A GLANCE A T THE CONGREGATION OF PROCURATORS
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What follows is a short exposition of the origin and history of the Congregation of Procurators, and a summary of the formula which presently regulates the way of proceeding of the Congregation.
ORIGIN
Clearly St. Ignatius was not interested in prescribing frequent convocations of General Congregations. In a typically Ignatian way that refuses to close a door which later circumstances could force to open, Ignatius wrote in the Constitutions (n. 677) the following lines regarding the calling of a General Congregation: it is presupposed that for the present it does not seem good in our Lord that such congregation should be held at definite intervals or very frequently; for the superior general through the communication which he has with the whole Society and through the help he gets from those near him, will spare the Society as a whole from that work and distraction as far as possible.
But the same Ignatius added in a "clarification" (n. 679) that the Superior General maintains communication with the Society through letters and through the persons who should come from the provinces, at least once every three years from each province (and every four years from the Indies).
Based on these texts of Ignatius, and also moved by the wish expressed by the Pope, the second General Congregation (1565) discussed the matter and proposed the establishment of a Congregation of Procurators which will be called every three years. The title of "founder" of the Congregation of Procurators is given to St. Francis de Borja who, as Superior General, presided over the second General Congregation and called the first Congregation of Procurators in 1568.
From that date to the 18th century, the Congregation of Procurator continued to be held regularly. Sickness of Father General and other equally unforeseeable circumstances forced the postponement of the Congregations which should have been held in 1614 and 1631. In the 18th century, rampant epidemics and the turbulent situation of Europe caused the cancellation of the Congregations due in 1709, 1720, 1734 and 1743. The last Congregation of Procurators before the suppression of the Society of Jesus (1773) was held in 1749.
Some years after the restoration of the Society (1814) the General Congregation of 1829 insisted in the need to resume the Congregations of Procurators. Indeed it was resumed in 1832. But, again, political upheavals in Europe, especially in Italy, combined with the expulsion of Jesuits from several countries made it impossible to call a Congregation from 1868 to 1886. The 23rd General Congregation (1883) once again insisted in fidelity to the old decree, and from then to 1983 only six Congregations of Procurators were suppressed: in 1905 due to the sickness of Father General Luis Martin; in 1918, 1941 and 1944 because of World Wars I and II; in 1936 and 1956 owing to the proximity of General Congregations (28 and 30); in 1964 because the Vatican Council was in session.
In the history of the Congregation only twice (in 1606 and 1693) did the Procurators call for the convocation of a General Congregation. The decision of the Procurators in 1693 was reached by a vote difference (17 against 16), and this fact provoked a recourse to the Holy See which denied the validity of the decision. The following General Congregation (1696) decreed that in order to be valid, a decision to call a General Congregation has to be based on a majority of two or three votes according to the even or odd number of procurators.
All the Congregations of Procurators have been held in Rome with two exceptions: in 1886 and 1889 they were in Fiesole, Italy. Beginning in 1584, (under Father Aquaviva), with only two exceptions, the Congregations started its work on November 16th and finished it three days later, on the 19th. The last one began on September 17 and ended at noon every of September 23, 1999, at Loyola.
(Reference: Aldama-Echarte in the Diccionario Historico de la Compañia de Jesús).
NATURE AND PURPOSE
The most recent guidelines (Formula) for a Congregation of Procurators were published by the General Curia in 1996. It is a revised edition of the previous one (1976) incorporating the changes introduced by Decree 23,c. of the last General Congregation (1995).
The Congregation of Procurators is called into session by Father General every four years after the end of a General Congregation. Procurators are called those who have been elected by the Provincial Congregations (one per province) to represent them at the Congregation of Procurators. Dependent and Independent Regions are not entitled to send a member, but they send a report to Rome, and Father General can invite them to be present.
