Early on in Pope Francis’s papacy, it became clear that “discernment” would be one of his buzzwords, and the Ignatian concept went on to become a bedrock of his Magisterium and pastoral decision-making process.
Discernment is a loaded term for the Jesuits, carrying with it a specific interpretation and certain rules for how to exercise it according to Ignatian spirituality, as laid out by St. Ignatius in his famed Spiritual Exercises.
This emphasis on discernment became so central to Francis’s papacy, that at times it could be difficult to understand him and many aspects of his papacy without having at least a basic knowledge of the Jesuit spin on it.
