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And unexpectedly, it is over. All votes are cast. All documents written. All jobs that were complete-able are complete. We suddenly find ourselves on the last day, with a last Mass this evening and tonight the goodbyes will begin. We only knew it yesterday. It is slightly unreal. I will see some of the Jesuits from the Aula next week in London; some I will never see … [Read more...]
There are some experiences we never forget. Some go deep. We not only remember their key messages but even where we were, and with whom, when we heard them. This past week provided me with one of those moments I hope I won’t forget. I came to breakfast last Wednesday 9th where one of my fellow Jesuits informed me of the results of the US election. Now, I need to admit, I am … [Read more...]
In the film The Agony and the Ecstasy Pope Julius II (Rex Harrison) repeatedly asks Michelangelo (Charlton Heston), "When will you make an end of it?" to which the constant reply is, "When I am finished." The resident staff here in the communities where we stay, Jesuits back home, even the delegates themselves, are asking, "When will the Congregation end?" And we could well … [Read more...]
In August of 1534, a small group of seven companions gathered in the little chapel of the Crypt of Saint Denis in Montmartre, Paris, to celebrate the Eucharist. There they pronounced their vows, and promised to go to Jerusalem to spend their lives in the service of their Lord. As a result of the prevailing armed conflicts and disruptions in 1537, their desire to … [Read more...]
We in the Congregation look forward to Saturdays, a half day of work, followed by free time in Rome. This last Saturday, despite the threat of rain, 15 of us went to the Gesù, the site of our opening Mass and of the Mass of thanksgiving for the election of the new General. We went for a more ‘touristy’ aim, but I, for one, was not left just as a tourist. A fine Italian … [Read more...]
I have an armed guard outside my bedroom. Two soldiers and an armoured car. At first I thought that it might be to protect the Brexit Provincial from the hordes of angry Roman Pro-Europeans, but I was assured that this was not the case and this strategy was part of a generally heightened security around Italy following the terrorist attacks in France and Germany. For the … [Read more...]
I was introduced to the notion of ‘critical friends’ when working at the University. A group of my peers were looking for people who could speak honestly to us, encouraging our strengths while not ignoring our weaknesses. We wanted people we could trust to critique our work, remind us of what we didn’t see or weren’t even aware of. We wanted to have friends who could speak … [Read more...]
"There's a time for sowing and a time for reaping", so says the preacher. But between the sowing and the reaping there's a time for gestation, for the seed to sprout, for the shoot to grow, for the plant to bear fruit. So where in this metaphor does a General Congregation fit? We have, over this last month, been listening to experiences of fellow Jesuits from around the … [Read more...]
It is still three weeks before the Church begins the Season of Advent. I may not always have the patience and the grace of the Biblical Job, but I love the Advent Season. It is a period of waiting, of expecting, of longing, of hoping, of desiring! St. Ignatius was big on desires. He enjoined Jesuits, and everyone else, to be people of desires, big and great desires (though not … [Read more...]
Imagine you wanted to come to a decision about a matter of great importance for you and those close to you, something that would shape your future. How would you go about it? Usually we try to lay out the options, maximize possible goods and minimize harms, etc. As someone who worked in university ministry for many years, I know that path only too well. It can in fact work … [Read more...]
The late Tony Scott, was a movie director who was somewhat overshadowed by his more acclaimed Oscar-winning film-maker brother, Ridley Scott; but the corpus of Tony’s movie work, if more populist, is not slight. “Top Gun”, with Tom Cruise, was Scott’s breakthrough movie; and others ( e.g. ‘Enemy of the State’ and ‘Déjà Vu’) are certainly worth an evening of popcorn and … [Read more...]
We start each day of the GC in prayer. I believe many of us find this a uniting and consoling experience. It is well prepared and settles us for the day and tasks ahead. We have also learned to hear, and even sing, in languages foreign to most of us, such as Swahili, Guarani, Bahasa Indonesia and Hindi, but we try and it works. As Jesuits, we do not seek to pray the Divine … [Read more...]
