<P> Superiors General are elected by the General Congregation of the Society, summoned upon the resignation or death of an incumbent . Superiors General are elected for life and up to recently, as with the Popes, have served life terms . The exceptions being Father Pedro Arrupe (resigned for reasons of failing health) and both his successors, Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach and Father Adolfo Nicolás . On October 2, 2016, General Congregation 36 convened in Rome, convoked by Superior General Nicolás, and it elected Father Arturo Sosa as the thirty - first Superior General . </P> <P> Until the 21st century, it was customary for Superior Generals to rule for life . Where they left office before death, the date of death is listed below the date they left office . (Pedro Arrupe resigned in 1983 after a paralyzing stroke .) </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Superior General </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Took office </Th> <Th> Left office Deceased </Th> <Th> Birthplace </Th> <Th> Length of term (in days) </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> St. Ignatius of Loyola </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> April 19, 1541 </Td> <Td> July 31, 1556 </Td> <Td> Azpeitia, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003558200000000000 ♠ 5,582 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Diego Laynez </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 2, 1558 </Td> <Td> January 19, 1565 </Td> <Td> Almazán, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003239300000000000 ♠ 2,393 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> St. Francis Borgia </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 2, 1565 </Td> <Td> October 1, 1572 </Td> <Td> Gandia, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003264800000000000 ♠ 2,648 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> </Td> <Td> Everard Mercurian </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> April 23, 1573 </Td> <Td> August 1, 1580 </Td> <Td> La Roche - en - Ardenne, Belgium </Td> <Td> 7003265700000000000 ♠ 2,657 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 5 </Td> <Td> Claudio Acquaviva </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> February 19, 1581 </Td> <Td> January 31, 1615 </Td> <Td> Atri, Italy </Td> <Td> 7004123990000000000 ♠ 12,399 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 6 </Td> <Td> Mutio Vitelleschi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> November 15, 1615 </Td> <Td> February 9, 1645 </Td> <Td> Rome, Italy </Td> <Td> 7004106790000000000 ♠ 10,679 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 7 </Td> <Td> Vincenzo Carafa </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> January 7, 1646 </Td> <Td> June 8, 1649 </Td> <Td> Naples, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003124800000000000 ♠ 1,248 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 8 </Td> <Td> Francesco Piccolomini </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> December 21, 1649 </Td> <Td> June 17, 1651 </Td> <Td> Siena, Italy </Td> <Td> 7002543000000000000 ♠ 543 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 9 </Td> <Td> Aloysius Gottifredi </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> January 21, 1652 </Td> <Td> March 12, 1652 </Td> <Td> Rome, Italy </Td> <Td> 7001510000000000000 ♠ 51 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 10 </Td> <Td> Goschwin Nickel </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> March 17, 1652 </Td> <Td> July 31, 1664 </Td> <Td> Jülich, Germany </Td> <Td> 7003451900000000000 ♠ 4,519 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 11 </Td> <Td> Giovanni Paolo Oliva </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 31, 1664 </Td> <Td> November 26, 1681 </Td> <Td> Genoa, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003632700000000000 ♠ 6,327 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 12 </Td> <Td> Charles de Noyelle </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 5, 1682 </Td> <Td> December 12, 1686 </Td> <Td> Brussels, Belgium </Td> <Td> 7003162100000000000 ♠ 1,621 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 13 </Td> <Td> Thyrsus González de Santalla </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 6, 1687 </Td> <Td> October 27, 1705 </Td> <Td> Arganza, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003668800000000000 ♠ 6,688 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 14 </Td> <Td> Michelangelo Tamburini </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> January 31, 1706 </Td> <Td> February 28, 1730 </Td> <Td> Modena, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003852100000000000 ♠ 8,521 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 15 </Td> <Td> Franz Retz </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> March 7, 1730 </Td> <Td> November 19, 1750 </Td> <Td> Prague, Bohemia </Td> <Td> 7003756200000000000 ♠ 7,562 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 16 </Td> <Td> Ignacio Visconti </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 4, 1751 </Td> <Td> May 4, 1755 </Td> <Td> Milan, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003138900000000000 ♠ 1,389 