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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 also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position carries the nickname of Black Pope, after his simple black priest's vestments, as contrasted to the white garb of the Pope. The current Superior General is the Reverend Father Adolfo Nicolás.

Titles

The formal title in Latin is Praepositus Generalis, which may fairly be rendered as "superior general," or even "president general." The term isn't of military origin, despite popular misconceptions, but is derived from "general" as opposed to "particular" (as with many other Catholic religious orders, like the Dominicans' "master general," Franciscans' "minister general," Carthusians' "prior general" etc. and many civil posts, such as Postmaster General, Attorney General and Receiver General). The Jesuits are organized into provinces, each with a provincial superior (usually referred to as the "Provincial Father," or just "Provincial"), with the head of the order being the "general superior" for the whole organization. As a major superior, the Superior General is styled "The Very Reverend".

Black Pope

"Black Pope" is a light-hearted name given to the Superior General, usually by the media (and never used by the Jesuits themselves). The name comes partly from the color of the plain black priest's cassock worn by members of the Society, including the Superior General, and partly from a past concern (most prominent around the 16th and 17th centuries) amongst Protestant European countries concerning the relative power of the Jesuits within the Roman Catholic Church

Powers

The Superior General is invested with ordinary power over the members of the Society, similar to the power given to a bishop over the people of a diocese. Superiors General submit themselves to the direct authority of and service to the Pope, not local ordinaries. Also, whenever the pope himself sins, the Superior General performs Reconciliation for him.

Succession

Superiors General are elected by the General Congregation of the Society, summoned upon the resignation, retirement or death of an incumbent. Superiors General are elected for life, and almost all have served life terms, the exceptions being Father Pedro Arrupe (resigned for reasons of failing health), and his successor, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach. Kolvenbach's resignation was announced in February 2006, which led to the convocation of the 35th General Congregation. That General Congregation elected the current Superior General of the Society, Father Adolfo Nicolás, who succeeded Kolvenbach.

List of Superiors General

  1. St. Ignatius of Loyola (April 19 1541–July 31 1556)
  2. James Lainez (July 2 1558–January 19 1565)
  3. St. Francis Borgia (July 2 1565–October 1 1572)
  4. Everard Mercurian (April 23 1573–August 1 1580)
  5. Claudius Acquaviva (February 19 1581–January 31 1615)
  6. Mutio Vitelleschi (November 15 1615–February 9 1645)
  7. Vincenzo Caraffa (January 7 1646–June 8 1649)
  8. Francesco Piccolomini (December 21 1649–June 17 1651)
  9. Alessandro Gottifredi (January 21 1652–March 12 1652)
  10. Goschwin Nickel (March 17 1652–July 31 1664)
  11. Giovanni Paolo Oliva (July 31 1664–November 26 1681)
  12. Charles de Noyelle (July 5 1682–December 12 1686)
  13. Thyrsus González de Santalla (July 6 1687–October 27 1705)
  14. Michelangelo Tamburini (January 31 1706–February 28 1730)
  15. Franz Retz (March 7 1730–November 19 1750)
  16. Ignatius Viscanti (July 4 1751–May 4 1755)
  17. Aloysius Centurione (November 30 1755–October 2 1757)
  18. Lorenzo Ricci (May 21 1758–August 16 1773)
  19. Tadeusz Brzozowski (August 7 1814–February 5 1820)
  20. Luigi Fortis (October 18 1820–January 27 1829)
  21. Jan Roothaan (July 9 1829–May 8 1853)
  22. Pieter Beckx (August 2 1853–March 4 1887)
  23. Anton Anderledy (March 4 1887–January 18 1892)
  24. Luis Martín (October 2 1892–April 18 1906)
  25. Franz Xavier Wernz (September 8 1906–August 20 1914)
  26. Wlodimir Ledochowski (February 11 1915–December 13 1942)
  27. Jean-Baptiste Janssens (September 15 1946–October 5 1964)
  28. Pedro Arrupe (May 22 1965–September 3 1983)
  29. Peter Hans Kolvenbach (September 13 1983–January 14 2008)
  30. Adolfo Nicolás (January 19 2008–present)

Leadership during suppression

In 1773, the Jesuits were suppressed by Pope Clement XIV through the brief Dominus ac redemptor on July 21 1773, executed August 16. The leaders of the order in the nations where the Papal suppression order wasn't enforced were known as temporary Vicars General. They were:
  • Stanislaus Czerniewicz (October 17 1782–October 21 1785)
  • Gabriel Lenkiewicz (October 8 1785–October 21 1798)
  • Franciszek Kareu (February 12 1799–March 7 1801) 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 generals in Russia were:
  • Franciszek Kareu (March 7 1801–August 11 1802)
  • Gabriel Gruber (October 22 1802–April 6 1805)
  • Tadeusz Brzozowski (September 14 1805–August 7 1814) The order was restored on August 7 1814 by Pope Pius VII through the bull Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum.

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