The delegates to the 32nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus empowered the newly elected 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 32nd General Congregation of the Society of Jesus, please consult this page.
1. For the proper completion of the legislative work of the 32nd 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 that seem not to be in accord with the decrees of this 32nd General Congregation.
2. Moreover, the 32nd 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 the general counsellors and of the provincial of the province in whose territory the house to be suppressed is located and after consulting the regional assistant.
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.
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 32, Decree 16, “Powers Granted to Father General,” pg. 375 [334–335].