Restoration attempts: keeping the spirit of the Society of Jesus alive

The suppression of the Society of Jesus officially took place on July 21, 1773, with Dominus ac Redemptor, a brief issued by Pope Clement XIV, in which he prohibited the exercise of the practices belonging to the Order.

Between 1773 and 1814, the Jesuits made several attempts to restore the Society, seeking authorization from the Pope himself or founding new congregations that would recover its spiritual approach. These attempts often encountered resistance from civil and religious authorities, which hindered the reconstitution of the Order. Despite these negative influences, the Society managed to survive in two countries within European territory.

Catherine II of Russia refused to promulgate the papal bull, making clear her intention to preserve the Society in her territories. On one hand, the Empress wanted to assert her prestige and power in Europe by showing independence from the Holy See. At the same time, she had pacifying intentions toward the Polish provinces, granting them freedoms otherwise denied in other European countries. Thanks to Catherine II’s decision, the Jesuits were able to continue operating in Russia even after the suppression of 1773 and were among the main promoters of the future restoration of the Order.

Although Frederick II of the Kingdom of Prussia had initially allowed the Jesuits to continue their educational activities – which the sovereign considered excellent – in 1776 he limited their presence in the eastern territories, mainly due to pressure from Charles III of Spain.

Meanwhile, in various countries, religious institutes inspired by the spirituality of the Society were founded, sometimes by former Jesuits or sympathizers of their charism:

• around 1791 in France, the Institute of the Priests of the Heart of Jesus was founded;

• in 1794 in Belgium, the Congregation of the Fathers of the Sacred Heart was established;

• in 1797 in Rome, the Society of the Faith of Jesus came to life, with the intent of reviving the Society under a different name, while maintaining its original approach.

Only in 1803 were the foundations laid for a more structured restoration, with the recognition of Jesuit activities in England, and then also in the Kingdom of Naples and Sicily. This process culminated in 1814, when Pope Pius VII, with the bull Sollicitudo omnium ecclesiarum, officially restored the Society of Jesus throughout the Catholic world.