THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: A little-known Spanish priest, who has spent his entire life in Asia among the poor, has been elected to lead the Jesuits, the Catholic Church’s largest religious order.
Father Adolfo Nicolás was chosen by 217 electors as the new "Black Pope". The nickname derives from the power and influence he will wield, as well as from the simple black garments he will wear. His appointment came almost two weeks after the Jesuits began their 35th General Conference, at which Father Peter Hans Kolvenbach, the previous leader, stepped down.
Fr Nicolás has lived in the Far East since 1964, when he studied theology in Tokyo, spending his time in the Philippines and Japan.
In the last three years, he has run Jesuit operations in East Asia and Oceania. He speaks five languages.
The appointment reflects the desire of the order, which has 20,000 members around the world, to build bridges with the East. New 'Black Pope' to build bridges with East >>> By Malcolm Moore in Rome
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