Campion Jesuit attends congregation
Published in the Prairie Messenger on April 16, 2008
By Frank Flegel
REGINA - The 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus held earlier this year in Rome was for Rev. Peter Bisson, S.J., "a profound and fulfilling experience." Bisson, a religious studies professor at Campion College at the University of Regina, was elected by the Jesuits of English Canada to represent them at the congregation. He gave a brief report to an April 1 noon gathering of faculty, staff and students. "Most religious organizations hold similar meetings on a regular basis," he said, "but we hold them only when necessary. This is only the 35th congregation in the 450 years of history of the Jesuits."
The principle purpose of the congregation was to elect a new father general, but the 225 representatives from all over the world also dealt with several issues that led to decrees and 14 other issues that did not lead to decrees.
"There was little new content," said Bisson. The congregation largely affirmed the past but sought "better ways to implement" their apostolates.
The new father general is Rev. Adolfo Nicolas. Born and educated in Spain, Nicolas moved to Japan for language studies and was ordained there in 1967. He has spent most of his vocation in Asia and the Philippines, holding several senior offices for the Jesuits.
The Jesuits employ a similar system for electing their father general as does the College of Cardinals in electing a pope. There are no candidates and lobbying is not permitted; neither is there any campaigning. There is no list of candidates from which to choose. Representatives are locked in a room where the process begins with one-on-one conversations over four days before any voting actually takes place.
Participants swore an oath that they would vote for the candidate they felt the Lord was leading them to, said Bisson. He described the conversations as a transforming experience that led, through prayer, to a communal discovery of potential leaders. The voting took place in "profound silence" and ballots were read out one by one. Nicolas was elected father general on the second ballot.
A meeting with Pope Benedict followed the election, a meeting Bisson described as "extraordinarily warm." They were told that the church needed them, especially on the frontiers where the church is usually not comfortable, Bisson said.
Bisson said that some of what came out of the congregation could eventually have an impact on Campion, which is a Jesuit college. "There is a new emphasis on research and intellectual ministry," he said, "in part in response to the pope's encouragement and the forms of international co-operation that will probably get only stronger in the society. This will put Campion in a much larger context."
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