Arturo Sosa

The Very Reverend Arturo Sosa Abascal, S.J.
Superior General of the Society of Jesus (XXXI)
Installed	14 October 2016
Predecessor	Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, S.J.
Orders
Ordination	30 July 1977
Personal details
Born	Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal (1948-11-12) 12 November 1948 Caracas, Venezuela
Nationality	Venezuelan
Alma mater	Universidad Católica Andrés Bello Universidad Central de Venezuela

Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal SJ (born 12 November 1948), is a Venezuelan priest of the Roman Catholic Church. As of October 14, 2016, the 36th General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, the largest male religious institute in the Catholic Church, elected him as its thirty-first Superior General. He succeeds Adolfo Nicolás Pachón, S.J., who served as Superior General for eight years.

Biography

Arturo Marcelino Sosa Abascal was born in Caracas (Venezuela), on November 12, 1948. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1966 and was ordained to the priesthood on 30 July 1977.

He was the Delegate of Fr. General for the Curia and the Interprovincial Houses and Works of the Society of Jesus in Rome; he is also Counselor of Father General. He has a Licence in Philosophy from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (1972) and is a Doctor in Political Sciences of the Universidad Central de Venezuela.

During the 35th General Congregation, in 2008, he was chosen Counselor General by the Superior General, Fr. Adolfo Nicolás. In 2014, he joined the curia of the Society of Jesus, in Rome, as Delegate for the Curia, for the interprovincial Houses and Works of the Society of Jesus in Rome. These institutions are directly under the Superior General of the Jesuits. Among them are the Pontifical Gregorian University, the Pontifical Biblical Institute, the Pontifical Oriental Institute and the Vatican Observatory, as well as a number of international colleges and residences.

Between 1996 and 2004, Arturo Sosa was Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Venezuela. Before, he was coordinator of the social apostolate in that country and Director of Centro Gumilla, a centre of research and social action of the Jesuits in Venezuela.

Fr. Arturo Sosa has had a long career dedicated to teaching and research. He has had a number of responsibilities in the university environment. He was a professor and a member of the Foundation Council of the Andrés Bello Catholic University and for 10 years he was the Rector of the Catholic University in Táchira, both Jesuit universities. He did most of his research and teaching in the area of political sciences, in a number of centres and institutions.

In 2004, he has been invited by the Center for Latin American Studies of Georgetown University, Washington, DC, and was professor of Venezuelan Political Thinking of the Catholic University of Táchira.

He published a number of works, mainly about the history and the politics of Venezuela.

Father Sosa speaks Spanish, Italian, English, and understands French.

Superior General of the Society of Jesus

The thirty-sixth General Congregation of the Society of Jesus elected him as the Order’s thirty-first Superior General on 14 October 2016, succeeding the Spanish Fr. Adolfo Nicolás Pachón. His election was immediately relayed to Pope Francis. Then the Vicar General of the Society of Jesus, Fr. James E. Grummer, S.J., proclaimed the election of Fr. Sosa.

External links

• Father Arturo Sosa SJ, 31st General of the Society of Jesus