The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-30
GERMAN GENERAL OF JESUITS.
HOW FATHER WERNZ'S ELECTION
IS REGARDED IN EUROPE.
concIayc Breaks win TraditiOns-ConeraIs
Hitherto Taken From Minor Nations
-Rebuke TO France May Lead Z o Ger
mAny's RcadmIttlng Jesuit Communities

: mAny's Rcadmittlng Jesuit Communities
ROME, Sept. Is A new general Of the
Jes,iits has Just been elected. II 10 q WNr-
temberE German, Father Wernz, and he
succeeds. as every one knows, a Spaniard
Father Martin, who died some months
ago.
The general Of the Jesuits, "The Black
POPE as he ia commonly called is looked
upon cs one Of the most influential pcrsons
In the Catholic Church, but the influence
which he exerts is wholly independent OF
his person; il rests entirely on the fact
that he represents and embodies, 80 to
speak. one Of the most powerfully equipped
organizations that has ever existed. the
Company OF Jesus. Who the General Of
the Jesuits may be il, therefore, at bottom
a matter Of very little Importance; the oc-
cult, mysterious power which is popularity
attributed to the Order OF the Jesuits de-
ponds entirely, / repeat, in their collective
force. As for the General, it is known
that he exerts and commands a very real
influence, but that is all. Generally oven
his name is unknown. The Black Pope
lives and dies, as it were, anonymous.
At the present moment, however, the
election OF a German as General OF the
Jesuits has a very high significance from
the religious end wen the political point Of
view. This has been emphasized properly
by most Of the Italian newspapers.
In the first place it is the first time in
two centuries that the General Of the Jesuits
is taken from a nationality that is one OF
the greet Powers Of Europe. Up to Father
Werrz, the General just elected, the COM
pany Of Jesus has had t~wenty-four Generals.
The first four, including the founder OF
the order. st. Ignctius Loyola, belonged
10 the Spanish nationality, and at that
time Spain could still be considered one Of
the first nations OF Europe, but since then
all the other Generals without exception,
have been taken from the small rations or
those Of second order. Thus there are
eleven Italians, Of whom ten belong to the
two centuries when Italy did not exist as
a nation, three BelgiGns, one German, n
Czech, ore Pole. n Hollander, one Swiss
and so on.
The Company OF Jesus in selecting its chic {
from the small neutral States evidently in
tended not to become too national and to
preserve intact the cosmopolitan character
which is the strength Of its organization
Why does it depart from that practice to-
day? Undoubtedly there are reasons for
this which it may be interesting to investi-
gate.
In the first place it must be noted that
the countries Of German rae and language
are precisely those where the Company OF
Jesus ia at present most fiourishing. The
order OF the Jesuits is divided into FIVE
notwithstanding and the annexed
countries, England, Spain, France, Italy.
Now TIE German assistancy is much the
most numerous and it contains alone nearly
double the number Of members that the
italian assistancy does. The Germans,
therefore, in the nomination OF the presi-
dent-general. had at their command the
largest number Of electors.
Other reasons also may explain this cleo
ton Of a German general. The religious
crisis which exists at present in France
necessarily reacts on the relations between
the Holy See and German. and the result
is a more intimate and closer coming to-
gether between German Catholicism and
the Vatican. Clearly the Jesuit electors
who had to appoint a successor to Father
Martin were impressed by that condition.
and in naming a German they intended
In the first place to do honor to the power
Of German Catholicism and perhaps also
10 protest indirectly against anti-clerical
France. The Italian and Roman press,
has a certain amount Of intuition
about ecclesiastical matters. looks unani-
on this election Of a German gen.
eral as a manifestation against France.
What is certain is that the appointment
OF Father Wernz has been received In Ger
many with great satisfaction and that it
contribute perhaps to the final and
complete abrogation Of the exclusion laws
the Company Of Jesus, which in
Germany is one OF the last remnants OF the
Kulturkampf. Individually all Jesuits are
authorized to reside in the territory OF the
but they are forbidden TO live In
communities. The day when the deputies
Of the Centre are able to state in the Reichs-
tag that the Company OF Jesus is ru led
by a German whose patriotic sentiments
are beyond suspicion it will be easier for
them perhaps to obtain the abrogation OF
the last exceptional laws which prevent the
free establishment Of the Jesuits in Ger
many.
There arc some even who assert that
Kaiser Wilhelm would see with no great
the establishment OF Jesuit
communities in Germany. Wilhelm H., as
every one knows, has vast plans for world
expansion, and il would not be a matter Of
indifference u him to be able to use in the
colonial field the infiuel.oe OF the Jesuits,
who have always been considered excellent
missionaries.
However that may be. the spectacle that
see to-day is n curious historical para
France, the eldest daughter OF the
Church, breaking her traditional bonds with
the Holy See and perhaps with Catholicism,
and Germany, the land OF Luther and Of
h Great, under the auspices Of
Wilhelm H., drawing close its bonds to the
Catholic Church and obtaining an inCreas-
insly strong influence on the councils Of the
Holy Sec.
Germany had already succeeded, by
means Of Austria's veto, IN preventing IN
the conclave of 1908 the election Of Cardinal
kampolla, as his Papsl candidacy had q
clearly anti German meaning. To-day she
triumphs completely in the conclave which
has elected the Black Pope. We live in a
queer world that is full Of contrasts.
INNoNuNATo.