Jesuits are not in opposition to the Vatican, new Superior General says

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Comments: 7

Fr. Adolfo Nicolas, the new Superior General of the Jesuits

, Jan 25, 2008 / 01:35 pm (CNA).- At his first official meeting with the press, Fr. Adolfo Nicolas S.J., the new Superior General of the Society of Jesus, strongly denied any contradiction between the Jesuits and the Vatican.

During the meeting held at the General Curia of the Jesuits in Rome, Fr. Nicolas read a prepared statement and took no questions from the some 50 journalists present at the press conference.

Fr. Nicolas’ statement included some brief stories and anecdotes illustrating his long pastoral experience in Asia. "I am in Asia and Asia is in me, and that is good for the Church," he said.

The new head of the Jesuits also said that the General Congregation is the supreme authority of the Society of Jesus, therefore "I am expecting some general guidelines (from the Congregation) to start my mission as Superior General."

"There has never been and there is not opposition between the Pope and the Society of Jesus, between the Jesuits and the Vatican," Fr. Nicolas said in his statement.

"It is not true that there is a theological distance between the new General of the Jesuits and Pope Ratzinger," he added.

"I am an unknown and therefore newspapers are not finding anything about me, so they search and sometimes they invent," he also said.

Comments: 7

Subscriber comments:

Published by: dml
california usa 01/28/2008 06:37 PM EST

I am willing to give Fr. Nicolas the benefit of the doubt regarding his allegiance to this pontiff. But to say there has “never been” opposition is a bit anti-historical. Didn’t JPII take over the order for a time? When a student at LMU, I heard Jesuits express their disagreement with Church teaching on everything from contraception to abortion to ordination of women, as well as opposition to JPII. It would be nice to hear the new Superior General acknowledge there is a problem that needs to be corrected. The Society needs our prayers.

Published by: Evelyn
ND 01/28/2008 05:23 PM EST

Someone is in for a really big surprise. One wonders who?

Published by: Frank
Sheboygan, WI USA 01/26/2008 09:51 AM EST

Father Nicholas needs to take a tour of Jesuit universities in the U S before he makes broad statements. St Ignatius must be turning over in his grave.

Published by: TJP
Gainesville, FL 01/26/2008 08:59 AM EST

The issue is not whether the Jesuits are in opposition to the Vatican, but whether they are militantly supportive of the Apostolic See. By any objective measure, as a Holy Order, they have failed in this regard.

Published by: Vicki
Columbus Oh, USA 01/26/2008 07:44 AM EST

A man I know who attended John Carroll Univ. (a Jesuit school) flippantly commented that "the Jesuits have no use for Rome." I remember learning that in the 70's the Jesuit order queitly tried to eliminate celebacy in the priesthood, promote active gays to the priesthood, promote what amounted to liturgical abuses ("in the 'spirit' of Vatican II) and promote the possibility of woman priests. Hmm.. Unless the entire order had a major conversion lately, I'm not convinced that it exists in obedience to Rome.

Published by: Rose
Mississauga, Canada 01/25/2008 02:25 PM EST

I think it might be more accurate for Fr. Nicolas to say that "I am in Japan and Japan is in me. " It is my view, as a Chinese Catholic that from what I have read about them, Fr. Nicolas' views and theology do not resonate with many Asian Catholics, such as Chinese and Korean Catholics. I hope someone actually points this out to him, lest he is perceived as being too arrogant with his "Japanese" experience. Also his use of the analogy of marriage to describe the relationship between the Jesuit order and the Papacy as a marriage is not a correct one: a marriage is an equal but different relationship, the Jesuit order is subordinate to the authority of the Holy Father in all matters.

Published by: irishsmile
Oregon, USA 01/25/2008 02:01 PM EST

If it walks like a duck.... etc., etc. Are Jesuits in step with the Holy Father & the Magisterium? If you think so, I've got a bridge that I can sell you. Three of my five children went to Loyola Marymount and two of the three lost their Faith at the hands of the Jesuits there. The last two went to secular colleges and are practicing Catholics today. Don't wast your Catholic money at Jesuit colleges like St. Louis; you'll lose your kids.

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