Product Overview
Composed by St. Ignatius in the 16th century, Part IX of the Constitutions of the Society of Jesus states that “there must be someone…whose duty is the good government, preservation, and development of the whole body of the Society.” The Superior General, written in 1982 as part of Fr. Antonio M. de Aldama’s series of commentaries on the Constitutions and translated in 1999, explores the unique style of governance Ignatius established for the Society of Jesus. De Aldama explains the reasons the leader serves a lifelong term (“the superior’s prestige will be greater if he is unchangeable”), and Ignatius’s thoughts on characteristics a superior general should embody (foremost a “union with God”). This volume details the superior general’s authority over the Society’s long–range goals and in its daily life, and describes his duties, such as sending Society members on missions and appointing assistants and provincial superiors.
