Very Rev Fr. Arturo Sosa Superior General of Society of Jesus visits St. Aloysius College

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, March 01, 2018: The Superior General of Society of Jesus Rev Fr. Arturo Saso, visited St. Aloysius College on his tour to coastal city of Mangaluru, here on Thursday.

Addressing the gathering Fr. Arturo Sosa said, "We need to focus on three types of reconciliation namely reconciliation of humans, reconciliation of nature and reconciliation of god. We need to make our roots stronger by excluding violence and hatred." "Biological sensitivity and sustainable development is a important orientation", he added. His also touched upon several other topics such as education, sense of collaboration and practicality of life.

Fr. Sosa was greeted according to the Indian tradition with a garland, tender coconut and cultural procession. Later the students of St. Aloysius Institutions rendered an array of coastal folk art and dance form. His delegation included Fr. Stanislaus D’Souza Provincial of the Karnataka Jesuits, Fr. Lisbert D’Souza, Regional Assistant South Asia, Bombay Province and reverends from Rome.. Fr. Sosa was joined by the Rector of Aloysius institutions Fr. Dionysius Vas SJ, Principal of the college Fr. Dr. Praveen Martis SJ for a formal function.

Salient points on the 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, also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position sometimes carries the nickname of the Black Pope, after black priest’s attire, as 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 October 14, 2016.

The Superior General is invested with extraordinary power over the members of the Society, higher than the power given to a bishop over the clergy and lay people of a diocese.

Election process :  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 both his successors, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach and Father Adolfo Nicolás. On October 2, 2016, General Congregation 36 convened in Rome, convoked by Superior General Nicolás, and it elected Father Arturo Sosa as the thirty-first Superior General. 

Father Sosa was born in Caracas, Venezuela on 12 November 1948. Until his election, Father Sosa has been Delegate for Interprovincial Houses of the Society in Rome, as well as serving on the General Council as a Counsellor. He obtained a licentiate in philosophy from l’Università Cattolica Andrés Bello in 1972. He later obtained a doctorate in Political Science from l’Università Centrale del Venezuela, in 1990. He speaks Spanish, Italian, English, and understands French.

In 2008, during General Congregation 35, Father General Adolfo Nicolás appointed Father Arturo Sosa as General Counsellor, based in Venezuela. In 2014, Father Sosa joined the General Curia community and took on the role of Delegate for Interprovincial Roman Houses of the Society of Jesus in Rome, which include: the Pontifical Gregorian University,  the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical Oriental Institute, the Vatican Observatory, Civiltà Cattolica, as well as international Jesuit colleges in Rome.

Between 1996 and 2004, Father Sosa was provincial superior of the Jesuits in Venezuela. Before that, he was the province coordinator for the social apostolate, during which time he was also director of Gumilla Social Centre, a centre for research and social action for the Jesuits in Venezuela.

Father Arturo Sosa has dedicated his life toresearch and teaching. He has held different positions in academia. He has been a professor and member of the Council of the Andrés Bello Catholic Foundation and Rector of the Catholic University of Tachira. He has pursued research and teaching in the field of political science, in various centers and institutions, as the Chair of Contemporary Political Theory and the Department of Social Change in Venezuela at the Faculty of Social Sciences.