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A Brief History of the 32Nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus

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A Brief History of the 32Nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus STUDIES in the Spirituality of Jesuits BOSTON COLLEGE AUG 1 1 1983 The Society True to Itself: PROPERTY OF BAPST LIBRARY A Brief History of the 32nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (December 2, 1974—March 7, 1975) by John W. Padberg, S.J. Published by the American Assistancy Seminar on Jesuit Spirituality, aggiornamento E ^ especially for American Jesuits working out their \ in the spirit of Vatican Council II tof Vol. XV May-September, 1983 Nos. 3 and 4 THE AMERICAN ASSISTANCY SEMINAR ON JESUIT SPIRITUALITY consists of a group of Jesuits from various provinces who are listed below. The members were appointed by the Fathers Provincial of the United States. The Purpose of the Seminar is to study topics pertaining to the spir- itual doctrine and practice of Jesuits, especially American Jesuits, and to communicate the results to the members of the Assistancy. The hope is that this will lead to further discussion among all American Jesuits--in private, or in small groups, or in community meetings. All this is done in the spirit of Vatican Council II's recommendation to religious institutes to recapture the original charismatic inspiration of their founders and to adapt it to the changed circumstances of modern times. The members of the Seminar wel- come reactions or comments in regard to the topics they publish. To achieve these purposes, especially amid today*s pluralistic cul- tures, the Seminar must focus its direct attention sharply, frankly, and specifically on the problems, interests, and opportunities of the Jesuits of the United States. However, many of these, interests are common also to Jes- uits of other regions, or to other priests, religious men or women, or lay men or women. Hence the studies of the Seminar, while meant especially for American Jesuits, are not exclusively for them. Others who may find them helpful are cordially welcome to read them. THE MEMBERS OF THE SEMINAR ARE: Joseph A. Appleyard, S.J., Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02167. 617-969-0100 Gregory I. Carlson, S.J., Campion House, 518 North 19th St., Omaha, Nebraska 68102. 402-341-2408 Philip C. Fischer, S.J., Secretary of the Assistancy Seminar, Fusz Memorial, 3700 West Pine Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63108. 314-652-3700 George E. Ganss, S.J., Chairman of the Assistancy Seminar and Editor of its Studies, His address is: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, Fusz Memorial, 3700 West Pine Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63108. 314-652-5737 Howard J. Gray, S.J., Weston School of Theology, 3 Phillips Place, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138. 617-492-1960 Gerald R. Grosh, S.J., Loyola University, 6525 N. Sheridan Road, Chicago, Illinois 60626. 312-274-3000 Robert J. Henle, S.J., St. Louis University, 221 North Grand Blvd., St. Louis, Missouri 63103. 314-658-3067 E. Edward Kinerk, S.J., Jesuit Novitiate, 1901 Eudora St., Denver, Colorado 80220. 303-320-6297 John W. O'Malley, S.J., Weston School of Theology, 3 Phillips Place, Cam- bridge, Massachusetts 02138. 617-492-1960 William C. Spohn, S.J., University of Santa Clara, Santa Clara, California 95053. 408-984-4256 Joseph A. Tetlow, S.J., Jesuit House of Studies, 6318 Freret Street, New Or- leans, Louisiana 70118. 504-865-2725 Copyright, 1983, by The American Assistancy Seminar Fusz Memorial, St. Louis University 3700 West Pine Boulevard St. Louis, Missouri 63108 STUDIES in the Spirituality of Jesuits The Society True to Itself: A Brief History of the 32nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus (December 2, 1974—March 7, 1975) by John W. Padberg, S.J. Published by the American Assistancy Seminar on Jesuit Spirituality, especially for American Jesuits working out their aggiornamento in the spirit of Vatican Council II Vol. XV May-September, 1983 Nos. 3 and 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS Editor's Foreword Introduction 1 I. THE PREPARATION 2 II. THE PARTICIPANTS 6 III. ISSUES AND POSTULATA 8 1. The "Fourth Vow" 9 2. The Fundamental Character of the Society 10 3. Formation and Studies 10 4. Community and Personal Life 11 5. Obedience 12 6. "Grades" or Categories of Membership 13 7. Apostolates 14 8. Poverty 15 9. Governance 16 IV. THE CONGREGATION IN SESSION 17 1. Beginnings 17 2. Priorities 20 3. Uncertainties 22 4. Day by Day — and Its Implications 26 5. Step by Step 29 6. ... That the Truth Might Appear 32 7. The State of the Society 33 8. Going in Circles 39 9. Straw Votes- -Poverty 42 10. Straw Votes--Grades 43 11. Missed Signals 47 12. Our Mission Today 55 13. A Month to Go 58 14. Poverty Again 60 15. Tertianship and Final Vows 64 16. Permanent Deacons 65 66 17. How Proceed? ii Table of Contents (continued) 18, Jesuit Community Life and Jesuit