Delegate Reflects On GC35 Election

Choosing our Jesuit leader
By Rev. Michael Kennedy, SJ
Jerry, a Jesuit from southern India, does not wear shoes because he works with those who belong to no caste, the Dalits who cannot afford shoes. There are over 180 million Dalits in India. He told me that sometimes he has problems in the airport because he is not wearing any shoes. For four days in January, 217 Jesuits gathered in Rome to let the Spirit see on whom guiding light would rest --- one who would lead us into the future with the vision and spirit of Ignatius. What business would put all their top executives together to somehow pick their leader within the space of four days? Yet if the Spirit is working as we believe, then the process we used could never work outside this context. The belief that Someone bigger than any of us was operative, is absolutely necessary to feel. Isaac is from Zambia. He is 44 and is the director of novices from Tanzania. His home was in the mountains. He has nine brothers and sisters. One day, a little like what happened in the war days of El Salvador, his family needed to flee from the military. His dog Whiskey led them out of danger. All of his younger brothers and sisters passed the soldiers nearby in total silence. If they had made any noise they would have been killed like his cousin was. Presently in Isaac´s novitiate are two novices who were boy soldiers. We talked about healing. Anyone who has to experience such violence cruelty, torture and killings needs much deep, deep healing. The process during these last four days was to get a sense of each of those who could serve as superior general for the Society of Jesus. For some reason, I wanted to wait to the last day to speak with Adolfo Nicolas. When I left my time speaking with him, I reflected how much he looks like Oscar Romero, the archbishop who gave his life for the poor in El Salvador. Even though I never had the opportunity to speak with Oscar Romero, I had this sensation after speaking with Adolfo that this is what it would have been like to speak with the archbishop. Adolfo moved my heart by talking about his work and when I walked away from this short time with him, I felt affirmed in my own life's trajectory as a priest working with migrants, refugees and prisoners. His spirit is connected to Jerry who works with the Dalits in India, with Isaac who lives with his own experience of being displaced and having lived in a country torn by civil war, and to the other countless histories of people like them in this Congregation, Jesuits from every continent.

After the election Jan. 19 in which we elected Adolfo Nicolas as our superior general, all the electors went up to give Adolfo an embrace of congratulations. Since I sat in the very back of the room, I was one of the very last to go forward. When I embraced him he looked at me and said, "I look forward to continuing our conversation."

Here was a man who must have spoken with a hundred Jesuits in a few days time and he still remembered what we talked about. I was not just impressed but moved by his presence and words. During lunch in the curia afterwards, Jim Boynton, who is director of vocations for Detroit, said, "This guy will be great for vocation promotion." Here once again this Jesuit of 34 years was talking about a Jesuit of 71 who will be a good promoter for vocations. I think so too. This does not make any logical sense but the Spirit is so much bigger than any of us. We were reflecting during the meal after the elections that the Society is a missionary order.

All three of our last generals have left their own cultures and have served in frontier-like places which have stretched them from their small worlds.

Adolfo, a native of Spain, was ordained a priest in Tokyo in 1967 and has served the Asian people since then, particularly in Japan and in the Philippines. It is hard not to mention many other conversations and experiences that I have had while in Rome. But I will let these remain within me confident that in other ways this spirit of brotherhood, trust, transcendence, and faith that does justice will rise up again and again during these next weeks. We are blessed with this election.

Jesuit Father Michael Kennedy, former pastor of Dolores Mission Church in Boyle Heights and presently pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Church in Santa Barbara, was one of the voting delegates for the Society of Jesus.

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