Fr Adolfo Nicolás, SJ: A Man of Wit and Wisdom - A Tribute

Fr Adolfo Nicolás in Novosibirsk in 2010, photo by Don Doll, SJ

There are a few individuals who leave a mark in your life or in your institution. Fr Adolfo Nicolás, S. J., (1936-2020), is one of them. He was the 30th Superior General of the Society of Jesus from 2008 to 2016. His eight years at the helm of affairs of the Jesuit Order was marked with significant events in its history. Under Adolfo's Generalate we saw a first Jesuit Pope.  No one thought that a Jesuit would become a Pope. In its more than 480 years of history, no Jesuit had become a Pope. Unfortunately, until Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the Pope in 2013, many of our Jesuit brothers were either censored by the CDF or were under its scanner.  Adolfo handled this new situation in the Church and in the Society of Jesus very well by keeping a close contact with the Pope and welcoming him to the Jesuit curia a number of times.

The first time that I met Fr Adolfo was in Novosibirsk, Russia at our Russian Region's assembly in 2010. After the terrible killing of two of our Jesuits in Moscow in 2008, Adolfo was with us to encourage and strengthen us in our resolve to continue the work of God. I was his translator (Russian to English to Russian) for few sessions and other informal gatherings. He was very gentle and calm in every way, moreover he had a great sense of humour and wit. Few of us would spend more time with him at the breakfast table.

As translator for Fr Adolfo in Novosibirsk in 2010

I saw often  Fr Adolfo in 2015 at the Jesuit Curia and at the Canisio infirmary in Rome, while I was recovering from a serious health bout. One day at the garden party of the Canisio we were on the same table and he had a piece of advice for me on my health. He lamented that often we Jesuits do not take care of our health. Anyway, he wished me well. In fact, both of us would crisscross at the infirmary room of the Canisio as he too was undergoing some medical treatment.

I saw in Fr Adolfo a man of clarity and vision. He was a man of character, indeed. During his tenure as Superior General we saw all his letters were short and to the point. He even said that nobody likes to read long letters today. He used a lot of images and metaphors in his expressions. Perhaps his life in Asia must have had an impact on his thought processing. He said to us that we Jesuits should be like a giraffe. Fascinatingly this animal has a large heart. Because giraffe has a long neck it needs a large heart as well. Moreover, this unusual creation of God has a long neck. Thus, it can reach very high. So too we should be like.

Fr Adolfo often quoted the words of Jesus, Jn 14:6, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life". Adolfo said, Europe has the truth, Asia has a way and Africa has life. Therefore, as Jesuits we need to integrate all these three things in our faith and practice, mission and collaboration.

The often quoted words of Fr Adolfo were, we as Jesuits need to be men of prayer, depth (both spiritual and intellectual, go deep into the issues and deep into discernment ) and creativity. He repeated this idea in many of the Jesuit gatherings around the world.  He also said that there are three kinds of Jesuits, extra ordinary men, mediocre and sick Jesuits. He called us to be available and ready to go for missions. Himself being a missionary in Japan and Philippines, Fr Adolfo had grasped the sense of interculturality and interconnectedness very well. This came out when he spoke or wrote. Talking about our Jesuit life he used a beautiful imagery, when a tree falls it makes more noise than other 100 trees standing.

Fr Nicolás was a very humble man. He said among Jesuits we must address each other "tu" you (singular). The sense of equality and brotherliness that we need to practice was indeed a big step Fr Adolfo took as Superior General. Therefore, he didn't like the so called "protocols". He was very much on online education and he himself enrolled into a few courses. There was no age bar or a position to stop one from learning something new.

Fr Adlolfo believed that the Spiritual Exercises should transform us. Therefore, he called us to be in silence. He thought often we are distracted people, overloaded with too many or multiple activities.  His often quoted phrase “globalization of superficiality” should not influence us. Therefore only through silence we can enter deeper into the issues of the day and address them adequately.

Fascinatingly, this following little prayer that Fr Adolfo wrote in 2011 after an eight-day retreat with General Council summarises the kind of person he was and his spirituality. It is a prayer , which arose from the personal meditation of Father Nicolás on the miraculous catch of fish narrated by Saint John in chapter 21.

Lord Jesus,

What weaknesses did you see in us that made you decide to call us, in spite of everything, to collaborate in your mission?

We give you thanks for having called us, and we beg you not to forget your promise to be with us to the end of time.

Frequently we are invaded by the feeling of having worked all night in vain, forgetting, perhaps, that you are with us.

We ask that you make yourself present in our lives and in our work, today, tomorrow, and in the future yet to come.

Fill with your love these lives of ours, which we put at your service.

Take from our hearts the egoism of thinking about what is “ours,” what is “mine”, always excluding, lacking compassion and joy.

Enlighten our minds and our hearts, and do not forget to make us smile when things do not go as we wished.

At the end of the day, of each one of our days, make us feel more united with you and better able to perceive and discover around us greater joy and greater hope.

We ask all this from our reality. We are weak and sinful men, but we are your friends. Amen.

For more information on Fr Adolfo Nicolás please click here,

- Olvin Veigas, SJ

21 May 2020