Under the chairmanship of Father General, the body of the Congregation is composed of the elected procurators (this year they are 85) the Assistants ad providentiam (four at present), and the General Counsellors (eight at present). Including Father General, the 69th Congregation of Procurators will have a total of 98 members.
The most important purpose of the Congregation of Procurators is to decide whether a General Congregation should be called. The same question was put to the Province Congregations which expressed its opinion through a secret ballot whose nature is consultative while the vote of the Procurators is deliberative. No matter the result of the Province's ballot, the Procurators are not bound to cast their votes according to it.
Another important task of the Procurators is to discuss the overall state of the Society especially in its more universal dimension. The discussion could clarify if a General Congregation is warranted.
POWER OF THE CONGREGATION
The Congregation of Procurators has not power to legislate, but if the members think it necessary, they can suspend decrees issued by previous General Congregations. The suspension will be valid until the next General Congregation meets.
PROCEDURE
All the Procurators (and the "relators" of the Independent and Dependent Regions) have to write a report on the affairs of their provinces-regions, in which they must include the observations made by their provincials. The report has to reach Rome prior to the beginning of the Congregation.
The acts of all the Provincial Congregations are examined by Father General and the Assistants ad providentiam to ascertain that the election of the procurators were carried out according to what has been established.
The guidelines set specific norms to conduct the sessions of the Congregation of Procurators, some of which are taken from the provisions ruling the General Congregations. The seating arrangement, for example, is done in alphabetical order according to the surname. In case of identical surnames the order is decided by the first name written in the vernacular. If even the names are the same, seniority in the Society prevails. When seniority cannot decide the issue, age comes into the picture. (The Formula stops here!).
The first sessions begins with the recitation of the hymn Veni Creator Spiritus, a prayer to the Holy Spirit and the Hail Mary. All the other sessions are to begin and end with a brief prayer .
On the first day, Father General gives a brief exhortation on the purpose of the Congregation, and encourages all the members to faithfully carry out what is prescribed in the Formula. If he wishes, he reports on the state of the Society.
Immediately after the exhortation of Father General, the two Fathers of the first two seats move to the sides of Father General and assist him with the voting of the secretary of the congregation. After the result is known the elected secretary takes his seat at the right of Father General. The secretary is in charge of writing the acts of the sessions, ratifying them with the seal of the Society of Jesus and signing them.
The procurators then decide how to proceed. They have three alternatives: the first is to hold the discussion on the state of the Society after the vote on calling or not calling a General Congregation has been taken; the second alternative is to proceed to the vote before the discussion; the third possibility is to split the discussion on the state of the Society into two steps: before and after the vote. If the decision is made to vote before any discussion, the ballot is postponed to the fourth day of the congregation. If, on the contrary, it is decided to exchange opinions on the state of the Society prior to the vote on calling or not calling a General Congregation, there will be a pause of two nights before proceeding to vote.
Each procurator must increase his knowledge of the state oft he Society by means of information to be obtained only from Father General, other members of the Congregation or the Secretary of the Society. If the information gathered in this way is detrimental to the Society or to an individual Jesuit, the procurators are bound to keep it secret.
On the day of voting on the need to call or not call a General Congregation, the procurators gather at the designated place and pray for 15 minutes before casting the vote. Father General has two votes. A decision to call a General Congregation requires a majority of two votes when the number of procurators is even; when the number of delegates is odd, the difference has to be of three votes. No one is permitted to abstain from voting, and nobody can disclose – before or after the ballot – how he voted. At the end of the voting the Secretary of the Congregation destroys the ballots in the place of the Congregation. Should the calling of a General Congregation be decided it is understood that it will begin within a year and a half. If the procurators agree, the approval of the acts of the last session can be entrusted to Father General and the Assistants ad providentiam. The recitation of the Te Deum and some prayers in thanksgiving close the Congregation of Procurators.
(Summary of Formula of the Congregation of Procurators, Roma 1996). .
[Information Office Curia Gen. S.J., News and Features, July 2003]