The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1915-02-06
ELECTION Of JESUIT GENERAL


the electors in case any or all of them
should be prevented, by death or
any other cause, from fulfilling their
mission.
The Society of Jesus at present is
divided into five "Assistancies" the
Italian with five provinces; the Ger
man with six provinces, Austria. Bel
GUM. Galacia. Germany. Hungary.
Holland; the French with four prov
inces; the Spanish with five prov
inces: England, California. Canada.
Ireland. Maryland-New York. Mis-
souri,. New Orleans).
The twenty-seven provinces send.
each. three electors to the General
Congregation. The Vicar-General
who presides and the five Assistants
of the late Father General. also have
votes. In the next General Congre-
cation there will be therefore eighty
seven electors. The method of elect
ing the General is laid down, in the
minutest details, in the eighth part
Of the Constitutions" of st. 1gnati-
US. The saint enumerates the quail
fications of the General. Briefly, he
must be a man of rare virtues, and
possessed of the highest and noblest
gifts of mind and heart. Ignatius ex-
poets each elector to act in accord
ance with the Hottest principles of
the spiritual life, and, moreover, he
takes every possible way that hui
man ingenuity could devise to secure
pure election.
On the day appointed for the open
ing of the General Congregation, if
at least two-thirds of the electors are
present at Rome, the Vicar-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 assistants 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 a
member of the Congregation, is chos-
en- to be door-keeper.
The severest penalties are enacted
against anyone 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 the austerities,
and in taking information among
themselves as to the virtues and other
qualifications of any Protested Father
who might be eligible for the office
of General. They are not, however,
to ask whether this or that individual
Professd Father is fitted for the Gen
eralship.
At the end of four days the Con-
gregation assemblies for the election
of the General. The Mass of the
Holy Ghost is celebrated. at which
all the electors receive Holy Commun-
ion. 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 that
they will vote for whom in the pres
ence Of God they regard as best fit
ted 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 elec-
ton.
BY majority Of votes of the cleo
tors, one from each Assistancy would
be chosen and these five would
choose the General from among those
who had received votes in the bal
lettings.
AS soon as the election is complet-
ed the Vicar-General proclaims the
new General. all approach to pay him
homage, and then repair to the
church for a solemn TIE 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. It remains in ses-
sion till it has considered each and
every important need of the Society.
enacting laws to meet the exigencies
and committing the statutes to the
care of the General, who watches over