SOCIETY
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SOCIETY
was on the whole in favour in the Society, this
caused discussions, which were not quieted until the
fourteenth congregation, 1696, when, with the pope's
approval, liberty was left to both sides. Father
Gonzalez in his earlier days had laboured with gi-eat
fruit as a missionary, and after his election as general
encouraged the work of popular home missions. His
treatise "De infallibilitate jRomani pontificis in defi-
niendis fidei et morum controversiis[', which was a
vigorous attaclv on the doctrines laid down in the
"Declaration du clergc de France", was pubUshed at
Rome in 1689 by order of Pope Innocent XI; how-
ever, Innocent's "successor, Alexander VII, caused the
work to be withdrawn, as its effect had been to ren-
der the relations between France and the Holy See
more difficult. Father Gonzdlez laboured earnestly
to spread devotion to the saints of the Society; he
died at the age of eighty-four, having passed sixty-
three years in the order, during nineteen of which he
was general.
(14) Michelangelo Tamburini, of Modena, 31 Jan- uary, 1706-28 February, 1730. The long reign of Louis XIV, so favourable to the Jesuits in many re- spects, saw the beginning of those hostile movements which were to lead to the Suppression. _ The king's autocratic powers, his GaUicanism, his insistence on the repression of the Jansenists by force, the way he compelled the Society to take his part in the quarrel with Rome about the regale (1684-8), led to a false situation in which the parts might be reversed, when the all-powerful sovereign might turn against them, or by standing neutral leave them the prey of others. This was seen at his death, 1715, when the regent banished the once influential father confessor Le Tellier, while the gallicanizing Archbishop of Paris, Cardinal de Noailles, laid them under an interdict (1716-29). Father Tamburini before his election as general had taught philosophy and theology for twelve years and had been chosen by Cardinal Renaud d'Este as his theologian; he had also been provincial of Venice, secretary-general of the Society, and \'icar-general. During the disputes concerning the Chinese Rites (q. v.), the Society was accused of resisting the orders of the Holy See. Father Tam- burini protested energetically against this calumny, and when in 1711 the procurators of all the provinces of the Society were assembled at Rome, he had them sign a protest which he dedicated to Pope Clement XI. The destruction of Port-Royal and the con- demnation of the errors of Quesnel by the Bull "Unigenitus" (1711) testified to the accuracy of the opinions adopted by the Society in these disputes. Father Tamburini procured the canonization of Saints Aloysius Gonzaga and Stanislaus Kostka, and the beatification of St. John Francis R(5gis. During his generalate the mission of Paraguay reached its higliest degree of success; in one year no fi!wer than seventy-seven missionaries left for it; the missionary labours of St. Francis de Geronimo and Blessed Anthony Baldinucci in Italy, and Vener- able Manuel Padial in Spain, enhanced the reputation of the Society. Father Tamburini died at the age of eighty-two, liaving .spent sixty-five years in rehgion. At the time of his death the Society contained 37 provinces, 24 bouses of professed Fathers, 612 colleges, 59 novitiates, 340 residences, 200 mission stations; in addition one hundred and fifty-seven seminaries were directed by the Jesuits.
(15) Francis Rett, Austrian (born at Prague, in 1073), 7 March, 1730-19 November, 1750. Father Retz was elected general utuinimously, his able administration contributed much to the welfare of the Society; he obtained the canonization of St. John Francis R6gis. Father Retz's generalate was perhaps the quietest in the history of the order. At the time of his death the Society contained 39 prov- inces, 24 houses of professed Fathers, 069 colleges,
61 novitiates, 335 residences, 273 mission stations,
176 seminaries, and 22,589 members, of whom 11,293
were priests.
(16) Ignatius Visconii, Milanese, 4 July, 1751- 4 May, 1755. It was during this generalate that the accusations of trading were first made against Father Antoine de La Valette, who was recalled from Mar- tinique in 1753 to justify his conduct. Shortly before dying, Father Visconti allowed him to return to his mission, where the failure of his commercial opera- tions, somewhat later, gave an opportunity to the enemies of the Society in France to begin a warfare that ended only with the Suppression (see below). Trouble with Pombal also began at this time. Father Visconti died at the age of seventy-three.
(17) Aloysius Cenlurioni, Genoese, 30 November, 1755 — 2 October, 1757. During his brief generalate the most noteworthy facts were the persecution by Pombal of the Portuguese Jesuits and the troubles caused by Father de La Valette's commercial activities and disasters. Father Centurioni died at Castel Gandolfo, at the age of seventy-two.
(18) Lorenzo Ricci (q. v.), Florentine, 21 May, 17.58, till the Suppression in 1773. In 1759 the Soci- ety contained 41 provinces, 270 mission posts, and 171 seminaries. Father Ricci founded the Bavarian province of the order in 1770. His generalate saw the slow death agony of the Society; within two years the Portuguese, Brazihan, and East Indian provinces and missions were destroyed by Pombal; close to two thousand members of the Society were cast destitute on the shores of Italy and imprisoned in fetid dun- geons in Portugal. France, Spain, and the Two Sicilies followed in the footsteps of Pombal. The Bull "Apostohcum" of, Clement XIII in favour of the Society produced no fruit. Clement XIV at last yielded to the demand for the extinction of the Society. Father Ricci was seized, and cast a prisoner into the Castel San V^gelo, where he was treated as a criminal tiU death ended his sufferings on 24 Novem- ber, 1775. In 1770 the Society contained 42 prov- inces, 24 houses of professed Fathers, 669 colleges, 61 novitiates, 335 residences, 273 mission stations, and about 23,000 members.
History. Italy. — The history of the Jesuits in Italy was in general very peaceful. The only serious disturbances were those arising from the occasional quarrels of the civU governments with the ecclesias- tical powers. Ignatius's first followers were imme- diately in great request to instruct the faithful, and to reform the clergy, monasteries, and convents. Though there was httlc organized or deep-seated mis- chief, the amount of lesser evils was immense; the possibilit}' here and there of a catastrophe was evi- dent. While the preachers and missionaries evange- lized the country, colleges were estabhshed at Padua, Venice, Naples, Bologna, Florence, Parma, and other cities. On 20 April, 1555, the University of Ferrara addressed to the Sorbonne a most remarkable testi- mony in favour of the order. St. Charles Borromeo was, after the popes, perhaps the most generous of all their patrons, and they freely put their best talents at his disposal. (For the difficulties about his semi- nary and with Fr. Guilio Mazarino, see Sylvain, "Hist, de S. Charles", iii, 53.) Juan de Vega, ambassador of Charles V at Rome, had learnt to know and esteem Ignatius there, and when he was appointed Viceroy of Sicily he brought Jesuits with him. A college was opened at Messina; success was mai'ked, and its rules and methods were afterwards copied in other colleges. After fifty years the Society counted in Italy 86 houses and 2550 members. The chief trouble in Italy occurred at Venice in 1606, when Paul V laid the city under interdict for serious breaches of eccle- siastical immunities. The Jesuits and some other religious retired from the city, and the Senate, in- spired by Paolo Sarpi, the disaffected friar, passed
