Spaniard chosen as new Jesuit leader

The Jesuits, a Roman Catholic order known for intellectual pursuits and missionary work, on Saturday chose a 71-year-old Spanish theologian with top academic credentials and extensive experience in Asia to be their new leader.

The Rev. Adolfo Nicolas was chosen superior general, the 29th successor to St. Ignatius Loyola, who founded the Society of Jesus, as the order is formally known, in 1540. With nearly 20,000 members worldwide, it is the largest Catholic religious order.

The choice of Nicolas followed four days of prayer and discussion among 217 electors who came to Rome from around the world, the Jesuits said.

Nicolas succeeds Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, a Dutch priest who was elected leader in 1983 and who was widely credited with improving the Jesuits’ often tense relations with the Vatican. Jesuit leaders traditionally serve for life, but Kolvenbach, 79, had asked to retire because of his age.

A native of Spain, Nicolas spent nearly four decades in the Pacific, taking a theology professorship at Sophia University in Tokyo in 1971 and directing a pastoral institute in Manila, Philippines, from 1978 to 1984. In the 1990s he held leadership positions in the order in Japan and from 2004 to 2007 served as moderator of the Jesuit Conference for Eastern Asia and Oceania.

Beirut, Lebanon

Hezbollah says it has Israelis’ bodies

Hezbollah’s reclusive leader claimed Saturday the militant group had the remains of Israeli soldiers killed in Lebanon during the 2006 war, saying the dead were left behind “in our villages and fields.”

Sheik Hassan Nasrallah’s graphic description appeared aimed at pressuring Israel to accept a prisoner exchange. Israel is thought to be holding at least seven Lebanese while Hezbollah has two Israeli soldiers it captured in July 2006, triggering the war.

“Your army left behind the remains of soldiers in our villages and fields,” he said, in a mocking address to the Israeli people, during a speech to tens of thousands of Shiites taking part in commemorations marking Ashoura, their most important holiday. “They (Israeli army) were so weak on the field that they left behind remains not of one, two or three but a large number of your soldiers.”

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office refused to respond to Nasrallah’s comments. The Israeli military condemned them as “cruel and cynical,” although it refused to address the substance of the claims.