From Fr Ambrose Pinto, St Aloysius Degree College, Bengaluru

"An exceptional leader has moved out of history"

Nov 27: Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, who as the 29th Superior General of the Society of Jesus led the worldwide Jesuit order for a quarter century from 1983 to 2008, and who broke with tradition by voluntarily resigning what had once been a lifetime job as General of the Society of Jesus, died on Saturday November 26 in Beirut, four days shy of his 88th birthday.

Born in Druten, Netherlands, in 1928, he lived most of his teen years during the German occupation of the Netherlands.

Kolvenbach noted that while living in the midst of war emphasizes the fragility of human life, the sound of a bird singing after a night of terror announces that "death will never have the last word in the Creator’s will". As a Jesuit Kolvenbach spent many years in academic life, primarily teaching linguistics in the University of Lebanon. He was elected as Superior General of the Jesuit Order in 1983. Upon his election, he carried out his responsibilities with tact, diplomacy, energy and compassion.

Kolvenbach took over leadership of the Jesuits at a sensitive moment, after St Pope John Paul II set aside the order’s constitutions by imposing his own interim team - in part because the then-Superior General, Father Pedro Arrupe, had suffered a stroke, but also because Arrupe’s strongly pro-social justice and church reform orientation was seen by critics as having made the Jesuits something akin to John Paul’s in-house opposition. Over his tenure as the “Black Pope,” Kolvenbach generally tried to stay out of the limelight, but at times found himself handling delicate situations. He was credited with having managed to win back the trust of John Paul II and his Vatican team, without alienating the more progressive and liberal members of the Jesuit Order. In fact, he had encouraged many progressive measures and projects in the Order.

What the Jesuit Order owes him, is beyond measure. He was the first Jesuit Superior General to resign after 25 years as the leader. Many say his resignation paved the way for Pope Benedict XVI's resignation. After he was replaced by Father Adolfo Nicolás, he was asked what he would do next. "Whatever my superiors ask me to", he said. In the end, he became assistant librarian at the Université of Saint-Joseph in Beirut. A great story could be written about how one of the most powerful men in the church worked as an assistant librarian. He would never want to talk about himself, his achievements or his successes in spite of his immense contribution.

A great academic, a man of faith who had a grip on reality, more a witness than a preacher, more an animator than a boss, more a friend than a Superior, he has left his mark on the Society of Jesus. His legacy will be studied with the large number of instructions, letters and even books that he has left behind with its impact on the Church and Society. Thank you Fr Kolvenbach, for your immense contribution to our lives as a Superior General. It is the example of your personal life that inspired the members of the Society of Jesus. May you be happy with God forever whom you served with total dedication.