"PROMISING HOPE": ESSAYS ON THE SUPPRESSION AND RESTORATION

OF THE ENGLISH PROVINCE OF THE SOCIETY OF JESUS

BI-CENTENARY ~RESTORATION

ESSAYS BY GEOFFREY HOLT, S.J., THOMAS MORRISSEY, S.J.,

MAURICE WHITEHEAD, AND HUBERT CHADWICK, S.J., IN HONOUR OF THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY

EDITED BY THOMAS M. McCOOG, SJ.

Institutum Historicum Societatis Iesu Rome 2003

PAPAL DOCUMENTS

IV: Pope Pius VII, Sollicitudo omnium Ecclesiarum/7 7 August 1814

Pius Episcopus, Servus Servorum Dei, ad perpetuam rei memoriam

323

Sollicitudo omnium &clesiarum humilitati Nostrae, meritis licet et viribus impari, Deo sic disponente concredita, Nos cogit omnia ilia subsidia adhibere, quae in Nostra sunt potestate, quaeque a divina Providentia Nobis misericorditer subministrantur, ut spiritualibus christiani orbis necessitatibus, quantum quidem diversae multiplicesque temporum locorumque vicissitudines fuerunt, nullo populorum et nationum habito discrimine, opportune subveniamus.

Huius Nostri pastoralis officii oneri satis facere cupientes, statim ac tunc in vivis agens Franciscus Kareu, et alii saeculares Presbyteri a pluribus annis in amplissimo Russiaco imperio exsistentes, et olim addicti Societati Iesu a fel. Rec. Clemente XIV praedecessore Nostro suppressae, preces Nobis obtulerunt, quibus facultatem sibdieri supplicabant, ut auctoritae Nostra in unum corpus coalescerent, quo facilius iuventuti fidei rudimentis erudiendae et bonis moribus imbuendae, ex proprii Instituti ratione operam darent, munus praedicationis obirent, confessionibus excipendis incumberent et alia sacramenta administrarent eo~ precibus eo libentius annuendum Nobis esse duximus, quod Imperator Paulus I, tunc temporis regnans, eosdem Presbyteros impense Nobis commendavisset humanissimis litteris suis die undecimo Augusti anni Domini MDCCC ad Nos datis, quibus singularem suam erga ipsos benevolentiam significans, gratum sibi fore declarabat, si catholicorum imperii sui bono Societas Iesu auctoritae Nostra ibidem constitueretur.

Quapropter Nos, attento animo perpendentes quam ingentes utilitates in amplissimas illas regiones, evangelicis operariis propemodum destitutas, essent proventurae, quantumque incrementum eiusmodi ecclesiastici viri, quorum probati mores tantis laudum praeconiis comrnendabantur, assiduo Iabore, intenso salutis animarum procurandae studio et indefessa verbi divini praedicatione, catholicae religioni essent allaturi, tanti tamque benefici Principis votis obsecundare rationi consentaneum exsistimavimus. Nostris itaque in forma brevis litteris datis die septimo Martii anni Domini MDCCCI, praedicto Francisco Kareu, aliisque eius Sodalibus in Russiaco imperio degentibus, aut qui aliunde illuc se conferre possent, facultatem concessimus, ut in unum corpus seu Congregationem Societatis Iesu coniungi unirique liberum ipsis esset, in una vel pluribus Domibus arbitrio Superioris, intra fines dumtaxat imperii Russiaci, designandis; atque eius Congregationis Praepositum Generalem eumdem Presbyterum Franciscum Kareu ad Nostrum et sedis Apostolicae beneplacitum deputavimus, cum facultatibus necessariis et opportunis, ut S. Ignatii de Loyola regulam, a fel. rec. Paulo III praedecessore Nostro apostolicis suis constitutionibus approbatam et confirrnatam, retinerent et sequerentur: atque ut hoc

17 lniiiiNINm, I, 337-41 .

