International Symposium on Psychology and Exercices.

The more than 200 participants of the International Symposium of Psychology and Spiritual Exercises, held in Loyola from 20 to 24 June, showed great satisfaction with what has happened during these days in the form of more than 50 activities (conferences, communications, meetings with experts, workshops, round tables, etc.) with the major international specialists in the item.

The main focus of the meeting was how to interpret psychologically Ignatius Loyola's central proposal for his Spiritual Exercises: "To feel and know the various motions..." (EE 313). The chosen theme sought to understand, from a current perspective, the Ignatian leap between the diversity and superficiality of emotions and thoughts that we experience at the depth of the motions of the Spirit, which show us how to decide in our concrete christian life.

Inaugurated by the provincial of Spain, Antonio España SJ, at the opening ceremony a video message from Father General was projected. It was about the union between the Universal Apostolic Preferences and the Exercises. The themes presented during these days have been many. For example, the balance between the Exercises and psychology or the theme of motions, since a generalist vision to the specific one of the image and imagination in the spiritual world, the Spiritual Exercises with people with intellectual disabilities, the itineraries of the Exercises or motions in groups and discernment in common. Also, the contemporary Emotionalism and Emotivism seen as a threat or possibility for our spirituality was the protagonist of one of the round tables; the complexity of the world of the unconscious that makes us be able to project in God our own desires and interests if we do not discern well the motions. Women and the Spiritual Exercises, and if there is a feminine perspective of Ignatian spirituality, were themes interesting during the Symposium, as well as the search for Ignatian contributions to psychology and the possibility of the existence of an Ignatian Psychology.

Franco Imoda SJ, Carlos Domínguez SJ, Luis María García Domínguez SJ, R. Dawson, J.P. Núñez, Stefano Guarinelli, Margaret Scott, Elizabeth Liebert, Francisco José Ruiz Pérez SJ, José María Rodríguez Olaizola SJ and María Prieto (U.P. Comillas) were some of the experts that spoke during these days.

Finally, with the motto "They have made God credible and human beings possible" the Symposium paid a sincere and emotional tribute to the Jesuits Carlos Alemany, Jordi Font, José Antonio García-Monje and Nacho Boné. The first three were present in the hall, while our beloved Nacho was represented by family members and friends. They have been personalities in the world of university knowledge, good people and great Jesuits who have contributed to making the Society of Jesus an apostolic body that follows the ideals that Saint Ignatius marks for us in the Spiritual Exercises.

Organized by the University Institute of Spirituality of the Universidad Pontificia Comillas, the following entities collaborated: the Jesuit Province of Spain, the Fifth Centenary Commission, the CEL-Sanctuary of Loyola, the Loyola Communication Group, and UNIJES (Jesuit Universities of Spain).

It was offered on the thirtieth anniversary of the meeting that took place in Salamanca in 1989. And it was celebrated on the threshold of the fifth centenary of the conversion of Ignatius; hence its thematic focus reflects the psychodynamics of the conversion of Ignatius in parallel with that of the exercitant.

More about the Congress on Twitter: #LoyolaPsi2019