Rockhurst Jesuits Celebrate Election of New Superior General

Members of the Society of Jesus worldwide — including those in Rockhurst University’s own Jesuit community — were celebrating the completion of one of the most high-profile items on the agenda of their 36th General Congregation — the election of the Society’s 31st Superior General.

In the early morning hours of Friday local time, the 215 members of the General Congregation announced they had elected the Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., to succeed the Rev. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., who had served as Superior General since 2008.

“I give thanks for blessings we received and continue to receive in the Society of Jesus and the Church through the ministry of the Rev. Adolfo Nicolás, S.J., as our superior general and brother. Now, I offer my congratulations, pledge of fraternal support, and prayers for his successor, Rev. Arturo Sosa, S.J., for making himself available to lead our ‘least Society,’” said the Rev. Thomas B. Curran, referring to a phrase St. Ignatius of Loyola’s used to describe the order.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela, in 1948, Fr. Sosa joined the Jesuits in 1966 and was ordained a priest in 1977. He previously served as counselor for the General Council and most recently worked for the Jesuits as a delegate for the Interprovincial Houses of the Society in Rome. Fr. Sosa dedicated most of his life to teaching and research, serving in a variety of positions within the academic world.

Though the voting lasted less than a day, the delegation’s decision was anything but rushed. The Rev. Bill Sheahan, S.J., rector of the Rockhurst University Jesuit community, said the voting had been preceded by a process known as “murmuratio,” during which members of the congregation spend four days in one-on-one conversations with each other to help discern the best choice to lead the society.

Fr. Sheahan said while he had yet to meet Fr. Sosa himself, his election speaks to the current perspective of the order and the Church. As a native of Venezuela, the Spanish-, Italian- and English-speaking Fr. Sosa is the first non-European to lead the more than 16,000 Jesuits worldwide.

“This vote is a reflection that we are truly a global Church,” he said.

Fr. Sheahan also said that while the election was perhaps the decision garnering the most attention during the General Congregation, the delegation will in the coming days be tackling other important aspects of the Society’s future during the process known as “ad negotio,” negotiating aspects of the order’s mission, governance, and how to best respond to the challenges facing contemporary society. Learn more about the process at gc36.org.