January 14, 2008

During the first formal session of the 35th General Congregation, held on the 7th of January, Father Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., Superior General of the Society of Jesus, addressed the electors with these words:

With the blessing of the Holy Father granted the 20th of June 2005 and after having obtained a positive vote from the Assistants for provident care and from the Provincials of the whole Society on the seriousness of the reasons to resign, I present now to the judgement of the General Congregation my resignation as Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

As stated in article 362 of the Complementary Norms: although the Superior General is elected for life and not for any determined time,- he may nonetheless in good conscience and by law resign from his office for a grave reason that would render him permanently unequal to the labours of his post. I feel that the Society of Jesus has the right to be governed and animated by a Jesuit in full capacity of his spiritual and corporal gifts and not by a companion whose energies will continue to diminish because of his age -soon 80 years old- and because of the consequences of that age, especially in the area of health. Even if the Constitutions and the Norms do not mention it, may I add that the election of a new General will give the Society God’s grace of renewal, or to express it with the words of Saint Ignatius “una nueva devoción”, “nuevas mociones”.

The discussion and the vote on the resignation will take place at the eve of the four days of “murmurations” to be fixed by the deputation “de statu Societatis”. In a less formal and a more fraternal way the decision of the General Congregation will be communicated to the whole Society. So much for the resignation.

The 14th of January was the day designated by the Steering Committee for the formal consideration and vote on Father General’s expressed desire to resign. Father Valentín Menéndez as the chair, invited the electors to ask the four Assistants ad providentiam for clarifications regarding the reasons given by Father General for his resignation. At the end of the questions there was a brief period of silent personal prayer before ballots were cast.

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