324 APPENDIX 1

pacto Socii in uno religioso coetu congregati, iuventuti religione ac bonis artibus imbuendae operam dare, · Seminari et Collegia regere, et, probantibus ac

consehtientibus locorum Ordinariis, confessiones excipere, verbum Dei annuntiare, et Sacramenta administtare libere possent; et Congregationem Societatis Iesu sub Nostta et Apostolicae Sedis immediata tutela et subiectione recepimus, et quae ad

illarn firmandam et cornmuoiendam, atque ab abusibus et corruptelis, quae forte

irrepsissent, repurgandam visum fuisset in Domino expedire, Nobis ac successoribus

Nostris praescribenda et sancienda reservavimus; atque ad hunc effectum

constitutiooibus apostolicis, statutis, consuetudinibus, privilegiis et indulgentis quomodolibet in conttarium praernissorum concessis et confirmatis, praesertirn litteris apostolicis rnemorati Clemen tis XIV, praedecessoris Nostri, incipientibus Domi11111 ac

&demptor, expresse derogavimus in iis tantum quae conttaria essent dictis Nostris iit forma brevis litteris, quarum ioitiurn Catholicat, et dumtaxat pro Russiaco imperio

elargitis.

Consilia, quae pro imperio Russiaco capienda decrevimus, ad utriusque Siciliae

regourn non ita multo post exteodenda ceosuimus, ad preces charissirni in Christo filii

Nostri Ferdinandi Regis, qui a Nobis postulavit, ut Societas lesu, eo modo quo in

praefato imperio stabilita a Nobis fuerat, in sua quoque ditione ac statibus stabiliretur;

quooiam luctuosissirnis illis temporibus, ad iuvenes christiana pietate ac tirnore

Domini, qui est initiurn sapientiae, inforrnandos, doctrinaque et scientiis insttuendos,

praecipue in Collegiis scholisque publicis, Clericorum Regularium Societatis Iesu opera uti in prirnis opportunurn sibi arbitrabatur. Nos, ex muneris Nostri pastoralis debito,

piis tarn illustris Principis desideriis, quae ad maiorem Dei gloriam, animarurnque salutem unice spectabant, morern gerere exoptantes, Nosttas litteras pro Russiaco

imperio datas ad utriusque Siciliae regourn extendimus novis in simili forma brevis .

litteris incipientibus Per alias, expeditis die trigesimo Iulii anoi Domini MDCCCIV.

Pro eiusdern Societatis Iesu restitutione, unaoirni fere totius christiaoi orbis

conseosu, instantes urgeotesque petitiones a venerabilibus fratribus Archiepiscopis et

Episcopis, atque ab omnium insigoium personarum ordine et coetu quotidie ad Nos

deferentur, praesertirn postquam fama ubique vulgata est uberrimorum fructuurn quos

haec Societas in memoratis regiooibus protulerat, quaeque, prolis in dies crescentis

fecunda, dominicurn agrum latissime omatura et dilatatura putabatur.

Dispersio ipsa lapid~ sanctuarii, ob recentes calarnitates et vicissitudines, quas

deflere potius iuvat quam in memoriam revocare, fatiscens disciplina Regulariurn

Ordinurn (religioois et Ecclesiae Catholicae splendor et columen), quibus nunc

reparandis cogitationes curaeque Nosttae diriguntur, efflagitant, ut tam aequis et

communibus votis assensurn Nostrum praebeamus. Gravissirni eoirn criminis in conspectu Dei reos Nos esse crederemus, si in tantis reipublicae necessitatibus ea

salutaria auxilia adhibere negligeremus, quae singulari Providentia Deus Nobis

suppeditat, et si Nos in Petri navicula assiduis turbioibus agitata et concussa collocati,

PAPAL DOCUMENTS 325

expertos et validos qui sese Nobis offerunt remiges, ad frangendos pelagi naufragiwn

Nobis et exitiwn quovis momento minitantis fluctus, respueremus

To't ac tantis rationwn momentis, tamque gravibus causis animwn Nostrwn

moventibus, id exsequi tandem statuimus, quod in ipso Pontificatus Nostri exordio

vehementer optabamus. Postquam igitur divinwn auxiliwn ferventibus precibus

imploravimus, suffragiis et consiliis pluriwn venerabiliwn fratrwn Nostrorwn S.R.E.

