New Jesuit Superior- General to be Elected on 19th

Fr. Peter Hans Kolvenbach Superior General of Society of Jesus resigned on 14.1.08. He continues to be acting General till the new General is elected. New General to be elected on 19th of this month. GC 35 is already in session with 225 delegates, of which 43 are from South Asian Assistancy, to elect the new General. The process of election is already on. The election itself is preceded by four days of "information gathering," called "murmuratio." Each member of the Congregation is allowed to ask any other member of the congregation about any particular member of the Society who might be an apt Superior General. There cannot be lobbying, in whatsoever manner. No Jesuit may seek the position for himself or for anyone else. All delegates may seek information about this or that Jesuit. This “murmaratio” is only among the delegates of the congregation. At the end of these four days of conversation among the members of the Congregation, a Jesuit is chosen to speak to the members of the Congregation about their duty to elect a new Superior General.

Then a secret ballot in writing is taken, collected and counted. Many rounds of voting is conducted until someone receives a simple majority vote and is elected the new Superior General. Commenting on the election process of General, famous Jesuit Indologist, Prof. Gispert-Sauch said “Process of election is one of spiritual search as it involves intense prayer and fasting.”

The qualities that are sought in General are that he should be closely united with God our Lord and intimate with him in prayer and all his actions, be a person whose example in the practice of all virtues is a help to the other members of the Society, he ought to be endowed with great understanding and judgment, who can undertake enterprises and carry them to successful completion, one with physical energies to fulfill his office, and finally he ought to have extrinsic endowments such as reputation, high esteem and whatever else aids toward prestige with those within and without the Society. Sharing on the expectations of the new General, veteran theologian, Prof (Emiritus), Samuel Rayan S. J said “Somebody who can guide and inspire and fulfill its vocation in todays and tomorrows context of crisis and scientific revolution in the world”. Sch. Johnson S.J of Calcutta Province expects the new General to be a man with vision, not for just this century, but coming century to lead the Society and the church, as present socio political world is full of conflicts like fundamentalism, terrorism, poverty, globalization etc. Stressing on the intercultural background Prof. Gispert-Sauch S.J said “he should be a man with intercultural background, who is loyal to the traditions of Church and Society and who can understand the modern world’s cultural trends.”

b.j. shailendra s.j