1770 –
EUROPE
• General Lorenzo Ricci founds Bavarian province
All over the world – 42 provinces, 24 houses of professed, 669 colleges, 61 novitiates, 335
residences, 273 mission stations, and about 23,000 Jesuits
• Fr. Peter de Cloriviere is made spiritual director of the English Benedictine nuns in Brussels. He would continue with this work until 1775, despite the Society’s suppression in 1773.
1772 –
EUROPE
• After waiting for about 2 ½ years, Spain sends Jose Monino y Redondo.
He is able to convince Clement XIV to suppress the Society.
• Francisco de Zelada (Spanish priest) is appointed by Clement XIV to prepare the document of Suppression.
• Observatory built by civil government is entrusted to the Jesuits in Manheim, Germany.
• The Jesuits existed in the Empire of the Tsars since 1772 and continued to reside at it in spite of the Brief of suppression of the Society of Jesus issued by the Pope Clement XIV (1773).
With the incorporation of the White Russia in the Russian Empire, result of the first
division of Poland in 1772, the Society of Jesus had started to exist in the Russian Empire:
201 Jesuits in 18 places of residence.
1773 –
EUROPE
• Feb 10 – A copy of the proposed Brief of Suppression of the Society of Jesus, drawn up by Monino (Florida Blanca), the Spanish Ambassador, and revised by Cardinal Zelada, was sent with Clement XIV’s leave and was given reluctantly to Charles III of Spain, to be communicated by him to the Courts of France, Austria, Portugal, and Naples.
• Feb 10 – Rector of Florence informs General Ricci that a copy of the proposed Brief of
Suppression has been sent to the Emperor of Austria. General Ricci refuses to believe at
first that the Society will be suppressed.
• Ricci issues a third letter on prayer to the whole Society – “On a New Incentive to Prayer”.
His two previous letters on prayer to the whole Society were in 1763 and 1769.
• May 10 – Empress Maria Teresa of Austria changes her friendship for the Society into hatred. It is said that she had been led to believe that a written confession of hers (found and printed by Protestants) had been divulged by her Jesuit confessor(s).
• Aug 13 – Clement XIV publishes brief Gravissimis ex causis which establishes a special
congregation of 5 cardinals to superintend the Suppression of the Society and the
appropriation of its houses and goods.
• Aug 16 – Suppression of the Society – enactment of papal brief Dominus ac Redemptor
• General Ricci is seized and cast a prisoner into Castel San Angelo and is treated like a criminal until his death in 1775.
• Jesuits numbered around 22,600
The Society had about 39 provinces, 84 professed houses, 680 schools, 61 novitiates, 175
seminaries, 335 residences, 273 missions (with about 200, 000 students all over the world).
• By this time there are 130 astronomy observatories in the world – 30 of the 130 are being operated by Jesuits.
• Many SJs continue on as secular priests.
• Frederick the Great (Frederick II)refuses to abolish Prussia’s Jesuits
• Russian Empress Catherine the Great (d. 1796) having high esteem for Jesuits and their schools follows suit.
Thus, the Society was not fully extinguished since a small remnant continued in White
Russia (1773 to 1814).
• Jesuits from Lithuania move to Polock (Belarus) and elsewhere in lands ruled by Russia.
• From 1773 to 1820 – the Society officially exists in eastern part of the province of Lithuania with 4 colleges, 2 residences, 12 mission stations, 6 other schools and 178 members. In 1820 all Jesuits are expelled from lands ruled by the Czar.
• In England, Dr. James Talbot, the Vicar Apostolic, promulgated the Brief of Suppression and sent copies to Maryland and Pennsylvania.
When the Suppression took place there were 274 Jesuits in the English Province, about
half of whom resided within England.
24 Jesuits in Ireland at the time of the Suppression.
• English college is moved to Liege (from Bruges).
• Fr. Pignatelli goes to Bologna and continues as best as he could to live the Jesuit life for the next 24 years (1773 to 1797) keeping in touch with his dispersed bretheren.
• Scholastics at Bologna, Italy, pressed immediately before the suppression by Cardinal Malvezzi to take off their religious habit and accept the dispensation from their vows, refused to listen to him.
