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s2smodern

A significant academic event that brought together academics, the representatives of the Catholic and Lutheran church and people of different walks of life, was the presentation of the Latvian translation of the Spiritual Exercises of Saint Ignatius Loyola. The event took place on March 27 in the Library of the Latvian University in Riga. The publication, equipped with a scientific introduction and footnotes, was issued by the University with support of the Jesuits in Latvia.

The translation was based on its original Spanish version which initially was translated by Ēvalds Ikaunieks (professor of mathematics and member of CLC), and then edited and developed by linguist professor Jānis Priede.  

Amongst many people interested in the book there were guests who were sharing their own experience and joy for having this spiritual classic translated to the Latvian language. During the presentation two archbishops took the floor: Catholic Zbigņevs Stankevičs and Lutheran Jānis Vanags, who shared their personal experience of an Ignatian retreat as life transforming experience.

The provincial of the Lithuanian - Latvian province Vidmantas Simkunas SJ emphasized that the book of the Spiritual Exercises is not easy accessible, being a kind of "instruction manual" for the retreat guide. But the extraordinary results of the Exercises practiced in retreats have transformed it in a universal and  an important tool for spiritual change and development which is used not only by Catholics, or Christians, but even other religions and "non-believers". Evidence of this is the growing popularity of the Ignatian retreat method in Latvia, where the Lutheran Church leads even the spirituality courses for people preparing them to accompany retreatants.

At the same time the Jesuits are organizing ecumenical meetings in the st. Peter Faber Jesuit residence in Riga in order to forge friendships and collaboration amongst people interested in Ignatian spirituality. As stated by the Rector of the University of Latvia prof. Indriķis Muižnieks, present at the presentation of the book “, a man cannot forgo without spirituality and needs it even in such technique-dominated epoch as ours.”

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s2smodern