The Eighth Part

Of what relates to the mutual union of those who are dispersed, with their Superior, and among themselves

Chap. I. Of those things which contribute to the union of minds

[1] The more difficult it is for the members of this Society to be united with their Head, and with one another reciprocally, scattered as thev are among: believers and unbehevers in the various regions of the world, the more diligently should the means of maintaining that union be secured; since the Societycan neither be presei-s-ed, nor governed, nor, consequently, can the object be attained at which it aims, to the greater glorv of God; unless its members be united among themselves, and with their Head. We wt11 speak therefore of those things which relate to the usual personal union in Congregations or convents. Now towards this union of minds, some things on the part of inferiors, some on the part of Superiors, some originating in both will be conducive. With regard to inferiors, it v.-ill be well that no great number of persons be admitted to Profession; and not every one, but select men only should be retained among the Coadjutors or Scholars. For a great multitude of such as have not quite subdued their faults, as thev cannot endure subordination, so neither can they secure union, which is so needful in Christ our Lord, for the preservation of the good estate and method of proceeding of the Society. And since a gi-eat union of tliis sort is secured chiefly by the bond of Obedience; this must ever be maintained in all its ^^gour: And those who are sent forth from the Houses to labour in the Lord's harvest, should be well exercised therein, as far as possible: and in tliis wtue, such as take the lead in the Society should outshine the rest in their good example; and always in harmony with their Superior should persevere promptly, humbly and devotedly in their obedience to him. And if any one has failed in giving unquestionable proof of his obedience, an associate should always be united with him, who has been more conspicuous therein. For, for the most part, an associate who is more perfect in Obedience will by the divine favour therein assist him who is less so. And othei-wise, although this object be not aimed at, a Colleague should be appointed to him who shall be sent in any charge of government, if it should appear to the Superior, that the duty thus committed to him will be better performed; and the Colleague shall so behave towards him who is over the rest, and he in turn towards his Colleague, that the Obedience and reverence of the inferiors for their Superior be not impaired: but rather that the one may find the other to have been given to be a true and faithful assistant and supporter, as well to himself as to those committed to his care. 4 Subordination duly maintained among the Superiors themselves, of whom some are subject to otiiers, and of inferiors towards them, pertains to this virtue of Obedience, so that all who reside in any House or College shoiild refer to their local Superior, or Rector, and permit themselves to be ruled by him in all things. But they who reside apart in any province in various places must refer to the Provincial or some local Superior nearer at hand; as they shall be commanded. But all local Superiors or Rectors shall hold frequent commimication %%ath the Provincial, and conduct themselves in all things according to his pleasure. In the same way shall the Provincials behave to the G^eneral. For thus, subordination being observed, union which entirely depends upon it, will bv the Grace of God be maintained. 5 If any one shall seem to be the author of division or dissension among those who Hve together, or with their Head; he shall be separated with all diligence from that Congregation, as a plague which will infect the whole, if an immediate remedy be not apphed. 6 On the part of the General, these are the qualities which conduce to this mental union, and with which, as is set forth in the Ninth Part, he ought to be endowed: and provided with these, he shall do his dut^ to everv* member of the Society, the dutv, namely, of Head, namely, from whom the influence necessary to the office assigned to him shaU descend: and thus, from the General, as from the Head, all the power of the Provincials shall issue, and through them to local Superiors, and through them it shall reach indi^^dual members: so also, from the same Head (or at least from his deputation of authorit}^ and with his approval) shall the missions proceed. Let thus much suffice on the commimication of the powers of the Society. For the more inferiors depend upon their Superiors, the better the love of Obedience and Union will be presen-ed between them. 7 And to the end that position may be more conducive to the intercourse of the head vrith its members; it will be most proper that the General should chiefly reside at Rome, where he can enjoy the readiest intercourse with all other places of the Society. Provincials also shall settle for the most part where convenient communication may be held with the subordinates, and with the General, so far as it can be arranged in the Lord. 8 The chief bond of union respectively of the members with one another and with their head is the Love of God and our Lord Jesus Christ, with whose divine and supreme goodness, if the Superior and inferiors are closely united, they will easily be united among themselves; and this will be effected by that same love which coming down from God extends to all our neighbours, and in an especial manner to the body of the Society. Charity, therefore, and to sum up all, probit}- and every virtue, by which we may walk according to the Spirit of God, will assist each part)' to imion, and subdue every idea of temporal propertj,-, in which self-love, the fiercest foe of union and the general good, habitually offends. Unanimity also in more internal concerns will contribute much to this; as learning, opinions, aspirations, as far as possible: in externals also; as habits, the ceremonies of the Mass, and other things, so far as the difference of persons, places, &c. shall permit. 9 A frequent intercourse of letters bets'een inferiors and Superiors, and immediate intelligence of one another; and the knowledge of all that is communicated from various places for edification, and of all that happens, vn\l greatly assist also; the management of all which shall be in the Superiors, and especially in the General, and the Provincials; such arrangements being made, that in every place whatever tends to mutual consolation and edification in the Lord mav be kno'v\Ti from the others.

