Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - From July 9 to 15, the 70th Congregation of Procurators of the Society of Jesus will be held in Nairobi (Kenya), which will decide on whether to convene a General Congregation, and where it will reflect on current challenges that the Jesuits are to address. One of these challenges is Africa, as ratified by the General Congregation of 2008. For this reason it was decided to hold the meeting in Kenya: it is the first Congregation of Procurators held outside Europe.
According to information Fides received, the Father General convenes the Congregation of Procurators (CP) every four years starting from the end of the General Congregation. The participants are called "proxies": Jesuits elected by their respective provinces, administrative units in which the Society of Jesus throughout the world is organized. In this sense, the attorneys are qualified representatives of the base of the Society, not so much of their government.
The Congregation of Procurators has no legislative power, its most important task is to decide whether or not to convene the General Congregation, as well as to discuss the general state of the Society of Jesus in its universal dimension. In Nairobi there will be 84 Procurators elected by their Provinces (7 from Africa, 14 from Latin America, 18 South Asia, 7 from Asia Pacific, 29 from Europe, 9 from the U.S.) and other 13 people who participate by law. The African Jesuit province, home of the Congregation of Procurators, consists of 212 Jesuits working in 6 countries: Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda. Their pastoral commitment takes place in parishes, spiritual retreat houses and educational, social and communication centers. (SL) (Agenzia Fides 06/07/2012)