Identity 67 19, General Assistants 69 20, Inculturation 71 21, Formation 72 22, The Fourth Vow Again 73 23, A Letter from the Pope 74 24, Jesuits Today 76 25, Who and When, Long or Short, T ".rge or Small, Few or Many 77 26, Full Circle 84 IV. THE CONGREGATION ON MISSION 88 APPENDIX I. Reference List of the Generals and General Congregations 91 APPENDIX II. Delegates from the American Assistancy to the 32nd General Congregation J2 APPENDIX III Working Commission Memberships of American Delegates 93 APPENDIX IV. List of All the Members of the Working Commissions 94 Footnotes 97 CHECK LISTS: The Publications of the INSTITUTE OF JESUIT SOURCES 102 and of the AMERICAN ASSISTANCY SEMINAR 104 in Editor's Foreword Father John W. Padberg has been the President of Weston School of Theology since 1975. Previously he received his Ph.D. in history from Harvard University and did postgraduate work in theology at the Institute Catholique in Paris. From 1964 onward he taught history at St. Louis Uni- versity, of which he also became Academic Vice President and then Executive Vice President. He has written many articles and a book, Colleges in Con- troversy; The Jesuit Schools in France from Revival to Suppression, 1815- 1880 Qiarvard University Press, 1968). He was a member of this American Assistancy Seminar on Jesuit Spirit- uality from January, 1976, to January, 1979. Thus he is well known to our readers from his previous publications in this series of Studies'. "The General Congregations of the Society of Jesus : A Brief Survey of Their History" (January and March, 1974) ; "Continuity and Change in General Con- gregation XXXII" [November, 1975); "Personal Experience and the Spiritual Exercises: The Example of St. Ignatius" (November, 1979). Father Padberg served as an elected member of General Congregation XXXII CDecember 2, 1974--March 7, 1975). Shortly later he was the editor of the 608-page book, Documents of the 31st and 32nd General Congregations of the Society of Jesus (St. Louis: The Institute of Jesuit Sources, 1977), which brought the official Latin texts of both these Congregations into English within one volume. Since he had himself lived through all the labors, difficulties, and achievements of the 32nd General Congregation, he was manifestly well qualified to compose this present history, in which, writing nearly a decade later, he can now view all the incidents in a fresh perspective. But to crowd the labor of this intricate writing into his other pressing duties as a president during the closing months of an academic year was obviously difficult. Hence the members of this Seminar are especially grateful to him for accepting our invitation to undertake this work. We think that this compact account in a new perspective will be of great interest to our readers, and of special importance to the delegates to General Congregation XXXIII, now on the eve of its opening on September 2. George E. Ganss, S.J., Chairman The American Assistancy Seminar v THE SOCIETY TRUE TO ITSELF A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE 32nd GENERAL CONGREGATION OF TOE SOCIETY OF JESUS (December 2, 1974--March 7, 1975) by John W. Padberg, S.J. Weston School of Theology 3 Phillips Place Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138 Introduction Any general congregation of the Society of Jesus is extraordinary. Some are more extraordinary than others. In Jesuit legislation, a congregation is regularly convoked not in the ordinary rhythm of every six or so years, as is common in most religious orders, but only after the death of a superior general, in order to elect a new general. In certain cases, additional general congregations are convoked, not to elect a general, but as extraordinary means of governance, to legislate on 2 "very difficult matters pertaining to the whole body of the Society." Such was the Thirty-second General Congregation, convoked in 1974. In the 400-year history of the Society, it was only the seventh such special congregation. It dealt with serious matters, discussion of which had occupied the whole Society in a preparatory period longer and more thorough than any previous such meeting had enjoyed. The cast of characters in attendance as delegates was larger and of greater variety than ever before. A part of the media, avid for the unusual, went searching for villains. There was mystery, too, about the source of patently exaggerated accounts during the Congregation of what it was doing and how it was reacting. In the course of its delibera- tions, unusual problems arose. Each of the problems was separable, but they all regularly interacted to provide surprise endings to several distinct acts. Those several acts came together at last in a resolution to the drama which engaged and still engages the minds and hearts of a multiplicity of actors. They include not only the actual participants in that past meeting, but also the members of the present Society of Jesus who attempt to live out the decisions which the Congregation made.
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