Chap. II. In what cases a general congregation should be held

[1] To come to the personal union which takes place in the Congregations of the Societ}'; we must consider as weU in what cases, as what persons ought to be called together, and by whose authority'; where, when, and how this should take place, and what business should be transacted in the Congregations. And in the fij'st place, that it may be set forth in what cases a general Congregation and Assembly shall be held; this is especially laid down: that it seems by no means expedient in the Lord at present, that they occur at certain seasons or frequently. For the General, aided by the intercourse which he maintains with the whole Sbciet}', and the assistance of those who Uve with him, shall prevent, as far as possible, so much labour and interruption to the whole Society. To be called together will nevertheless be sometimes unavoidable; as to conduct the election of a General, whether he shall be chosen instead of one deceased, or be substituted for another, who must resign his office for some one of those reasons, hereafter to be enumerated.

[2] Another cause is, when they shall have to deliberate on subjects of lasting and exceedins interest, such as for example, to dissolve Colleges or Houses, or to remove them elsewhere, or other matters concerning the whole Society of great difficulty, or to explain and settle that method of procedure which shall seem most expedient to the fulfilment of the wiU of God. 1 Not all who live under Obedience to the Society, nor approved Scholars, but the Professed alone, with certain Coadjutors, if it should seem expedient in the Lord, are to be summoned to a general Congregation; and of these only such as can come conveniently. Neither therefore shall the sick and feeble, nor they who live in veiy distant countries, such as India, assemble; nor they who are occupied in affairs of moment, which may not be left without great inconvenience. But this will depend on the judgment of the General, if he calls the meeting, or of those who shall be congregated in the separate Provinces, to choose the delegates to the general assembly. But that some certain method for calling the meeting together may be appointed; When an assembly shall be held to elect a Genercil, or to dehberate on matters which concern the General; three shall come fi-om every ProA-ince; the Pro-incial, namely, with two others elected for this purpose in their provincial Congregation: which Congregation shall be summoned to that end in the separate provinces previous to the general assembly. All the Professed in every Province who can attend, the Principals of Houses and Colleges, Rectors and Proctors, or those whom they shall send in their name as their representatives, shall meet and exercise the right of voting, ^^^^en the assembly shall be summoned for other aflairs, the Provincial without a Congi-egation of the Province may select two, at the discretion of the General, who under occurring circumstances shall determine whether a proAancial meeting shall be held for the election of these two, or whether the Pro-incial without a meeting shall choose them, as he shall deem expedient in the Lord. To these three the whole Pro-ince shall entrust its interest, and whatever shall be settled by the general assembly in which they attend, shall be estabhshed. If besides these two delegates, the General shall appoint certain others, or the Provincial resolve to bring them, their right shall be the same as the rest. But if bevond the three, the Provincial should select more; he shall not add more than two, so that, in all, five may come from one ProA-ince. Of the Professed who shall attend in the Assembly, each shall have a single vote, the General alone shall have two. But if the numbers are equal, the Pro^ancials shall be prefeiTcd to the rest; and if among the Provincials there is an equahty, that part to which the General, or, in case of his death, his Vicar shall inchne, shall have the preference. For as the help of the diA-ine Grace is more necessary to them by reason of the office they bear, it is to be hoped that God and our Lord wUl more largely bestow it on them, that so they may think and speak whatever tends to His glory.

Chap. III. To whom it belongs to call a general congregation

When the Society is to be assembled to elect a new General, on the death of the former, one of the Professed, whom the General has nominated before his death to be his Vicar in this respect shall take care to inform the rest of that event. This Vicar shall be for the most part one of those assistants usually about the General, or at least, one of those who five near him. His dut)- AviU be to summon the Society to the election of the General, the time and place being named for their attendance. When the Society is not summoned to an election, in other cases the General shall convoke it, except in those to be set forth in the Ninth Part: and as before said, he shall not call the Society together frequently, except the necessity of its affairs compel him. And when a general Congregation, summoned to the election of a General, has made its choice; it may then proceed to treat of other more important affairs than ought to be decided by the General and those who act with him.

