![Gemälde - Franz Xaver Wernz SJ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/74/Gem%C3%A4lde_-_Franz_Xaver_Wernz_SJ.jpg)
Franz Xavier Wernz SJ (December 4, 1842 – August 19, 1914) was the twenty-fifth
Superior General of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuit order). He was born in
Rottweil,
Württemberg
Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart.
Together with Baden and Hohenzollern, two other historical territories, Württ ...
(afterwards part of
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
).
Life
Wernz was the first of the eight children of parents with deep faith and piety. From an early age he had expressed his desire to be a Jesuit, perhaps influenced by the fact that his parish church in
Rottweil had been a Jesuit church before the suppression and still retained many reminders of the Society. The paintings of many Jesuit saints and the fact that the yearly
parish mission was given by Jesuits had probably helped him to make the decision.
He entered the society on December 5, 1857, made his
novitiate at Gorheim near
Sigmaringen
Sigmaringen ( Swabian: ''Semmerenga'') is a town in southern Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg. Situated on the upper Danube, it is the capital of the Sigmaringen district.
Sigmaringen is renowned for its castle, Schloss Sigmaringen ...
, and took his first vows on December 8, 1859. From 1864-1868 and from 1872-1873 he was educator and teacher at
Stella Matutina (Jesuit School) in Feldkirch, Austria. He studied
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 ...
and
philosophy at the
Maria Laach and
Aachen abbeys. When the
Kulturkampf of
Chancellor Bismarck expelled the Jesuits from
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, the exiled scholastics, after a short stay at Stella Matutina, found refuge in a Jesuit college, Ditton Hall in Lancashire in England and, finally, in 1881 moved to
St Beuno's in
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
. After a year of private study he became Professor of Canon Law at Ditton Hall and later at St Beuno's. Between 1882 and 1906 he taught
canon law
Canon law (from grc, κανών, , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its members. It is th ...
at the
Gregorian University, the last two years spent there he also served as its
rector
Rector (Latin for the member of a vessel's crew who steers) may refer to:
Style or title
*Rector (ecclesiastical), a cleric who functions as an administrative leader in some Christian denominations
*Rector (academia), a senior official in an edu ...
.
After the death of
Luis Martín, the
vicar general
A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop' ...
summoned a congregation for August 31, 1906, but it began after a day's postponement on September 1 and would last until October 18. On the third ballot taken on September 8, the 64-year-old Wernz was elected general.
During his generalate he vigorously promoted the spiritual life, opened missions and created provinces in all parts of the world. The whole continent of
North America was one of his special interests and he approved the setting up of provinces, houses, and colleges the length and breadth of that vast territory.
Father Martín had set up the famous ''Monumenta Historica'' and Wernz continued his support and encouraged Jesuit writers to take up this important work, which they did with enthusiasm. He was instrumental in the founding of the Jesuit periodicals "Voces e Maria ad Lacum" which became "
Stimmen der Zeit ''Stimmen der Zeit'' ("Voices of the times") is a monthly German magazine published since 1865 by Herder publishers. Its subtitle is ''Zeitschrift für christliche Kultur'', and it publishes articles on Christian culture in the broad sense of the wo ...
" in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
and another, "Przeglad Powszechny", in
Poland
Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.
One of his last letters written on December 25, 1913, to the Society was on the celebration of the centenary of the society's restitution, to take place the following year.
Wernz had been General for seven years and eleven months, from September 8, 1906, until he died on August 19, 1914. His death occurred only a few hours before that of
Pope Pius X and a mere three weeks after the outbreak of the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. It would be a difficult time for his successor to begin leading an international Society in a world internationally shattered.
His tomb can be found in the Jesuit Mausoleum at the Roman
Campo Verano
The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery is currently divided into sections: the Jewish cemetery, the Catholic cemetery, and the monument to the ...
cemetery.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wernz, Franz Xavier
Superiors General of the Society of Jesus
19th-century German Jesuits
1842 births
1914 deaths
People from Rottweil
20th-century German Jesuits