CHAPTER IV.

IGNATIUS APPEASES THE ARCHBISHOP OF TOLEDO, WHO HAD SUSPENDED THE SOCIETY IN HIS DIOCESE., THE FAULTS OF SIMON RODRIGUEZ, PROVINCIAL OF PORTUGAL.

THE Society had founded a College at the University of Alcala, and the Fathers of that House had laboured in tranquillity to the satisfaction of all parties, from the year 1544, in which it was first established, to 1551, when Cardinal John Siliceo, the Archbishop of Toledo, very suddenly and without any cause suspended them from the priestly functions which they exercised, in virtue of the powers granted them by the Pope. An account of the whole proceeding is preserved, written by the Secretary Polanco in the name of Ignatius. The Archbishop ordered his Vicar at Alcala to publish from all the pulpits a decree by which, under pain of censure, he forbade the Priests of the Society to preach, hear confessions, administer any Sacraments, or even to say Mass. The Fathers on whom the blow was inflicted were only apprized of it just before the publication of the decree. They immediately took the necessary step of showing the Vicar General the powers they had received from the Holy See. As the Vicar General was their friend, he asked for a copy of the document, and sent it immediately by a courier to the Archbishop. Notwithstanding this representation, he gave a fresh order for the publication of his decree, to the great scandal of almost the whole diocese. The Superiors of the Society sent an account of the transaction to Ignatius, and at the same time memorialized the Castilian Council of State, showing the powers they had received from Rome. The Council immediately gave orders to all the officials of the Government in Spain to support the Society in the exercise of its privileges, and commissioned the Governor of Toledo to communicate

to the Archbishop the Apostolic powers bestowed upon the Company. Upon the receipt of this decree of the Council of Castile, the Jesuits who had left Alcala returned and presented it to the Chapter, which forthwith placed its church at the disposal of the Fathers, with full leave to exercise in it all their priestly functions. But neither the order of the Council nor the letters of the highest personages in favour of the Society, made any impression on the Archbishop; they had only the effect of increasing his ill-will against it. In this extremity Ignatius was obliged to have recourse to Pope Julius III., and beg him to assist the Society in whatever manner he should judge most convenient. The Pope at first would not employ any vigorous measures; he merely wrote by his Secretary of State, Cardinal Maffei, to the Archbishop and to Cardinal Poggi, his Legate in Spain. In his letter to the Archbishop he spoke words of commendation of the Order, saying that it was "beloved, cherished, and esteemed, by all the present Christian world." But all this gentle dealing only met with a rude opposition from the Prelate, who continued to resist the will of the Pope and the request of Philip II., as far as he could without coming to an open rupture. At last he yielded, but not before Poggi threatened him with the severest measures. He then published a decree in which, without any indication of his regret for what he had done, he menaced with ecclesiastical punishment all who should trouble the members of the Society of Jesus in the exercise of the functions which they were authorized to discharge by the Holy See. Ignatius had foreseen the issue of this affair, and upon the first news he had of it said to Ribadeneyra with his usual calmness, "This contradiction is for our good, for we have not deserved it. It shows that our Lord intends the Society to produce much fruit, for where we have done the most good we have the most suffered. The Archbishop is old and the Society is young; it will in the natural course of things live longer than he."*

As soon as he learned the happy issue of this difference, he wrote immediately to the Archbishop, to the Legate, and to Philip, to thank them, and at the same time to Father Ribadeneyra, iv., 4.

*

Villanova, the Rector of the College at Alcala, to advise him not to make use of the privileges of the Society without the approbation of the Prelate, a rule so much recommended by St. Francis Xavier. The letter to Siliceo was couched in the following terms

Although it may seem somewhat singular in me to write to your Eminence, it cannot be considered a singular thing for a person who has received benefits to feel and to show lively sentiments of gratitude. Being informed that your Eminence has been pleased of late to do honour to our little Society, I consider myself bound to pray the infinite goodness of God to repay you liberally and to give you an eternal recompense. Besides acknowledging the debt of gratitude, which I must leave to Him to repay for Whose love you have done us this good, I have deemed it my duty to write to you and to declare that the benefits your Eminence has conferred upon us shall not find us ungrateful. And although the services which our poor Society can offer to one in so high a place in the Church of the Lord our God are but insignificant, I humbly beg your Eminence to consider us as entirely yours in our Lord, and to make use of us as such for the greater glory of His Divine Majesty. We look upon you, and shall always look upon you, as our lord and our father; and as a proof of these sentiments, I have written to our Fathers, both at Alcala and elsewhere in Spain, not to receive any person into the Society without the approbation and consent of your Eminence. Although the Apostolic See has granted us many favours to aid us in procuring the salvation of souls, I have nevertheless written to our Fathers not to make use of them except so far as you shall see good to call them to your assistance and to share with them the heavy burden which God has laid upon you. As I attribute to your high understanding and zeal for the glory of God, the measures which your Eminence has taken against us before you were well acquainted with us, so I am persuaded that for the same motives now that we are better known to you, your Eminence will become our protector, our lord, and our father, and will more than all the Prelates of the realm aid us to fulfil the pious projects which the Author of all good shall give us to perform for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

Rome, June 1st, 1552.