Chap. IV. Of the place, time, and manner of assembling

[1] The place where the Society shall meet for the election of a General should commonly be the Court of the Pope, where for the most part shall be the residence of the General; except the Society shall deliberately determine that it should assemble in some other place, more convenient for all; as if a place should be appointed in the confines of various Provinces where the Society dwells, or any other, which shall appear more proper. If it is the General w'ho summons the Society for other business: he shall select and appoint the place which he shall think best in the Lord.

[2] The time which shall be allowed to assemble the Society for the election of a General shall be five or six months from the date of the letters wTitten to give notice of it. And this period may be extended in case of necessity. But when it shall be summoned for other affairs, the General shall appoint the time at Ills own pleasure.

[3] This method shall be observed in convoking the Societv: the person whose duty it is shall immediately inform the ProA^incials in various ways, and such of the Professed as are speciallv summoned, assigning the cause, as far as shall seem sufficient to him, the place and time of the meeting, and recommending also that masses be celebrated and pravers offered everx^where, for the favom'able election of the General. Every Pro\incial (not having the power of the selection in himself) shall convene the Professed residing within his Province, the Rectors also and local Superiors who can assemble without great inconvenience. When they are collected in provincial congregation, thev shall elect such as are to be sent to the general meeting by a majority of votes, the Provincial haxnng two. These ought to be such as it shall be most expedient to send to the Congregation, and whose absence will be least injurious to the Province: and thev shall set forth to the appointed place, leaving deputies in their provinces, and aU. things duly arranged.

[4] The Superiors shall moreover see that all who live under Obedience to the Society shall daily recommend those who are gone to the general Congregation most devoutly to God in their prayers and the sacrifice of the mass; and implore that whatever is transacted therein may turn out to the greater servace and praise and glorv of God's name.

Chap. V. Of the manner of deliberation, when a general is to be elected

[1] If the meeting is appointed for the election of a new General to take the place of one deceased; as soon as all are assembled, the Vicar General shall address them on the subject, fomdays before the election of the future General, and exhort them to conduct it as becomes the greater service of God, and the good government of the Society: and besides this day, they shall have the three foUowdng, to commend themselves to God, and more maturely to consider, who of all the Society is best quahfied for this trust; and they shall take care to be informed in this period of everything relating to the business, bv those who can properly insti-uct them: but they shall not untd thev enter the place of election, and are confined within it, determine in then* own minds, whom they wtM elect.

[2] Throughout this intervening time every one shall be bound on pain of the sentence of excommunication being passed upon him, to communicate to the ^'"icar General, or to some one of the elders among the Professed, who shall communicate with the Vicar General, if he knows that any member has aspired to this oflace, or is even then aspiring, procuring it directly or indirectly, or manifesting it by any sign. And he who shall be con^-icted of such ambition, shall be deprived of his suflSrage, active and passive, as one not competent to elect another, nor to be himself elected; for which reason he shall not be admitted to that nor anv future meetina:. /8 THE rOXSTITUTIONS OF

[3] On the day of election, following these three days, some one shall celebrate the Mass of the Holy Ghost, which all shall attend, and partake of the most blessed body of Christ in the same.

[4] Afterwards, at the sound of a bell, those who have the right of voting shall be summoned to the place of Congregation; and one of them shall preach a sermon, wherein, generally, but without giving any hint by which any particular person shall be understood, he shall exhort them to elect such a General as shall conduce to the greater service of God; and when they have recited together the hymn, Veni Creator Spiritus; they shall be shut up in the aforesaid place of Congregation by some one of the Superiors, or Rectors, or other member of the Society, to whom this duty in the house of Congregation shall have been assigned, so that they can neither go out, nor can anvthing be given them for food, except bread and water, until they have elected a General.

[5] And if by general inspiration, without awaiting tlie process of voting, all should elect the same, he shall be the General. For the Holy Ghost IJTio impels to such an election, easily supplies the want of every order and form of electing.