Cardinaliwn auditis, ex certa scientia deque apostolicae potestatis plenitudine, ordinare

et statuere decrevimus, uti revera hac Nostra petpetuo valitura constitutione

ordinamus et statuimus, ut omnes concessiones et facultates a Nobis pro Russiaco

imperio et utriusque Siciliae regno unice datae, nunc extensae intelligantur et pro

extensis habeantur, sicut vere eas extendim:us, ad totum Nostrwn Statum

Ecclesiasticum, aeque ac ad omnes alios status et ditiones.

Quare concedimus et indulgemus dilecto filio Presbytero Thaddaeo Brzozowski,

moderno Praeposito Generali Societatis lesu, aliisque ab eo legitime deputatis, omnes

necessarias et opportunas facultates, ad Nostrwn et Sedis Apostolicae beneplacitum,

ut in cunctis praefatis statibus et ditionibus, omnes illos qui in regularem Ordinem

Societatis Iesu admitti et cooptari petent, admittere et cooptare libere ac licite valeant;

qui in una vel pluribus Domibus, in uno vel pluribus Collegiis, in una vel pluribus

Provinciis, sub Praepositi Generalis pro tempore exsistentis obedientia coniuncti, et

prout res feret distributi, ad praescriptum regulae S. Ignatii de Loyola apostolicis Pauli

III constitutionibus approbatae et confirmatae, suam accomodent vivendi rationem.

Conced.i.mus etiam et declaramus, quod pariter iuventuti, catholicae religionis

rud.i.mentis erudiendae ac probis moribus instituendae, operam dare, nee non

Seminaria et Collegia regere, et, consentientibus atque approbantibus Ordinariis

locorwn in quibus eos degere contigerit, confessiones audire, verbwn Dei praedicare

et Sacramenta administrare libere et licite valeant. Omnia vero Collegia, Domus,

Provincias, Sociosque sic coniunctos, et quos in posterwn coniungi et aggregari

contigerit, iam nunc sub irnmediata Nostra et huius Apostolicae Sedis tutela, praesidio

et obedientia recipimus; Nobis et Romanis Pontificibus successoribus Nostris

reservantes ea statuere ac praescribere, quae ad eamdem Societatem magis magisque

constabiliendam et comrnuniendam, et ab abusibus, si forte (quod Deus avertat)

irrepserint, repurgandam, statuere ac praescribere viswn fuerit expedire.

Omnes vero et singulos Superiores, Praepositos, Rectores, Socios et Alumnos

qualescwnque huius restitutae Societatis, quantum in Domino posswnus,

comrnonefacimus et exhortamur, ut in omni loco ac tempore sese fideles asseclas et

imitatores tanti sui Parentis et Institutoris exhibeant, regulam ab ipso conditam et

praescriptam accurate observent, et utilia monita ac consilia quae filiis suis tradidit,

swnmo studio exsequi conentur.

Denique dilectis in Christo filiis illustribus et nobilibus viris Principibus ac Dominis

temporalibus, nee non venerabilibus fratribus Archiepiscopis et Episcopis, aliisque in

326 APPENDIX 1

quavis dignitate constitutis, saepe dictarn Societatem Iesu et singulos illius Socios plurimum in Domino conunendarnus, eosque exhortarnur ac rogamus, non solum ne eos inquietari a quocurnque permittant ac patiantur, sed ut benigne illos, ut decet, et cum charitate suscipiant.