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 17 </Td> <Td> Aloysius Centurione </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> November 30, 1755 </Td> <Td> October 2, 1757 </Td> <Td> Genoa, Italy </Td> <Td> 7002672000000000000 ♠ 672 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 18 </Td> <Td> Lorenzo Ricci </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> May 21, 1758 </Td> <Td> August 16, 1773 November 24, 1775 Suppression 1773 </Td> <Td> Florence, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003556600000000000 ♠ 5,566 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Stanislaus Czerniewicz </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 17, 1782 </Td> <Td> October 21, 1785 </Td> <Td> Kaunas, Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth </Td> <Td> 7003110000000000000 ♠ 1,100 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Gabriel Lenkiewicz </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 8, 1785 </Td> <Td> October 21, 1798 </Td> <Td> Polotsk, Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth </Td> <Td> 7003476100000000000 ♠ 4,761 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Franciszek Kareu </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> February 12, 1799 </Td> <Td> August 11, 1802 </Td> <Td> Orsha, Polish - Lithuanian Commonwealth </Td> <Td> 7003127500000000000 ♠ 1,275 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td>--</Td> <Td> Gabriel Gruber </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 22, 1802 </Td> <Td> April 6, 1805 </Td> <Td> Vienna, Austria </Td> <Td> 7002897000000000000 ♠ 897 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 19 </Td> <Td> Tadeusz Brzozowski </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> August 7, 1814 </Td> <Td> February 5, 1820 </Td> <Td> Königsberg, Prussia </Td> <Td> 7003200800000000000 ♠ 2,008 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 20 </Td> <Td> Luigi Fortis </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 18, 1820 </Td> <Td> January 27, 1829 </Td> <Td> Verona, Italy </Td> <Td> 7003302300000000000 ♠ 3,023 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 21 </Td> <Td> Jan Roothaan </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> July 9, 1829 </Td> <Td> May 8, 1853 </Td> <Td> Amsterdam, Netherlands </Td> <Td> 7003870400000000000 ♠ 8,704 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 22 </Td> <Td> Peter Jan Beckx </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> August 2, 1853 </Td> <Td> March 4, 1887 </Td> <Td> Scherpenheuvel - Zichem, Belgium </Td> <Td> 7004122670000000000 ♠ 12,267 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 23 </Td> <Td> Anton Anderledy </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> March 4, 1887 </Td> <Td> January 18, 1892 </Td> <Td> Berisal, Switzerland </Td> <Td> 7003178100000000000 ♠ 1,781 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 24 </Td> <Td> Luis Martín </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 2, 1892 </Td> <Td> April 18, 1906 </Td> <Td> Melgar de Fernamental, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003494500000000000 ♠ 4,945 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 25 </Td> <Td> Franz Xavier Wernz </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> September 8, 1906 </Td> <Td> August 20, 1914 </Td> <Td> Rottweil, Germany </Td> <Td> 7003290300000000000 ♠ 2,903 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 26 </Td> <Td> Wlodimir Ledóchowski </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> February 11, 1915 </Td> <Td> December 13, 1942 </Td> <Td> Loosdorf, Austria </Td> <Td> 7004101670000000000 ♠ 10,167 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 27 </Td> <Td> Jean - Baptiste Janssens </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> September 15, 1946 </Td> <Td> October 5, 1964 </Td> <Td> Mechelen, Belgium </Td> <Td> 7003659500000000000 ♠ 6,595 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 28 </Td> <Td> Pedro Arrupe </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> May 22, 1965 </Td> <Td> September 3, 1983 February 5, 1991 </Td> <Td> Bilbao, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003667800000000000 ♠ 6,678 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 29 </Td> <Td> Peter Hans Kolvenbach </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> September 13, 1983 </Td> <Td> January 14, 2008 November 26, 2016 </Td> <Td> Druten, Netherlands </Td> <Td> 7003888900000000000 ♠ 8,889 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 30 </Td> <Td> Adolfo Nicolás </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> January 19, 2008 </Td> <Td> October 3, 2016 Living </Td> <Td> Villamuriel de Cerrato, Spain </Td> <Td> 7003316900000000000 ♠ 3,169 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> 31 </Td> <Td> Arturo Sosa </Td> <Td> </Td> <Td> October 14, 2016 </Td> <Td> Incumbent </Td> <Td> Caracas, Venezuela </Td> <Td> 658 </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> #</Th> <Th> Superior General </Th> <Th> Image </Th> <Th> Took office </Th> <Th> Left office Deceased </Th> <Th> Birthplace </Th> <Th> Length of term (in days) </Th> </Tr>

List of superior generals of the society of jesus
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