[6] When the election shall not be conducted in this way, the foUovdng form shall be observed. In the first place, every one shall privately pray to God, and without uttering a single word, in the sight of his Creator and Lord he shall determine within himself whom he wiU elect, according to the information he has previously obtained; and he shall \NTite on a paper the person's name whom he elects to be General, and shall subscribe his own; and for this, the space of one hour shall be allowed in all: then shall all take their seats: and the "'icar General, with a Secretary chosen for the purpose fi-om the Professed, and a third person also to assist them, rising fi-om his seat, shall protest that he will neither admit nor exclude whom he ought not. He shall also give them all a general absolution fi'om all censures in the matter of this canonical election: ^Vfterwai'ds, the grace of the Holy Spirit being invoked, he shall approach the table standing in the midst; and the fore- mentioned three shall demand of each other their votes, each swearing before he gives it, that he names the man whom lie believes in the Lord to be best qualified for the office; and the votes shidl be gathered into the hands of the Secretary; then from every one of those present in Congregation, apart, but in the presence of the rest they shall demand his suffrage contained in writing, which he shall give them with the previous oath. Then in the midst of all, the Secretar}- shall di'ulge the votes, gi^'ing the name only of the person elected; and then, each number of votes being compared with the rest, he shall be the General who has more than one half of the votes: after which, he who first nominated him, or the Vicar General shall ask the rest whether they assent to him whom the majority has chosen; and, as they may answer, he shall pronounce the Decree of the election, saying; In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; I. X. in my own name, and of all so minded elect X. to be General of the Society of Jesus. Wliich being done, all shall come forthwith to do him reverence, and on both their knees shall kiss his hand. And he who shall be elected should refuse neither the election nor the reverence paid, remembering in whose name he receives it. In fine they shall all rehearse together the Te Deum.

[7] If there be no one who has more than a half-part of the votes; another method, that of compromise, shall be resorted to, three or five out of all the electors being chosen (those namelv who have most votes for this dut}-) and he shall be General to which the greater part of these three or five shall inchne, and he shall be proclaimed; and reverence shall be paid to him, and thanks returned to God, as before said.

[8] After the declaration, it shall be permitted to none to change his vote, nor when an election is completed, to attempt a new one; and let him obsene what is said who would not be looked upon as the author of dissension and of the ruin of the Societ}', and who would not incur the penalt}- of the sentence of excommunication pronounced against him, and other weighty censures at the pleasure of the Society, whose union and perfect concord conduces to the glorj- of God.

Chap. VI. Of the manner of deliberation, when the general congregation is occupied, not in the election of a general, but in other things

[1] When the Congregation is occupied, not in the election of a General, but in other important concerns, pertaining to the state of the Society; the confinement will not be necessarj': although care should be taken that the affairs to be treated of be settled as soon as possible: but as that light by wliich it shall be determined what ought to be decreed must needs descend from the supreme Wisdom; let the sacrifices of Masses be first oftered; and let a sermon be preached in the place of Congregation, and other places of the Society- throughout the period in which they are assembled, and whilst those matters are debated which shall be determined by that meeting, to obtain grace that all may be settled to the greater glor- of God.

[2] Then when all have been assembled once or oftener, the General, the Provincials, the Rectors and the others summoned to the Congregation shall briefly set forth in the presence of all whatever shall appear to require attention, and the reasons of their own opinions, after having duly considered and commended them to God and our Lord; and when they have each given his opinion, let them leave its substance in %NTiting openly, so that those who please may read it, and pronounce their opinion thereon in the following assembly.

[3] The business being discussed on all sides in one or more Congregations, if nothing should be clearly settled either way; by the common consent of all, or almost all, let four of those present in the assembly, and entitled to vote therein be elected, (whom the rest shall engage to support) and they shall settle it by the opinions of the greater number, and assembled with the General as often as needful they shall decide ever}i:hing which is agitated before them. And if all be not of the same opinion, that shall be carried to which the majority shall inchne, and shall be received by the whole Congregation as from the hand of the Lord.

[4] If the Generid have not strength of constitution to enable him to take part in all these affairs, he may appoint another in his place; and thus, eveiy thing being separately aiTangcd, as seems best to the majority, what is determined shall be written down, and read in full assembly; and even then, any member shall be allowed to give his opinion on the subject if he will, although it shall be left to the decision of the General and his Committee Subjects thus discussed and reconsidered, and in the manner aforesaid once more determined, shall be recorded by the Secretary in a book kept for the purpose to be aftenvards promulgated.