Decementes praesentes litteras et in eis contenta quaecumque semper ac perpetuo finna, valida et efficacia exsistere et fore, suosque plenarios et integros effectus sortiri et obtinere, et ab illis, ad quos spectat et pro tempore quandocumque spectabit, inviolabiliter observari debere; sicque et non aliter per quoscumque Judices quavis postestate fungentes iudicari et definiri pariter debere; ac irritum et inane, si secus super his a quoquarn qua vis auctoritate scienter vel ignoranter contigerit attentari.

Non obstantibus constitutionibus et ordinationibus apostolicis, ac praesertim supra memoratis.litteris in forma brevis fel. rec. Clementis XIV incipientibus Dominus ac Redemptor Noster, sub anulo Piscatoris expeditis die vigesima prima Iulii anni Domini MDCCLXIII, quibus ad praemissorum effectum expresse ac speciatim intendimus derogare, caeterisque contrariis quibuscurnque.

l

Volumus autem ut earumdem praesentium litterarum transsumptis sive exemplis etiarn impressis, manu alicuius Notari publici subscriptis, et sigillo personae in ecclesiastica dignitate constitutae munitis, eadem prorsus fides in iudicio et extra adhibeatur, quae ipsis praesentibus adhiberetur, si forent exhibitae vel _ostensae.

Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc pagi.narn Nostrae ordinationis, statuti, extensionis, concessionis, indulti, declarationis, facultatis, receptionis, reservationis, moniti, exhortationis, decreti et derogationis infringere vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare praesumpserit, indignationem omnipotentis Dei ac BB.

. Petri et Pauli Apostolorum eius se noverit incursurum.

Datum Romae, apud S.Mariarn maiorem, anno Incamationis Dominicae MDCCCXIV, septimo Augusti, Pontificatus Nostri anno quinto decimo.

Translation

Pope Pius VII, S o//iat11do omm11m EcckJiar~~m

Translated by Joseph K Drane, S.J .

A. Card. Pro-Datarius

R. Card. Braschi Onesti

7 August 1814

Pius, Bishop, Servant of the Servants of God, for the everlasting memory of this occasion

A solicitude for all the churches has been entrusted, God so disposing, to our humble Self, however undeserving and unequal to it in strength. He obliges us to m2ke use of all the means in our power, whatever are mercifully supplied to us by His divine

PAPAL DOCUMENTS 327

Providence, prompdy to assist the spiritual needs of the Christian world, putting aside all discrimination of peoples and nations, no matter how many and diverse the vicissitudes of time and place may be.

Desiring to meet the burden of this pastoral duty of ours, as soon as Franciszek Kareu (then still among the living) and other secular priests who had for many years been living in the vast Russian empire, though formerly members of the Society of

Jesus suppressed by our predecessor of happy memory, Clement XIV, had offered us a petition in which they made supplication that they might with our authorization be

gathered into one body the more easily to instruct youth in the rudiments of the faith

and in acquiring good morals, that they might do this in the light of their own Institute, that they might engage in the hearing of confessions and administration of the other sacraments. We considered that we might the more willingly grant theii: prayers, since the Tsar Paul I, then ruling, eamesdy recommended these same pri~·sts to us in a most kind letter of August 11th in the year of our Lord 1800. Indicating in

this letter his special goodwill towards them, he declared it would please him if for the good of the Catholics of his empire the Society of Jesus were to be established there

with our authority.

Wherefore we, weighing with attentive heart what great advantages for the work of

the Gospel in that vast region would be gained in an area almost deprived of the

Gospel, and what a great increase churchmen of this kind would bring to the Catholic

religion, have judged it would be a matter of good sense to comply with the request

of so great and so goodwilled a prince. These men of approved morals were

recommended with public recognition of their unceasing labours, of their intense zeal

for bringing about the salvation of souls, of their untiring preaching of the word of God. In a letter of ours, written in the form of a brief, of the seventh of March 1801,

we granted to the aforesaid Franciszek Kareu, and his other companions living in the

