The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1915-01-30


Congregation there will be, therefore,
eighty.Geven electors. The method Of
electing the General is laid down, In
the minutest details, In the eighth part
Of the Constitutions" of st. Ignatius.
The saint enumerates the Qualificas
tions of the General. Briefly, he must
be man of rare virtues, and possess
ed Of the highest and noblest gifts of
mind and heart. Ignatius expects
each elector to act in accordance with
the loftiest principles OF. the spiritual
life, and, moreover, he takes every pos
sible precaution that human ingenuity
could devise to secure pure election.
On the day appointed for the open
ing of the General Congregation, If
at least .tw0-thirds of the electors are
present at Rome, the VicarG General
may open the congregation. The cleo
tors present must show their creden-
tials for examination
The next day, after the recitation
of the "Veni Creator" the Vicar gives
an account of his administration, and
then the Secretary of the Congrega-
ton and his assistant are elected by
secret ballot and plurality of votes.
One elector is chosen in the same way
to give an exhortation on the day Of
the election; another, not member Of
the Congregation, is chosen to be door
keeper.
The severest penalties are enacted
against any one who has been con-
victed of having coveted the General
ship, directly or indirectly, by word or
act or sign.
Three more days are spent by the
electors in prayer and austerities, and
in taking information among them
selves as to the virtues and other quail
ifcations OF any professed father who
might be eligible for the Office of Gen.
eral. They are not, however, to ask
whether this or that individual Pro
fessed Father is fitted for the General
ship.
At the end of the four days the
Congregation assemblies for the cleo
ton of the General The Mass of the
Holy Ghost is celebrated, at which
all the electors receive Holy Com
munion. An exhortation is given by
the Father elected for that Office and
then follows an hour of prayer. All
the electors take a solemn oath be-
fore the cruciix that they will vote
for him whom in the presence of God
they regard as best fitted for the Office
of General of the Society.
The first method of electing the
General would be by reclamation
that is to say, if the whole body of
electors arose and by unanimous con-
sent proclaimed one of the Protested
Fathers general of the society.
The, second and usual method is
by secret ballot. If any one has re-
ceived a majority of the votes of all
the electors present, i. e., more than
half the votes, he is elected. If the
General has not been elected after
the fifth balloting, the congregation
may continue the balloting, or may
decide, by two-thirds' vote, to elect
the general by compromise" which
would be the third method of cleo
ton
BY majority of votes of the cleo
tors, one from each assistancy would
be chosen and these Eve would choose
the General from among those who had
received votes in the bailotings.
AS soon as the election is completed,
the Vicar. General proclaims the new
General, all approach to pay him hon.
age and then repair to the church for
a solemn "Te Deum.''
The newly-elected General from
now on presides over the congrega-
ton, which assumes its legislative
| function. The Congregation can not
be dissolved by the General without
its own consent. 1t remains in session
till it has considered each and every
important need of the society, enact
ing laws to meet the exigencies and
committing the statutes to the care of
the General, who watches over their
observance.