Above: Jesuits from around the world have arrived at General Congregation 36.

Jesuits Meet in Rome to Elect New Leader

Two hundred and fifteen Jesuits from around the world are currently meeting in Rome for General Congregation 36, which will elect a new Superior General and set priorities for the Society of Jesus, the largest order of priests and brothers in the Roman Catholic Church.

The men (including former Headmaster David Ciancimino, S.J. ’77) are meeting at the Jesuit Curia in Rome, the worldwide headquarters of the Society, just steps from the Vatican. One of the first tasks will be to elect a successor to Superior General Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, 80, who resigned on October 3. There have been only 35 congregations throughout the nearly 500-year history of the Jesuits.

Fr. Nicolás’ successor will become only the 31st Superior General in the Society’s history. Fr. Nicolás has served as the order’s leader since 2008, when he was elected at the 35th General Congregation. Born in Spain, he joined the Jesuits in 1953. Before his election as Superior General, he served in Japan and the Philippines, including as provincial (superior) of the Jesuits in Japan and as head of the Jesuit Conference of East Asia and Oceania, where he was responsible for the region from China to the South Pacific and Australia.

Fr. Nicolás said he believes this congregation will be different from the previous one because “times have changed and there is a new awareness in the Society that we need daring, imagination, and courage in facing our mission as part of the bigger mission of God vis-à-vis our world.”

The 215 delegates tasked with electing a new Superior General include six religious brothers, and 33 of the delegates are from Canada and the U.S., said Patrick Mulemi, S.J., director of the Jesuit communications office in Rome. The average age of the Jesuits participating in GC 36 is 56.

Pope Francis is probably the most well-known member of the Jesuits, and he participated in two previous General Congregations: GC 32 (1974-75) and GC 33 (1983). He is expected to address the delegates sometime during their meeting.

There is no set end date for the congregation, but when the delegates conclude their work, a closing Mass will be celebrated at Sant’Ignazio in Rome.

For more information on GC 36 and to sign up for daily newsletters from the congregation, visit www.gc36.org.

[Source: www.jesuits.org]