We are now at the business end of the Congregation. As the highest legislative body of the Society of Jesus, there are matters to be considered, some of which will take the form of law. Other matters, like renewing our understanding of our Jesuit identity, our life and mission, for our present times, could take the form of a more inspirational text. But getting 215 Jesuits … [Read more...]
Slowly, but surely and confidently, the tortoise eventually arrives at its destination! In the dizzyingly fast pace of life, there is some wisdom in occasionally taking a pause, stepping back a little, taking stock, resetting one’s compass and refreshing oneself, before again putting one foot after the other. When a seed is planted, patience is needed to allow the needed time … [Read more...]
Well, the ‘Francis effect’ continues in the Aula as elsewhere. So many people speak of the Holy Father’s address as something we will mine for years, long after this Congregation ends. In one conversation after another, people have spoken of how his words and his presence moved them to prayer. I certainly know that too. Yet, now back to business, dealing with a variety of … [Read more...]
After a concert at Carnegie Hall, the wonderful comic pianist, Victor Borge, had an unexpected visitor to his dressing room: a Secret Service agent for the US Vice President, who had been in the audience that night. The Secret Service man said: “The Vice President will be with you in 30 seconds, and you can ask him anything you like.” This caught Borge off-guard… ask … [Read more...]
I find I am easily moved when I listen to Ennio Morricone’s soundtrack to the 1986 film The Mission. This is probably because the film and its music capture a particular Jesuit and Indigenous context of joy and suffering I can identify with. How much more was I moved yesterday when I found myself listening to a fellow Jesuit and violinist begin our morning prayer with this … [Read more...]
At this time of the year in Rome they talk of the Sirocco, the warm southerly winds that originate in the Sahara Desert and blow across the Mediterranean. These interchange quite freely with the cold winds from the north coming over the Alps and the Apennines. So one day is warm and sunny with clear skies and the next is cloudy, wet and cold. Every morning, before I leave the … [Read more...]
At our Jesuit School of Theology—Hekima University College—in Nairobi, Kenya, there are a series of unique paintings of the Way/Stations of the Cross in the chapel. Of the various people portrayed, only the eyes of one person—those of Jesus—are open. All others are closed! I have often wondered what the artist, poet and theologian from Cameroun, Fr. Engelbert MVENG, SJ, wanted … [Read more...]
No doubt you’ve all seen pictures of the Aula, the hall in which we meet daily. Those responsible for remodeling the space did a wonderful job; it is a great place to meet. As we pray in the morning, that ‘choir style’, facing each other encourages the prayer. Wonderful as it is, however, someone brought a simple fact to our attention today, a simple point with a much more … [Read more...]
Over the last year, I have been reading and enjoying the James Bond novels. It is good to get beyond the famous movie franchise and see Bond and the narratives as they were originally portrayed by the author, Ian Fleming. Fleming’s prose is wonderfully visual and crisp. As the story-line in the novels develops, Bond matures: the tightly-coiled 007 of Casino Royale is simple, … [Read more...]
This week we have beens reviewing our Jesuit governance, before moving to elect Fr General’s four Assistants ad providentiam which would then lead to his appointment of the members of the General Council. GC35 emphasised that our Jesuit form of governance was at the service of universal mission: ‘As governance in the Society is always measured in an appropriate balance of … [Read more...]
We are back, after the weekend off. We now have a new Superior General, and we now are faced with the task of choosing a team of Assistants and Consultors to Assist him in the task of governing the Society of Jesus. But before we got into the business of naming the men, we decided to take a look at the possible need of revamping some of our governance structures. Governance … [Read more...]
Fr. Arturo Sosa is one day old today as the 31st Superior General of the Society of Jesus! At 11:25am yesterday, 14 October, he was declared elected. Pope Francis was immediately informed. At 11:35am the Vicar General proclaimed the “Decree of Election.” At 11:40am, the new General made his profession of faith. And so begins a new mission, a new life, for this man who turns 68 … [Read more...]
