![Father Anderledy, Henry Jones Thaddeus, 1886](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0f/Father_Anderledy%2C_Henry_Jones_Thaddeus%2C_1886.jpg)
Anton Maria Anderledy (3 June 1819 – 18 January 1892) was a Swiss Jesuit, elected the twenty-third
Superior General of the Society of Jesus.
Religious and academic formation
Son of a director of the
postal services
The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...
, Anderledy entered the
Jesuit novitiate at
Brig in 1838. After the novitiate, he taught for 2 years (1842–44) the classics at the college of
Fribourg
, neighboring_municipalities= Düdingen, Givisiez, Granges-Paccot, Marly, Pierrafortscha, Sankt Ursen, Tafers, Villars-sur-Glâne
, twintowns = Rueil-Malmaison (France)
, website = www.ville-fribourg.ch
, Location of , Location of ()
() ...
, where he excelled as a
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
scholar.
Philosophy was done in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
(1844–47) where he began also his theological studies. For reason of health, however he moved back to Fribourg. When the Jesuits were expelled from Switzerland (November 1847), Anderledy carried on his theological studies for a while in
Chambéry
Chambéry (, , ; Arpitan: ''Chambèri'') is the prefecture of the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The population of the commune of Chambéry was 58,917 as of 2019, while the population of the Chamb ...
(
Savoy) from where another expulsion order (March 1848) drove him with fifty others to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
. Still a student of
Theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
he completed the course in
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the bi-state metropolitan area, which e ...
, and was finally ordained
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
(29 September 1848) there, by Archbishop
Peter Richard Kenrick
Peter Richard Kenrick (August 17, 1806 – March 4, 1896) was Bishop of St. Louis, Missouri, and the first Catholic archbishop west of the Mississippi River.
Early life and ordination
Peter Richard Kenrick was born in Dublin on August 17, 180 ...
.
Missionary, Rector, Provincial
For two years (1848–50) Anderledy took care of the pastoral needs of the German migrants at
Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he devoted himself with great energy to his flock. He was recalled to Europe in 1850, first in order to make his final year of formation (called 'Tertianship') in
Drongen
Drongen ( French: ''Tronchiennes'') is a district within the city of Ghent (Arrondissement of Ghent).
Drongen is divided into three parishes: Drongen, Luchteren and Baarle.
Monastery
Drongen is known for its early medieval monastery, Drongen A ...
,
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and soon after (1851), in Germany, to be a member of the 'missionary band' led by Father
Peter Roh. With him he took part in more than 40 popular missions in different German towns. In 1853, he was chosen to be rector of Jesuit students in
Cologne
Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...
. He accompanied them to
Paderborn
Paderborn (; Westphalian: ''Patterbuorn'', also ''Paterboärn'') is a city in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, capital of the Paderborn district. The name of the city derives from the river Pader and ''Born'', an old German term for t ...
and remained in charge of their studies until 1859, when he was appointed Provincial of the German Province. During Anderledy's term of office, which lasted six years, he purchased the splendid
medieval
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
abbey
An abbey is a type of monastery used by members of a religious order under the governance of an abbot or abbess. Abbeys provide a complex of buildings and land for religious activities, work, and housing of Christian monks and nuns.
The con ...
of
Maria Laach, near
Bonn
The federal city of Bonn ( lat, Bonna) is a city on the banks of the Rhine in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, with a population of over 300,000. About south-southeast of Cologne, Bonn is in the southernmost part of the Rhine-Ru ...
, where he established the province-house of higher studies. In 1865, he was himself sent to Maria-Laach as professor of
moral theology
Ethics involves systematizing, defending, and recommending concepts of right and wrong behavior.''Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy''"Ethics"/ref> A central aspect of ethics is "the good life", the life worth living or life that is simply sati ...
. From there he launched the well-known Theological journal ''Stimmen aus Maria-Laach''. In 1870, Anderledy was called to
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus (legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
as Assistant to the Jesuit Superior-General, for the German-speaking provinces.
General Congregation XXIII
Superior General
Pieter Beckx, 88 years old and infirm, had called a General Congregation in order that a vicar general (with rights of succession) be given him. Due to the great uncertainty of the political situation in Italy, General Congregation XXIII did not meet in Rome but at
Fiesole
Fiesole () is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.
Sin ...
(
Firenze
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
) in 1883. The electors chose with near unanimity Anton Anderledy as vicar-general (and successor to be) of Pieter Beckx. The same congregation passed also a decree that condemned 'Liberalism in the Church' and strengthened theological and scientific formation in the society. It did express also strong support for the Gregorian University.
Vicar General, General
In January 1884 Anderledy assumed all the duties of the Superior-General as Beckx went into retirement in Rome. On Beckx's death in 1887, Anderledy became in title the
Superior-General of the Society of Jesus.
* The few circular letters he wrote to the Society are largely on religious and spiritual themes: the canonization of
Edmund Campion
Edmund Campion, SJ (25 January 15401 December 1581) was an English Jesuit priest and martyr. While conducting an underground ministry in officially Anglican England, Campion was arrested by priest hunters. Convicted of high treason, he was h ...