Russian Empire, and to others who could betake themselves there from elsewhere, this

permission: that they might be free to join together and be united in one body or congregation of the Society of Jesus, in one or more houses at the discretion. of the

superior, houses to be designated only within the confines of the Russian Empire. Also

we deputed that same priest Franciszek Kareu as General Superior of this

congregation, at our pleasure and that of the Apostolic See with the necessary and

appropriate faculties, to retain and follow the rule of St. Ignatius Loyola as approved

and confirmed by our predecessor of happy memory, Paul III, in his apostolic

constitutions. And by this agreement that the associates, gathered into one religious

group were empowered to instill in the young religion and good learning, to govern

seminaries and colleges, and, with the consent and approval of the local ordinaries, to

hear confessions, proclaim the word of God, and freely administer the sacraments. And we received this congregation of the Society of Jesus under our immediate care

and subjection, and reserved to ourselves and our successors the right to prescribe and

sanction whatever seemed right in the Lord to strengthen and unify this Society, and

328 A~PENDIX 1

to purge it of any abuses or deviations which might have broken in upon it. And to this effect we withdrew in' explicit fashion any apostolic constitutions, statutes,

custorps, privileges and induits, however to the contrary conceded or confirmed,

especially the apostolic letters of the memorable Clement XIV, our predecessor,

beginning with Domi11m a& &demptor, we withdrawing in them only what was contrary to our own words expressed in the form of a brief beginning with Catholi&ae [Fidei) and

published only for the Russian Empire.

Not long after, we decided to have extended for the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies

those counsels we had decreed to be accepted for the Russian Empire. This was upon the petitions of our dearest son in Christ, King Ferdinand [IV), who had asked of us

that the Society of Jesus be established in his dominions and states in the same manner

as in the aforementioned empire because he was of the opinion that in these doleful

times there was a special opportunity to use the good offices of the clerks regular. of

the Society of Jesus especially in colleges and public schools for the formation of

youth in Christian piety and the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom, and in the instruction of the youth in doctrine and science. We, under the obligation

of our pastoral office, desiring to accommodate ourselves to the devout wishes of so illustrious a prince, which aimed only to the greater glory of God and the salvation of

souls, extended our letter granted for the Russian Empire to the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies in another letter in the form of a brief beginning Per aliar and published on the

thirtieth of July in the year of our Lord 1804.

Day after day, by an almost unanimous consent of the Christian world, urgent and

pressing petitions are coming to us from our venerable brother archbishops and

bishops and from the ranks of outstanding persons and associations on behalf of this

same Society of Jesus. This has been true especially since the news has spread abroad

of the abundant fruits which this Society has gleaned in the regions of the world to

which we have already referred. Fertile with increasing offspring it has been expected

to cultivate widely and adorn the field of the Lord.

The very scattering of the stones of the sanctuary on account of the recent troubles

and calamities, (and it is easier to lament them than simply to call them to mind), the

faltering discipline of the religious orders (the summit of splendor of religion and the

Catholic Church) to whose renewal our thoughts and concerns are now directed, demand that we bestow our assent upon such just and such general requests. For we

would think ourselves guilty of a grave crime in the sight of the Lord, if amid such

needs of the public weal we were to neglect to make use of the salutary aids which in

his singular Providence God has supplied to us, and if we tossing and turning in the continuous whirlpools in which the bark of Peter finds itself, were to refuse the strong

and expert oarsmen who offer themselves to us to break through the waves of the sea

that every moment threatens us with shipwreck and destruction.

With so rrulflY and such great points of reasoning and other good reasons impelling

PAPAL DOCUMENTS 329

our heart, we have finally decided on something which we have been eamesdy desiring since the very beginning of our pontificate. Therefore after we begged the divine assistance, and after listening to the petitions and advice of our venerable Cardinal brethren, we have decided out of certain knowledge and with the fullness of our apostolic authority to ordain and decree, as in fact, in our everlastingly guaranteed status, we do now ordain and decree that all the concessions and faculties granted by us only on behalf of the Russian Empire, and the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, be now extended and held as extended, as we now in fact extend them to our ecclesiastical state, and also to all other states and jurisdictions.

