In September, the six Conference Presidents gathered in Rome for their annual meeting with Fr General. Although we came from very different parts of the world, we could experience much in common in our roles of service to the Society’s global mission.
In a letter to Major Superiors on the occasion of the launch of the Year of Faith, Fr General Adolfo Nicolás, superior general of the Society of Jesus, welcomed the Holy Father’s call “to focus more explicitly on the gift of faith, and the witness and service we give to it”.
Representatives from each Jesuit Province converged on Nairobi, Kenya, for the Congregation of Procurators that was held from July 9 to 15, 2012.
The Congregation of Procurators is called into session by Father General every four years after the end of a General Congregation. The 84 Procurators present were elected by their Provinces and 13 others participated ex officio. There were 7 Procurators from Africa, 14 from Latin America, 18 from South Asia, 7 from Asia Pacific, 29 from South, Central- Eastern and Western Europe, 9 from the United States.
The International Postulator General for the Society of Jesus has called for information about the life and holiness of Fr Pedro Arrupe SJ, to determine whether a cause for sainthood can be made.
In a letter to the Society on November 17, Fr Anton Witwer SJ said the General Curia had received a number of enquiries about the introduction of a case for beatification for Fr Arrupe, the former General of the Society who died on February 5, 1991.
Fr Daniel Huang, Philippine Provincial, was appointed as one of General Counselors of Father General, and Regional Assistant for East Asia and Oceania. Fr. General gave him up to about a year to prepare for this new assignment. After the General Congregation, Fr Huang will go home, to tie up loose ends, but mostly, to set in motion the search process for a new Provincial. During this period, he may attend some meetings in Rome.
The day after the election of Fr. Adolfo Nicolas as Superior General of the Society of Jesus, many of us here in Rome find ourselves deeply grateful for the guidance of the Spirit. We believe in faith that it was the Spirit who led us to choose Fr. Nico–as we fondly call him in our part of the world–as the 29th successor to St. Ignatius. This past week, the newspapers in Italy had come out with lists of possible generabili. It is surely significant that Fr. Nicolas was never mentioned!