Election day – finally! The overcast weather did not lessen the our enthusiasm. Mass was scheduled for 7:30 at the Church of the Holy Spirit, across the street from our Curia. By the time I arrived at 7:10, however, many Jesuits had already taken their places, quietly praying about the events ahead. No one took this lightly. The Mass of the Holy Spirit, like the opening … [Read more...]
Dear Brother in Christ, I do not know who you are. I write this on Thursday and you will be elected as Father General on Friday. Whether you are old or young, or whether I know you well, or whether we have only exchanged a smile and a few words in these last days, I will speak. Firstly, the days of murmuratio will have been gruelling for your soul: as the hours have … [Read more...]
For those of us attending our first General Congregation an important step was learning and appreciating the way of murmuratio. We wanted to know how to do it and do it well. I brought with me an understanding of murmuring, mostly memories from childhood and school, where murmuring avoided open and plain speaking and could be seen as rude or subversive. What makes our Jesuit … [Read more...]
By now you've probably read a lot about the process of "murmuratio", that we Jesuits go through in preparation for the election of a new General Superior. Much of what you've read till now I'm sure will have inspired you, even filled you with a sense of awe at the working of the Spirit. So what I'm about to write is going to be a little different. I don't deny, not for even … [Read more...]
There is a certain level of uneasiness in not knowing in advance the final outcome of a process. In general we are more comfortable with having a high degree and guarantee of success before making an investment. But not so in a spiritual process such as the murmuratio! This is a four day period of more intense and indepth search, one-to-one conversation, prayerful reflection … [Read more...]
After a thunderous liturgy at St. Peter’s Basilica Friday, Congregation has moved into a different mode. The novelty of being together is wearing off; the Aula and the rhythm of meetings are familiar. We are getting to know one another. That is true at one level, but there is something deeper too. We are moving from discussions about the state of the Society and the … [Read more...]
Federico Fellini, the great Italian film director, would have loved the cinematic possibilities for the opening of Day 5. We were off to Mass in the Vatican. All of the delegates gathered on the steps of the Jesuit Curia at 7am. For some, like myself, who live in the Curia, that was a relatively straight-forward task; but for those hardy types lodging in the Russicum and the … [Read more...]
We have now finished four full days of GC36. We were about to change gears and move into the process of discernment for electing a new Fr General but this morning we stopped and reviewed how we were going! Some felt we needed more time to listen and learn more about each other. Some wanted to move on. Our dispersal is spread over thirteen Roman houses (most delegates are … [Read more...]
This week started with Fr. Adolfo Nicholas, S.J. nominating Fr. James Grummer, S.J. as Vicar General of the Society of Jesus, and entrusted the General Congregation to his care, till the election of the new General. He then placed his resignation on the floor of the house, which you already know, was accepted. Fr. Nicholas' term as General would rank amongst some of the … [Read more...]
A child on his/her mother’s back (or hands) does not worry about the journey, so says an African proverb. The child feels secure, cared for, protected and loved by the mother. When around mid-morning of Monday, 3 October 2016, Fr. General Adolfo Nicolás tendered his resignation to General Congregation (GC) 36, there was certainly no doubt that that was a “matter of greater … [Read more...]
The adjective ‘solemn’ finds itself attached to so many events, usually inappropriately, but occasionally a moment arises when only that word applies. This morning definitely presented one such situation, the acceptance of the resignation of Father Adolfo Nicolás, our Superior General. For me, the moment eclipsed even the moving and beautiful opening liturgy last evening, led … [Read more...]
At GC36 there are some new developments in light of the experience of the last Congregations. For instance, the report on the State of the Society will be ready before the start of the General Congregation in order to allow for a more serene and reflected formulation. Also, the previous work done by other commissions on various topics will be considered part of the General … [Read more...]
The General Congregation (GC) of the Jesuits is the highest governing body of this religious congregation. It is usually only called for to elect the successor of the Superior General, and this is precisely the case of the General Congregation 36 which will have to appoint the successor to Father Adolfo Nicolas, elected in 2008. The GC is currently a complex assembly. … [Read more...]
