Giovanni Paolo Oliva (4 October 1600 – 26 November 1681) was the eleventh

Superior General of the Society of Jesus The superior general of the Society of Jesus is the leader of the Society of Jesus, the Catholic religious order also known as the Jesuits. He is generally addressed as Father General. The position sometimes carries the nickname of the Black Po ...

Biography

Oliva was born at

Genoa Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...

in 1600, and in 1616 he entered the

Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

. A famous pulpit orator, he was an Apostolic Preacher of the Palace under Popes Innocent X,

Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII ( it, Alessandro VII; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death in May 1667. He began his career as a vice-papal legate, an ...

Clement IX Pope Clement IX ( la, Clemens IX; it, Clemente IX; 28 January 1600 – 9 December 1669), born Giulio Rospigliosi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 20 June 1667 to his death in December 1669. Biography Ear ...

, and

Clement X Pope Clement X ( la, Clemens X; it, Clemente X; 13 July 1590 – 22 July 1676), born Emilio Bonaventura Altieri, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 29 April 1670 to his death in July 1676. Elected pope at a ...

. In 1661, during the disease of the Superior General

Goschwin Nickel Goswin Nickel (1582 - 31 July 1664) was a German Jesuit priest and the tenth Superior-General of the Society of Jesus. Goswin was born in Koslar, North-Westphalia (Germany). He studied in Paderborn and Mainz (1611–1615), where he was promote ...

, the General Congregation XI elected him vicar-general with the right of succession. His chief aim was to remove all causes of dissension and of personal friction between his institute and other religious orders, towards which he showed himself most reverent and yielding. He extended and increased the missions, creating new ones outside of Europe, especially in Japan. His book of forty-odd sermons for

Lent Lent ( la, Quadragesima, 'Fortieth') is a solemn religious moveable feast#Lent, observance in the liturgical calendar commemorating the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert and enduring Temptation of Jesus, temptation by Satan, according ...

, and his work of six folio volumes, ''In Selecta Scripturae Loca Ethicae Commentationes'', demonstrate his scholarship and piety. Remembering what had happened to Cardinal

Francesco Sforza Pallavicino Francesco Maria Sforza Pallavicino (or ''Pallavicini'') (28 November 1607, Rome – 4 June 1667, Rome), was an Italian cardinal, philosopher, theologian, literary theorist, and church historian. A professor of philosophy and theology at the Rom ...

, Oliva printed one thousand of his letters, in order that they might not be printed by others and be misconstrued.

Popish Plot

In 1678 the English informer

Titus Oates Titus Oates (15 September 1649 – 12/13 July 1705) was an English priest who fabricated the "Popish Plot", a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King Charles II. Early life Titus Oates was born at Oakham in Rutland. His father Samuel (1610� ...

named him as one of the ringleaders of the

Popish Plot The Popish Plot was a fictitious conspiracy invented by Titus Oates that between 1678 and 1681 gripped the Kingdoms of England and Scotland in anti-Catholic hysteria. Oates alleged that there was an extensive Catholic conspiracy to assassinate ...

, a supposed Catholic conspiracy to kill King

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child o ...

, which in fact was entirely Oates' own fabrication. Fortunately for Oliva, unlike the many English Jesuits who suffered in the Plot, he was safely out of reach of the English authorities. Oates had never met him but was acquainted with several English Jesuits, and knew enough about the Society to make it appear that he was in the Jesuits' confidence. In reality, Oliva could have no motive to kill King Charles, who was himself an all but open

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, and Oliva may even have corresponded with him, as he certainly did with his brother, the future King

James II of England James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

. In addition, he took a strong view of the unlawfulness of attempting to overthrow a sovereign ruler, stating that if any Jesuits had engaged in such actions (while stressing that he thought it most improbable that they had) they deserved to suffer the full penalties of the law. He died at Sant'Andrea al Quirinale 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 ...

References

* *Kenyon, J.P. ''The Popish Plot'' Phoenix Press reissue 2000 1600 births 1681 deaths Superiors General of the Society of Jesus 17th-century Italian Jesuits {{Italy-RC-clergy-stub