The 35th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus ended on Friday 7th March, after two months in which the delegates debated issues of concern and elected a new Superior General.

Fr Adolfo Nicolás, the new Superior General, called for "Greater creativity in bringing Christ's message to the world" as the Congregation drew to an end.

In a press briefing outlining the course of the General Congregation, Fr Nicolás said that over two months of deliberation, the 225 delegates drawn from across the world had whittled the priorities for the future of order down to 5 key points: Mission, Jesuit Identity, Governance, Collaboration with others and Obedience.  A committee was appointed for each of these topics with the task of preparing a text for approval by the Congregation.  After some debate and redrafting, all these texts have now been approved, and will be published soon as Decrees of the 35th General Congregation.

Fr Nicolás presided at the concluding Mass of the General Congregation with all the delegates on the evening of Thursday 6th March in the Church of the Gesù in Rome.

Follow these links to find out more about the General Congregation:

 News story on the election of Fr Nicolás

 The Jesuit Curia's pages on GC35

 Creighton University's pages on GC35

 Tom Rochford SJ's blog on GC35