Ignatius wrote also to Philip II. a few lines of acknowledgment which we cannot omit. He says―

The love which I owe to your Majesty, and the desire I have to serve you, oblige me daily to have you in remembrance before God our Master and our Creator. But I have thought it my duty to write to you especially on this occasion, in all humility to express my thanks to your Majesty for the favours you have done us all, not only in past times, but also for protecting us in the difference we have had with my Lord Archbishop. May your Majesty have for your blessed and everlasting reward God the eternal and sovereign good. It was for His glory that

your royal and Christian heart has already honoured us. I hope that your Majesty will continue with fervour and kindness to honour this little Society of ours, which is entirely and altogether God's own.

*

Ignatius also writes to the Rector Villanova the following letter

As the privileges accorded to our Society by the Holy See are employed with greater fruit to souls when we take the precaution to act in concert with the Pastors of them, and as this precaution ought to be specially observed in the diocese of Toledo, whose Prelate as I do not doubt will regard favourably all that is done for the greater glory of our Lord God, I think it my duty to recommend to you by this present letter, to depart in nothing from the intentions of his Eminence in preaching, administering Sacraments, or other functions which concern the good of our neighbour. In the hope that the Lord Archbishop will prove to you a father and a master, and will support you in all that can serve to the increase of our Institute and to the glory of God, I wish that no one whosoever be received into the Society in Spain contrary to the will and the judgment of his Eminence. I charge you with the execution of this order. You must take care to comply with it.+

June 1st, 1552.

it was

This trial came from without, and although painful, it cost him much less time and trouble than one which came to him from Portugal on the part of Father Simon Rodriguez. With good intention, no doubt, Rodriguez had introduced a method of spiritual conduct among the Religious whom he governed with the best of intentions, but it departed from the spirit of Ignatius. The Saint had summoned Rodriguez to Rome in 1545, and again in 1550, to give an account of the state of things in Portugal, and to take back with him the manner of life and the method of government practised in Rome under the eyes and direction of Ignatius himself. Accordingly he wrote in the summer of 1549 to John III. to be pleased to allow Master Simon to absent himself from the August of that year until the month of April in the year following. But the King would not allow him to leave before the commencement of 1550, because he required him until that time for the education

* I have translated this letter from a fresh copy of the original preserved in the royal archives of Simancas. I must, however, observe that the rough draft of it found in the collection at Rome differs in many places from this copy.

This letter is found in the collection at Rome, and in the Varia Historia, p. 102.

of his son, the Prince and heir-apparent. Father Louis Gonzalez took his place in this important charge. It was very natural that Ignatius should wish after so many years to see again his old companion, and again in some sort to renew his acquaintance with him. He wished to learn from

a personal interview with Rodriguez what principles he followed in the government of the important province of Portugal, especially as he was well aware of the peculiarities. of his character, which had in a former time nearly caused him to quit the Society. Ignatius eventually thought it necessary to deprive Rodriguez of the post which he occupied, though he did not carry his purpose into execution until the following year.

Rodriguez had trained and formed the greater number of the members of the Society in Portugal; they were too much accustomed to him and his method, and it was time to put an end to his too great personal influence. More-over, Ignatius desired to introduce into Portugal the Constitutions which had been lately approved. Many customs authorized or established by Rodriguez were in opposition to his own Constitutions. This divergence of laws between the Society at Rome and the Society in Portugal was a grave inconvenience. Now Rodriguez did not seem to be the man to whom the making of this change could be confided. Moreover, it would show a consideration for the good name of Rodriguez to intrust this business to the hands of another. Besides, he had been Superior and Provincial in Portugal more than twelve years, and the Constitutions forbade Superiors to be left in office more than three, consequently he had no right to keep his placeany longer. Ignatius well knew the state of the province, but he did not know whether the King would give his support to any changes; in fact, he thought it possible that very disagreeable results might follow. Although he did not indeed fear the difficulties, yet he took his measures with the greatest prudence and consideration. He wrote to

John III. and several members of the royal family, communicating his design to them, and the motives which had determined him in the action he was taking, so that he might have them on his side. He gave free choice to Rodriguez either to go to the Brazils (as he had himself.