What unites us: the politics of the common good

Solidarity and international network

"I was very much influenced by the Ignatian vision of effort, exercise and discipline, and therefore the need to be responsible for your actions" said Ribó, a former student of the Sant Ignasi School in Barcelona in the mid-20th century, where he missed the social, linguistic and cultural diversity that would come decades later. Ribó defended the international Jesuit network, with which he would come into contact years later, developing social projects in Latin America.

Ruiz Gallardón, a former student of the Colegio del Recuerdo, also talked about working for and with others, and about the Society, recalling how he accompanied his parents to work in the community of Father José María Llanos, SJ, in Vallecas. "The Society invites you to triumph in life, but this triumph has to be for others," he said. "The most important element of my life has been my formation in the Society of Jesus," he affirmed without any doubt, before emphasising that "the Society is a space of individual and collective freedom".

Excellence at the service of others

Báñez, an alumni of Comillas ICADE, praised the optimistic vision of life that she acquired during her time at the university and recalled the bonds between classmates, which are maintained throughout life. She also highlighted one of the things she had learned, civic friendship, which she said she had put into practice throughout her personal and political life: "to respect where others are and to seek what unites us, based on transparency and honesty".

"We share common values," began Olona, a former student at the Jesuit school in Alicante, who said that none of her identities can be understood without her formation in the Society of Jesus. Among the seeds sown by her teachers were methodology, discipline, authority and Christian values, she listed. "I cannot conceive the exercise of politics without my Christian character", insisted the politician, who agreed with her colleagues on the value of working for others: "Achieve excellence and share it".

The meeting, which brought together these politicians, was entitled "What unites us: men and women for others", and is the second of its kind to be organised by the federation and hosted by Comillas. The first one, a year ago, brought together prominent managers and businessmen, and its focus was on public life.

Politics as an act of service

The motto men and women for others, which Father Arrupe pronounced, "finds in public service and the exercise of politics a fundamental space", said Antonio Allende, SJ, Rector of Comillas. "Politics is not only an exercise of power, but an act of service", the Rector recalled. He also stressed the importance of the search for justice and reconciliation and wished "that our students find the way to be leaders". "The commitment to society does not end with a degree, it is a life project," he recalled.

Máximo Caturla, president of the federation, insisted on how much people educated in Jesuit centres share, regardless of their age, origin or ideology. It is estimated, he said, that there are 75 million Jesuit alumni in the world, which in Chris Lowney's words is a "sleeping giant". "We have a lot in common, but we are disunited and we must find a way to unite," Caturla said.