A Jesuit General Congregation is a rare event. This month, the 36th General Congregation to be held since the Society of Jesus was founded 475 years ago begins with the first meeting of Electors in the six Jesuit Conferences across the world. For the Jesuits in Asia Pacific, this meeting was held in Manila from October 19 to 22.
The General Congregation has the power to elect a General and to change the Society’s laws. This quasi-democratic body comprises ex-officio members (such as provincials), and a majority of elected members, both priests and brothers.
The meeting of Electors by Conference is part of a new formula the Society is following for this General Congregation in order to have more thorough preparation, in-depth analysis of issues and more effective use of the plenary session in October 2016 when all 250 Electors will assemble.
In Manila, the three and a half day meeting of the 22 JCAP Electors began with a sharing of individual and collective hopes for the Congregation. Electors then spent time considering a meditative document titled “The Call of the Eternal King to the Society Today”, which summarises the input of province and regional congregations in response to a request of Fr General Adolfo Nicolás to consider the Calls of the Eternal King.
They then reviewed the challenges to our mission today, both the context of the people we serve, and the capacity and readiness of the Society to respond to these needs. Before an election it is normal to prepare an analytical document called “De Statu Societatis”, which considers the lights and shadows, and future perspectives for our life and mission. Fr Nicolás had prepared such a document in 2012 for the Congregation of Procurators. We reviewed what has changed since then, noting in particular the increase in violent conflicts in our world and also the fragility and diminishment in our own numbers in many parts of the Society.
Next we looked at a document called the Relatio Praevia prepared by a preparatory commission, summarising postulates sent by all province and regional congregations. This material was presented in summary format dealing first with the renewal of our life and mission and second with matters concerned with revisions needed in governance arrangements in the Society.
Since General Congregation 36 is convened in anticipation of the resignation of Fr Nicolás as our Superior General, time was given to identify the profile and qualities needed in a new General and to explain the process of discernment that leads to his election.
The Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific concluded its first meeting for General Congregation 36 with appointments to four global committees that will work over the year to prepare for the plenary session of the Congregation in 2016. Those elected are:
Co-ordinating Committee: Fr Antonio F Moreno (Provincial, Philippines)
Deputation on the State of the Society: Fr Bernadinus Herry Priyono (Indonesia Province)
Commission on the Call to a Renewal of Jesuit Life and Mission: Fr Steve Curtin (Australia Province)
Commission on Renewed Governance for a Renewed Mission: Fr Mark Raper (JCAP President)
Fr Mark Raper SJ
President, Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific
October 23, 2015
Main photo: The 22 Electors from the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific in their meeting
Back row: Jojo Magadia (General Counsellor for Formation); Heru Prakosa (Indonesia Province); Tsotumu Sakuma (Japan Province); Mark Raper (JCAP President); John Chong Che-chon (Provincial, Korea); Joaquim Sarmento (Delegate, Timor Leste); Danny Huang (Regional Assistant for Asia Pacific); Stephen Chow (Chinese Province)
Middle row: Steve Curtin (Australia Province); Nguyên Hai Tính (Vietnam Province); Ben Nebres (Philippines Province); Karel San Juan (Philippines Province); Ian Cribb (Australian Province, Brother Elector for JCAP); Oh In-don (Superior, Cambodia); Brian McCoy (Provincial, Australia);
Front row: John Lee (Provincial, Chinese Province); Sunu Hardiyanta (Provincial, Indonesia); Pham Thanh Liêm (Provincial, Vietnam); Sugiyo Pitoyo (Superior, Thailand); Yoshio Kajiyama (Provincial, Japan); Herry Priyono (Indonesia Province); Tony Moreno (Provincial, Philippines)
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