Włodzimierz Halka Ledóchowski (7 October 1866 – 13 December 1942) was a Polish Catholic priest who served as the 26th superior general of the Society of Jesus from 11 February 1915 until his death. Prior to taking

holy orders In certain Christian denominations, holy orders are the ordination, ordained ministries of bishop, priest (presbyter), and deacon, and the sacrament or rite by which candidates are ordained to those orders. Churches recognizing these orders inclu ...

, he was briefly a page to

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Early life

He was one of nine children of Count Antoni Halka Ledóchowski and the

Swiss Swiss most commonly refers to: * the adjectival form of Switzerland * Swiss people Swiss may also refer to: Places * Swiss, Missouri * Swiss, North Carolina * Swiss, West Virginia * Swiss, Wisconsin Other uses * Swiss Café, an old café located ...

Countess Joséphine née Salis-Zizers. He was born in a manor house built by his father in

Loosdorf Loosdorf is a town in the district of Melk (district), Melk in the Austrian state of Lower Austria. History The first-known mention of Loosdorf, then referred to as "Ladestorf," dates to 1145. Even from this period, the town had a strong conn ...

, near St. Pölten,

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. His uncle was Mieczysław Cardinal Halka-Ledóchowski, and two of his sisters entered the religious life and have become known as Saint Maria Ursula of Jesus and Blessed Maria Teresa Ledóchowska. His brother, , was a general in the

Polish Army The Land Forces () are the Army, land forces of the Polish Armed Forces. They currently contain some 110,000 active personnel and form many components of the European Union and NATO deployments around the world. Poland's recorded military histor ...

. Ledóchowski studied first at the

Theresianum Theresianum (or Theresian Academy; ) is a private Boarding school, boarding and day school governed by the laws for public schools in Vienna, Austria. It was founded in 1746 by Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. History Early history (1614–1 ...

, in

Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...

, and was for a time a page to

. He went on to study law at the

Jagellonian University The Jagiellonian University (, UJ) is a public research university in Kraków, Poland. Founded in 1364 by King Casimir III the Great, it is the oldest university in Poland and one of the oldest universities in continuous operation in the wor ...

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

. He discerned a religious vocation and turned to studies for the priesthood. While attending the

Gregorian University Pontifical Gregorian University (; also known as the Gregorian or Gregoriana), is a private pontifical university in Rome, Italy. The Gregorian originated as a part of the Roman College, founded in 1551 by Ignatius of Loyola, and included all ...

, in

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, he applied to join the

Jesuits The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and entered the Society of Jesus in 1889. Five years later, he was ordained a priest. At first, he took to writing, but he was soon made Superior of the Jesuit house in

and then Rector of the College. He became the Polish Vice-Provincial in 1901 and Provincial of Southern Poland in 1902. From 1906 to February 1915, he was an assistant in the German province.

Superior-General of the Jesuits

After the death of Franz Xavier Wernz in August 1914, 49-year-old Ledóchowski became a candidate for the leadership of his order. He was elected the 26th General of the Society on 11 February 1915 on the second ballot. Despite the serial upheavals of the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the economic Depression of the 1930s, the Society increased in number during Ledóchowski's term of office. He called the 27th General Congregation to take place at the Germanico to acquaint the Society with the new code of

canon law Canon law (from , , a 'straight measuring rod, ruler') is a set of ordinances and regulations made by ecclesiastical jurisdiction, ecclesiastical authority (church leadership) for the government of a Christian organization or church and its membe ...

(published in 1917) and to bring the Jesuit Constitution into line with it. He called another Congregation (the 28th) between 12 March and 9 May 1937 for the purpose of appointing a

vicar general A vicar general (previously, archdeacon) is the principal deputy of the bishop or archbishop of a diocese or an archdiocese for the exercise of administrative authority and possesses the title of local ordinary. As vicar of the bishop, the vica ...

, as with the effects of age, he sought competent assistance. He established the

Pontifical Oriental Institute The Pontifical Oriental Institute, also known as the Orientale, is a Catholic institution of higher education located in Rome and focusing on Eastern Christianity. The plan of creating a school of higher learning for Eastern Christianity had bee ...

and the Pontifical Russian College and the ''Institutum Biblicum'' of the Gregorian University. He extracted a certain emancipation for the Society after the

Concordat A concordat () is a convention between the Holy See and a sovereign state that defines the relationship between the Catholic Church and the state in matters that concern both,René Metz, ''What is Canon Law?'' (New York: Hawthorn Books, 1960

Church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a place/building for Christian religious activities and praying * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian comm ...

and the Italian government was ratified. Property was returned to the Society, making it possible for the Jesuits to build a new Gregorian University building, transferring from the Palazzo Gabrielli-Borromeo, on Via del Seminario, to Piazza Pilotta, near the Quirinal Palace. He then had built the new Curia Generalis in the rione of Borgo (rione of Rome), Borgo on property acquired from the

Holy See The Holy See (, ; ), also called the See of Rome, the Petrine See or the Apostolic See, is the central governing body of the Catholic Church and Vatican City. It encompasses the office of the pope as the Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop ...

on Borgo Santo Spirito, close to

Saint Peter's Square St. Peter's Square (, ) is a large plaza located directly in front of St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City, the pope, papal enclave and exclave, enclave in Rome, directly west of the neighborhood (rione) of Borgo (rione of Rome), Borgo. Both t ...

