The Jesuit “Conclave:” How the 31st successor of St.
Ignatius will be chosen
2016-10-07
Jesuit Orlando Torres is very
busy these days, because he is one of the 212 Jesuit voters responsible
for choosing a new general for the Society of Jesus.
We talked to him about the
mechanics of the election, an exciting process designed by San Ignacio de
Loyola, in which there are neither candidates nor an election campaign.
However, after seeing the results, it has proven very effective.
FR. ORLANDO TORRES
Jesuit
"In 2008, Fr.
Nicholas was elected on the second ballot; and Fr. Kolvenbach, the previous
superior general, who was elected in 1983, was elected to the first ballot.
That's extraordinary! That means they had reached a discerned consensus about
who was the right person at this time to take on the challenges of the
Society."
They are now in the phase
called "murmuratio” or "gossip," when voters exchange views on
specific individuals. They can only talk face-to-face and cannot ask for a vote
for anyone.
FR. ORLANDO TORRES
Jesuit
"I can ask him: in
Europe is there a name of someone who, according to you, can do this job and
respond to the challenges facing the Jesuits today? And he tells me, 'Yes, I am
thinking of a certain person.' I ask him to tell me what his qualities are, and
he lists them for me. Then I ask him, 'Tell me his limitations.' and he tells
me. But he cannot say: 'Vote for him,' because that's propaganda. And he cannot
say 'Do not vote for him' because that is propaganda. That is forbidden."
On the day of voting, after a
Mass asking the Holy Spirit for help, they gather in this room again and pray
silently for an hour before the start of the vote.
To be elected, the new
general must obtain 50 percent, plus one, of the votes.
FR. ORLANDO TORRES
Jesuit
"After the election,
we must write a decree on the new general, and then we call the pope. In the
past it was necessary to visit the pope to break the news. Now, with cell
phones... He is the first to know who has been chosen. It is not for approval,
it is to report. The pope does not have to approve the choice: He is informed
of the choice made by the congregation. Sometimes there are people who think:
the pope has to approve... No, no, no. He does not have to approve. He is informed
of the election."
This is perhaps the first
election in which the Jesuits are relaying information on social networks.
The General
Congregation has very active Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram accounts,
which offer interesting content, such as videos and photographs of the
meetings.
Also Fr. James
Martin, perhaps the most popular Jesuit on the Internet, has prepared
this impressionable video to follow the exciting process.
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