Father Adolfo Nicolás was elected Superior General of the Society of Jesus on Saturday, 19 January at approximately 11.45 am (9.45 pm AEST) in a solemn ceremony following four days of prayer and conversation by the 217 electors who came to Rome from all over the world.
He has been selected as the 29th Superior General of the Jesuits. After his election Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, his predecessor, read the decree formally naming him, and then Father General Nicolás placed his hand on the Holy Scriptures and professed his faith, kneeling before a crucifix in the centre of the aula.
The new Father General, Fr. Nicolás, S.J. is 71 years old. He was born on 29 Apr, 1936 in Palencia, Spain. He entered the novitiate in Aranjuez, Madrid, Spain on 15 Sep, 1953. He did his initial formation and studied philosophy at Alcalá, Madrid in 1958-1960. He went to Japan and learnt language and culture. He studied theology in Tokyo, Japan from 1964-68. He was ordained on 17 Mar, 1967 in Tokyo. He completed a Masters in Systematic Theology at the Gregorian University, Rome from 1968-1971.
In 1971 he became professor of Systematic Theology at the Sophia University in Tokyo and remained in this position for many years. He took final vows on 5 Oct, 1976. From 1978 to 84 he was the Director of the East Asian Pastoral Institute in Manila, Philippines. In 1991 to 93 he was rector of the scholasticate in Tokyo, Japan. He was Provincial of Japan from 1993-1999. He participated in General Congregation 34 in 1995.
When he completed his term as Provincial he spent three years working in a poor immigrant parish in Tokyo. From 2004 to now he has been President of the Jesuit Conference of the East Asia and Oceana Assistancy.
Father Geoffrey King, one of two Australian delegates to the General Congregation, has worked with Father Nicolás in a number of contexts, and says he will bring a wealth of multicultural experience to the role.
‘He is highly intelligent, a fine theologian with very good organizational sense', said Father King. ‘Father Nicolás enters office with a very good feel for the governance structures of the Society and indeed for the "state of the Society".'
Father Fernando Franco, the Society's Social Justice Secretary in Rome, testified to the former Japanese Provincial's humility and commitment to the poor.
‘After this stint in ‘power', he spent three years working in a poor immigrant parish in Tokyo. His work was difficult but he was able to help thousands of Philippine and Asian immigrants and got a first-hand experience of their suffering. In a way, his love for the poor and downtrodden can become now, after so many years, his most important ministry.'
The General Congregation will now look to the selection of Assistants. Then it will begin work on the matters to be discussed.
More information on the General Congregation of the Society of Jesus can be found here:
http://www.jesuit.org.au/