(and others), promotion of the devotion to the Sacred Heart, and again canonizations of
Alphonsus Rodriguez
Alphonsus Rodríguez, SJ ( es, Alfonso) (25 July 1532 – 31 October 1617) was a Spanish Jesuit who served as a religious brother and is now venerated as a saint. He was a native of Segovia.
Though his life was punctuated with personal tr ...
,
John Berchmans
John Berchmans ( nl, Jan Berchmans ; 13 March 1599 – 13 August 1621) was a Jesuit scholastic and is a saint in the Catholic Church. In 1615, the Jesuits opened a college at Mechelen and Berchmans was one of the first to enroll. His spiritual ...
and
Aloysius Gonzaga.
* He expressed strong support to
Pope Leo XIII
Pope Leo XIII ( it, Leone XIII; born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci; 2 March 1810 – 20 July 1903) was the head of the Catholic Church from 20 February 1878 to his death in July 1903. Living until the age of 93, he was the second-old ...
, first by backing strongly (in a letter of 1884) the Pope's condemnation of
freemasonry
Freemasonry or Masonry refers to fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their interaction with authorities ...
in ''
Humanum genus'', and later by condemning vicious anti-papal writings that were circulating in France.
* During this time, the Jesuits were banned in many of the nations of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
; indirectly this promoted apostolic work overseas. The Canadian mission was upgraded and made independent from
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
. New missions were started in
Moldavia
Moldavia ( ro, Moldova, or , literally "The Country of Moldavia"; in Romanian Cyrillic alphabet, Romanian Cyrillic: or ; chu, Землѧ Молдавскаѧ; el, Ἡγεμονία τῆς Μολδαβίας) is a historical region and for ...
(1885),
Pune
Pune (; ; also known as Poona, ( the official name from 1818 until 1978) is one of the most important industrial and educational hubs of India, with an estimated population of 7.4 million As of 2021, Pune Metropolitan Region is the largest i ...
(
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, 1886),
El Minya
MinyaAlso spelled '' el...'' or ''al...'' ''...Menia, ...Minia'' or ''...Menya'' ( ar, المنيا ; ) is the capital of the Minya Governorate in Upper Egypt. It is located approximately south of Cairo on the western bank of the Nile River ...
(
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
, 1887). Several Theologates and
Universities
A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...
were founded too:
Enghien
Enghien (; nl, Edingen ; pcd, Inguî; vls, Enge) is a city and municipality of Wallonia located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
On 1January 2006, Enghien had a total population of 11,980. The total area is , which gives a population de ...
(French Jesuits in exile in
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, 1887), Los Gatos (
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
),
Kurseong
Kurseong is a town and a municipality in Darjeeling district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is the headquarters of the Kurseong subdivision.
Located at an altitude of , Kurseong is from Darjeeling and has a pleasant climate throughout ...
(
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, 1888),
Tananarive
Antananarivo ( French: ''Tananarive'', ), also known by its colonial shorthand form Tana, is the capital and largest city of Madagascar. The administrative area of the city, known as Antananarivo-Renivohitra ("Antananarivo-Mother Hill" or "A ...
(Malagasy, 1888), etc.
* He edited and published a new edition of Reuter's ''Neo-Confessarius'', which he annotated.
Appreciation
* Anderledy's term is characterized by its brevity, coming as it does after his immediate predecessors' long terms of office. He also had to govern the Society while exiled from Rome: his headquarters ("Curia Generalizia") was at
Fiesole
Fiesole () is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Florence in the Italian region of Tuscany, on a scenic height above Florence, 5 km (3 miles) northeast of that city. It has structures dating to Etruscan and Roman times.
Sin ...
(
Firenze
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...
). This was a source of many inconveniences.
* In his handling of the Jesuits he was known for great firmness of character. He also showed a modern interest in scientific studies in
Jesuit schools.
* In spite of very difficult circumstances
t one point all the Jesuit schools in France and Italy were confiscated and their staff sent into exilethe number of members of the Society continued to increase: from 11,481, when he was elected, to 13,275 in 1892.
References
* BAUMGARTNER, A., A.R.P. Antonius Anderledy, in ''Stimmen aus Maria-Laach'', vol.42 (1892), pp. 241–265.
* STAEHELIN, E., ''Der Jesuitenorde und die Schweiz'', Basel, 1923.
* SYRE, O.J. (ed), ''Jesuiten'', Graz, 1954.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Anderledy, Anton
1819 births
1892 deaths
People from Brig District
Superiors General of the Society of Jesus
Swiss Jesuits
Clergy from St. Louis
Religious leaders from Wisconsin
19th-century Swiss Roman Catholic priests
Swiss expatriates in the United States
Swiss expatriates in Belgium
Swiss expatriates in Germany
Swiss expatriates in Italy
19th-century American Jesuits