The delegates to the 31st General Congregation empowered the superior general with certain authorities to act after the congregation closed. The following decree articulates those areas of responsibility, which are in keeping with those given by previous congregations to the superior general.
For more from the 31st General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, please consult this page.
1. For the proper completion of the legislative work of the 31st General Congregation, Father General is empowered, after obtaining the deliberative vote of those fathers of the general curia who have a right ex officio to attend a general congregation, and without prejudice to the powers given him in other decrees, to abrogate or modify decrees of past general congregations which are seen to be not in accord with the decrees of this 31st General Congregation.
2. Moreover, the 31st General Congregation grants to Father General the following:
1° That he himself, if it should be a matter of necessity, can suppress colleges and professed houses, with the deliberative votes, however, of those fathers of the general curia who have the right ex officio to attend a general congregation and of the provincial of the province in whose territory the house to be suppressed is located.
2° That the minutes of some sessions that could not be distributed to the Fathers of the Congregation should be approved by Father General and the general assistants.
3° That with respect to decrees that must be promulgated after the close of the Congregation, it should be permitted to Father General:
a. to make whatever corrections seem obviously needed;
b. to reconcile contradictions, if any are detected, according to the mind of the Congregation, but after having ascertained the deliberative vote of those fathers of the general curia who have a right ex officio to attend a general congregation;
c. to edit the decrees with regard to style;
d. where necessary, to combine different decrees into one, while preserving the meaning and intent of each;
e. to fix a vacatio legis or delay with respect to enforcement, in the light of circumstances, when promulgating the decrees, especially the decree on new norms for advancement to final vows.
Original Source (English translation):
Jesuit Life & Mission Today: The Decrees & Accompanying Documents of the 31st–35th General Congregations of the Society of Jesus, ed. John W. Padberg. St. Louis, Mo.: Institute of Jesuit Sources, 2009, General Congregation 31, Decree 56, “Powers Granted to the Father General,” pg. 224–225 [771–774].