Wherefore we concede and grant to our beloved son and priest Tadeusz Brzozowski, current Superior General of the Society of Jesus, and to othe~s legitimately deputed by him, all the necessary and appropriate faculties, at our plel\li.ure and that of the Apostolic See, so that in all the said states and jurisdictions, they may licidy and freely admit and accept all who seek to be admitted and incorporated into the regular order of the Society of Jesus. Joined in obedience under the superior general at a given time, and dispersed as circumstances shall bring about, living in one or more houses, in one or more colleges, in one or more provinces, let them accommodate their way of life to the prescribed rule of St. Ignatius of Loyola, approved and confirmed in the apostolic constitution of Pope Paul III. Also we grant and declare that they may at the same time engage in instruction of youth in the rudiments of the Catholic religion and the formation of youth in good morals; they may also administer seminaries and colleges, and with the consent and approval of the local ordinaries in whose jurisdictions they may happen to live, freely and licidy hear confessions, preach the word of God, and ·administer the sacraments. But all the colleges, houses, and provinces, and members thus admitted, and those who in the future may become so admitted, we now accept under our immediate tutelage, guardianship, and obedience, reserving to ourselves and to our succeS$Or Roman Pontiffs to decide and prescribe whatever shall seem timely to decide and prescribe for the greater permanence and strengthening of the same Society, and fqr the expurgation from that Society of any abuses, which perchance (may God avert it~ may break in.

But as far as We can in the Lord, We strongly admonish and exhort all superiors, together and as individuals, provincials, rectors, members and students, that in every place and time they show themselves faithful followers and imitators of so great a parent and founder, that they observe with care the rule laid down and prescribed by him, and that they strive with total eagerness to carry out the useful counsels and advice which he handed down to his sons.

And lasdy, in the Lord we commend to our beloved sons in Christ, the nobility of princes and temporal lords, and also our venerable brother archbishops and bishops, and others in any seat of honor, this oft mentioned Society of Jesus, and each of its

330 APPENDIX 1

members, and we plead with them and exhort them not only to accept them, not allowing them to be disturbed by anyone, but to receive them kindly and, as is becorping, with charity.

Decreeing this letter and its whatsoever contents to exist now and in the future to be lastingly and always firm, valid, and efficacious, and that its effects ~1 full and complete acceptance, and that it should be inviolably observed by those to whom it applies and for all the time in which it shall apply. Thus and not otherwise ought it to be likewise judged and evaluated by any judges discharging whatever authority; and that if it be otherwise treated by anyone of whatever authority, whether knowingly or out of ignorance, his act be null and void.

The above, notwithstanding apostolic constitutions and ordinations, and particularly the above mentioned letter in the form of a brief of Clement XIV of happy memory beginning with the words Dominll.f ac &dmtptor issued wtder the ring of the Fisherman on the 21st day of July in the year of our Lord 1773. This letter and its intended effects we wish now to abrogate expressly and in particular, notwithstanding anything to the contrary.

But we wish that for any transcribed, or printed copies of this present letter, subscribed by the hand of any public notary, and showing the seal of any person situated in an authorised ecclesiastical position, that there be employed the same trust, judicial or not, which is used for this present letter, if the copies shall be shown or displayed.

Therefore it is permitted to no person at all to violate this page of our ordination, statute, extension, concession, indult, permission, acceptance, reservation, admonition, exhortation, decree, and abrogation, or make any rash effort to go a~1st it. But if anyone should presume to attempt this, let him know that he will incur the wrath of the omnipotent God and of the Blessed Apostles Peter and Paul.

Given at Rome, at Saint Mary Major, in the year of the Incantation of Our Lord 1814 on the 7th day of the Ides of August, in the fifteenth year of our Pontificate.

A. Card. Pro-Datarius.

Romualdo, Cardinal Braschi Onesti