Superior General of the Society of Jesus


The Superior General of the Society of Jesus is the official title of the leader of the Society of Jesus – the Roman Catholic religious order which is also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position sometimes carries the nickname of the Black Pope, because of his responsibility for the largest Catholic, male religious order and is contrasted to the white garb of the pope. The thirty-first and current Superior General is the Reverend Father Arturo Sosa, elected by the 36th General Congregation on 14 October 2016.

Titles

The formal title in Latin is Praepositus Generalis, which may fairly be rendered as "superior general" or even, "president general". The term is not of military origin but is derived from "general", as opposed to "particular". This usage is consistent with other Catholic religious orders, like the Dominicans' "master general", Franciscans' "minister general", Carthusians' "prior general", and with civil posts such as Postmaster General and Attorney General. The Jesuits are organized into provinces, each with a provincial superior,, with the head of the order being the "general superior", for the whole organization. As a major superior, the Superior General is styled "Very Reverend".

Black Pope

"Black Pope" is a designation given to the Superior General. The name follows from his leadership of the largest Catholic, male religious order and from the colour of the plain black cassock worn by members of the Society, including the Superior General. This may have originated from a past concern among Protestant European countries concerning the relative power of the Jesuits within the Roman Catholic Church, and partly because the Superior General, like the Pope, is elected for life.

Powers

The Superior General is invested with governing power over all the members of the Society, but customarily leads through Provincial superiors under him. Such power follows from the religious vows that bind members to community life, as in other religious orders.

Succession

Superiors General are elected by the General Congregation of the Society, summoned upon the resignation or death of an incumbent. Superiors General are elected for life and up to recently, as with the Popes, have served life terms. The exceptions being Father Pedro Arrupe and both his successors, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach and Father Adolfo Nicolás. On 2 October 2016, General Congregation 36 convened in Rome, convoked by Superior General Nicolás, and it elected Father Arturo Sosa as the thirty-first Superior General.

List of Superiors General

Until the 21st century, it was customary for Superior Generals to rule for life. Where they left office before death, the date of death is listed below the date they left office.
Superior GeneralPortraitTook officeLeft office
Deceased		BirthplaceDuration
1Ignatius of LoyolaAzpeitia, Spain5582
2Almazán, Spain2393
3Gandia, Spain2648
4La Roche-en-Ardenne, Belgium2657
5Atri, Italy12399
6Rome, Italy10679
7Naples, Italy1248
8Siena, Italy543
9Rome, Italy51
10Jülich, Germany4519
11Genoa, Italy6327
12Brussels, Belgium1621
13Arganza, Spain6688
14Modena, Italy8521
15Prague, Bohemia7562
16Milan, Italy1389
17Genoa, Italy672
18
November 24, 1775
July 21, 1773
Florence, Italy5566
--Kaunas, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth1100
--Polotsk, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth4761
--Orsha, Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth1275
--Vienna, Austria897
19Königsberg, Prussia2008
20Verona, Italy3023
21Amsterdam, Netherlands8704
22Scherpenheuvel-Zichem, Belgium12267
23Berisal, Switzerland1781
24Melgar de Fernamental, Spain4945
25Rottweil, Germany2903
26Loosdorf, Austria10167
27Mechelen, Belgium6595
28
February 5, 1991		Bilbao, Spain6678
29
November 26, 2016		Druten, Netherlands8889
30
May 20, 2020		Villamuriel de Cerrato, Spain3169
31IncumbentCaracas, Venezuela

Leadership during suppression

In 1773, the Jesuits were suppressed by Pope Clement XIV, through the Papal brief Dominus ac Redemptor on July 21, 1773, executed August 16. The leaders of the order, in the nations where the Papal suppression order was not enforced, were known as temporary Vicars General.
The temporary Vicars General were:
On March 7, 1801, Pope Pius VII issued the brief Catholicae fidei, giving approval to the existence of the Society in Russia and allowing the Society there to elect a Superior General for Russia. This was the first step to the Society's eventual restoration.
The Superiors General in Russia were:
The order was restored on August 7, 1814, by Pope Pius VII, through the papal bull Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum.