him Man of the Year, an honor customarily conferred on an administrator or a faculty member, not on a graduate student -- nor on a woman up to that time. He is the proud author of the book WALTER ONG'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO CULTURAL STUDIES: THE PHENOMENOLOGY OF THE WORD AND I-THOU COMMUNICATION (Cresskill, NJ: Hampton Press, 2000; 2nd ed. 2009, forthcoming). The first edition won the 2001 Marshall McLuhan Award for Outstanding Book in the Field of Media Ecology conferred by the Media Ecology Association. For further information about his education and his publications, see his UMD homepage: Click here to visit Dr. Farrell's homepage.

On September 10 and 22, 2009, he discussed Walter Ong's work on the blog radio talk show "Ethics Talk" that is hosted by Hope May in philosophy at Central Michigan University. Each hour-long show has been archived and is available for people who missed the live broadcast to listen to. Here are the website addresses for the two archived shows:

Click here to listen the Technologizing of the Word Interview

Click here to listen the Ramus, Method & The Decay of Dialogue Interview