Thanks to our friends at AMERICA Magazine, we received from the Jesuit Curia this account of the meeting between Pope Francis and Fr. Adolfo Nicolás, SJ, Superior General of the Society of Jesus, which took place at the Casa Santa Marta on March 17, 2013. The account was written by Fr. Nicolás.

VISIT WITH POPE FRANCIS OF MARCH 17th, 2013

At the personal invitation of the Pope Francis, I went to the Santa Marta House, which had been used for the Cardinals present at the Conclave, at 5:30 p.m. He was at the entrance and received me with the usual Jesuit embrace. We had a few pictures taken, at his request, and at my apologies for not keeping protocol he insisted that I treat him like any other Jesuit, at the Tu level, so I did not have to worry about treatments, "Holiness" or "Holy Father."

I offered him all our Jesuit resources because in his new position he is going to need counsel, thinking, persons, etc. He showed gratitude for this and at the invitation to visit us for lunch at the Curia he said he would oblige.

There was full commonality of feeling on several issues that we discussed and I remained with the conviction that we will work very well together for the service of the Church in the name of the Gospel.

There was calm, humor and mutual understanding about past, present and future. I left the place with the conviction that it will be worth cooperating fully with Him in the Vineyard of the Lord. At the end he helped me with my coat and accompanied me to the door. That added a couple of salutes to me from the Swiss Guards there. A Jesuit embrace, again, is a good way to meet and send off a friend.

- Photo credit: L'Osservatore Romano/America