Father General

In a letter dated 19 October 2008, Father General shared with the Society the questions he and his Counselors have reflected on during the seven months since the end of General Congregation 35: what have we done with the new fire, the decrees and the new approaches to governance and mission. He also offered his “first impressions” of these months in which he has been learning about the Curia, Church life in Rome and the universal Society. He has visited a number of Cardinals in the Vatican with whom we work closely. Father Nicolás reports that his meetings were “pleasant and full of gentleness, respect and appreciation of the Society.”

A few days later, to mark the closing of the General Synod on The Word of God in the life and the mission of the Church, Father General sent another letter to the whole Society in which he noted the Society’s participation. Of the 253 Fathers of the Synod (Cardinals, Archbishops and Bishops) six were Jesuits, seven Jesuits were part of the group of 41 “experts” and 70 members of the Synod are graduates of the Gregorian University and Pontifical Biblical Institute.

On the 1st of November, Father General visited the “Alberto Hurtado Formation Center” in Naples and met with 50 young members of the Italian Province. The Center is located in one of the most run-down parts of the city, a place where Jesuits have worked for a number of years. The next day one of the local newspapers published an article written by Fr. Domenico Pizzuti (ITA). In the article he noted: “Father Nicolás is an authentic master of the spirit, enriched by the best spiritual tradition of the Society of Jesus and the encounter with Asian religions.”

Appointment

In a letter dated 31 October, the feast of Saint Alphonsus Rodrigues, and addressed to all major Superiors, Father General announced the appointment of Fr. Anton Witwer, of the Austrian Province, as General Postulator of the Society and President of the Liturgical Commission. He succeeds Father Paolo Molinari, of the Italian Province, who was appointed to that position by Father General Janssens on July 31, 1957.

From the provinces

RUSSIA
On October 29 the Curia communicated to the Society the news about the violent deaths of two Jesuits in Moscow: Fathers Otto Messmer and Victor Betancourt. The funeral took place in the cathedral of Moscow on November 5; it was celebrated by the Archbishop of Moscow, Msgr. Paolo Pezzi, and concelebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Antonio Mennini; the Archbishop of Astana (Kazakhstan), Msgr. Tomasz Peta; the Bishop of Saratov, Msgr. Klemens Pickel; the Apostolic Administrator of Kyrgyzstan, Msgr. Nikolaus Messmer, S.J. (brother of Fr. Otto); and the Bishop of Novosibirsk, Msgr. Joseph Werth, S.J. Ten Jesuits and approximately 50 priests and religious of other Congregations took also part in the liturgy as well as over 250 of the faithful. The Society has received many condolence messages and promises of prayers as a result of this tragedy.

After the funeral the bodies of Frs. Messmer and Betancourt were transported to Germany and Ecuador for burial.

The Russian press has reported the apprehension of a suspect and his confession. He has an arrest record and shows signs of being psychopathic. It is certain that the death of both Jesuits occurred on October 27 with a lapse of 15 to 17 hours between them. The police are continuing their investigation but the Society has not been given access to its findings.

Saddened by the violent death of the two Jesuits, the Society of Jesus renews its commitment to sustain the Jesuits and their apostolic work in the Region.

INDIA
Twenty two Jesuit lawyers and human rights activists from India and Sri Lanka met in New Delhi to mark the 6oth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the South Asian Assistancy there are 69 Jesuit lawyers, 15 of whom are practicing in various parts of the country. The rest use their legal knowledge to create awareness among people of their human rights. Of the 132 Social Centers mentioned in the catalogue of Jesuits in social action, approximately 15-20 are Legal and Human Rights Centers.

ROME
In collaboration with Notre-Dame University (USA), the Pontifical Gregorian University has announced an International Conference on Biology Evolution: Facts and Theories. A critical appraisal 150 years after “The Origin of Species”. The Conference, under the special patronage of the Pontifical Council for Culture, will be held 3 – 7 March 2009 at the Gregorian University. It is part of the “Science, Theology and Ontological Quest (STOQ) Project.”