HomePeopleIgnatius the Intense

Ignatius the Intense

Something to Think About

At his People for Others blog (now no longer online), my friend Paul Campbell has trouble coming up with “five fun facts” about Ignatius Loyola. One of them is the fact that Ignatius was hauled up several times before the Spanish Inquisition.

This got me thinking about the personalities of saints. There aren’t many “fun” facts about Ignatius, because Ignatius was probably not much of a fun guy. I think he was pretty intense. He seems to have had a charismatic personality and a wonderful gift for friendship. But he was probably more at home in intense one-on-one conversation than circulating at a cocktail party.

One of Ignatius’ great friends was Philip Neri, a fun-loving Italian who loved practical jokes and wisecracks. Philip was a great evangelist in Rome who founded the Oratory congregation. He often did outrageous things. He would dress as a clown, tell jokes to somber visitors, and walk in the streets with a bouquet of flowers and a cushion on his head. He would shave half his beard off and enjoy watching people’s reactions. Ignatius said that he wanted Philip in the Society of Jesus. It seems that Philip did apply. But for some reason it never happened. Maybe the Jesuits weren’t enough fun.

Jim Manney
Jim Manneyhttps://www.jimmanneybooks.com/
Jim Manney is the author of highly praised popular books on Ignatian spirituality, including A Simple, Life-Changing Prayer (about the Daily Examen) and God Finds Us (about the Spiritual Exercises). He is the compiler/editor of An Ignatian Book of Days. His latest book is What Matters Most and Why. He and his wife live in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here

DOTMAGIS BLOGGERS

Loretta Pehanich
111 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Marina Berzins McCoy
136 POSTS0 COMMENTS
Tim Muldoon
126 POSTS25 COMMENTS

FEATURED