Top Jesuit resigns

Press, 5 September 1983, Page 10

Top Jesuit resigns

NZPA Rome Father Pedro Arrupe, aged 75, who has led the Catholic Church’s most powerful society, the Jesuits, for the last 18 years, formally submitted his resignation to a general congregation of the order yesterday.

A statement from the congregation, grouping some 220 senior Jesuits from throughout the world, said that the order accepted Father Arrupe’s resignation with profound sadness and a sense of deep gratitude for

his extraordinary services. Father Arrupe, a Spanish Basque ascetic, suffered a severe stroke in 1981 and had asked to step down. He is the first superior-general to have resigned since Saint Ignatius Loyola founded the Society of Jesus 443 years ago.

The Jesuits underwent marked change under Father Arrupe’s liberal direction, moving from a bastion of traditionalism to political action and the espousal of some modem theological ideas.

These developments did not please Pope John Paul. In an unprecedented move he appointed Father Paolo Dezza, aged 82, temporary head of the Jesuits in 1981 in an attempt to reign in the religious order. The congregation is expected to elect a new leader in about 9 days. On Friday the Pope opened the order’s congregation and urged Jesuits to avoid tasks incompatible with the priesthood and maintain strict obedience to him.