. The Concordat is credited with giving new life to the Society of Jesus, whose real estate increased, along with its influence and reputation.

Nazi era

Divided opinions

According to David Kertzer's 2014 book '' The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe'', during the rise of fascism in Italy under

Benito Mussolini Benito Amilcare Andrea Mussolini (29 July 188328 April 1945) was an Italian politician and journalist who, upon assuming office as Prime Minister of Italy, Prime Minister, became the dictator of Fascist Italy from the March on Rome in 1922 un ...

, Ledóchowski exhibited strong anti-Semitic and pro-fascist sympathies. Kertzer writes that Ledóchowski worked to promote anti-Semitism in the Vatican and to align it with Italy's and Germany's racist and expansionist ambitionsL "The Jesuit leader edochowskimade no secret of his enthusiasm for the Fascist regime. From the time when Mussolini came to power, he edochowskihad done what he could to stamp out Church opposition to the Duce". Kertzer further states that "in early 1936, the Italian ambassador told Ledochowski that Mussolini wanted ''

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

'' he US Jesuit magazineanti-Fascist editor fired and a pro-Fascist editor put in his place.... Ledochowski accommodated him readily.... Soon a new editor was in place, suitably enthusiastic about the Fascist cause". Furthermore, "Pignatti he Italian ambassadorremarked that Italy's enemies were the Church's enemies. Ledochowski agreed. The attacks on Mussolini for waging war in

Ethiopia Ethiopia, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country located in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the north, Djibouti to the northeast, Somalia to the east, Ken ...

, he edochowskireplied were simply a 'pretext from which international Judaism is profiting in order to advance its attack on western civilization'". Kertzer writes that there is evidence that in 1937 or 1938, Ledóchowski personally intervened to water down an encyclical against racism that was being prepared for the Pope by a fellow Jesuit, the American John LaFarge Jr. Later discoveries of versions of the text for the planned encyclical and a series of interviews with living participants in the drafting of the document in the 1960s and the 1970s seem to confirm Ledóchowski's reluctance to see anything published that was too critical of the German government. Kertzer notes, "Ledochowski viewed the Jews as enemies of the Church and of European civilization, and he would do all he could to prevent the Pope from slowing the anti-Semitic wave that was sweeping Europe". Kertzer documents many other instances in which Ledóchowski and other Jesuits led and manipulated the Vatican and the Church into supporting Mussolini and the infamous racist laws against the Jews.

Support for Allied resistance

According to the Jesuit historian Vincent A. Lapomarda, there was "no doubt" about Ledóchowski's concern to thwart

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...

in Europe once it had invaded Poland: :"Even if he had at one time entertained, as alleged by one historian, the conception of a union of a Catholic bloc in Europe against the Communists in the East and the Protestants in the West, events had dramatically altered that vision". Ledóchowski accurately surmised

Adolf Hitler Adolf Hitler (20 April 1889 – 30 April 1945) was an Austrian-born German politician who was the dictator of Nazi Germany from 1933 until Death of Adolf Hitler, his suicide in 1945. Adolf Hitler's rise to power, He rose to power as the lea ...

's perfidious nature; predicted the Hitler-Stalin Pact; used the Jesuit-run

Vatican Radio Vatican Radio (; ) is the official broadcasting service of Vatican City. Established in 1931 by Guglielmo Marconi, today its programs are offered in 47 languages, and are sent out on short wave, DRM, medium wave, FM, satellite and the Internet. ...

service to broadcast condemnations of Nazi crimes in Poland, which led to protests by the German government; and assisted underground resistance movements in

occupied Europe German-occupied Europe, or Nazi-occupied Europe, refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly militarily occupied and civil-occupied, including puppet states, by the (armed forces) and the government of Nazi Germany at ...

. The

Nazi persecution of the Catholic Church in Poland During the German occupation of Poland (1939–1945), the Nazis brutally suppressed the Catholic Church in Poland, most severely in German-occupied areas of Poland. Thousands of churches and monasteries were systematically closed, seized or d ...

was particularly severe, and Lapomarda notes that Ledóchowski helped "stiffen the general attitude of the Jesuits against the Nazis"; helped Vatican Radio, which was run by the Jesuit Filippo Soccorsi; and spoke out against Nazi oppression, particularly with regard to Poland, and against

Vichy France Vichy France (; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was a French rump state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II, established as a result of the French capitulation after the Battle of France, ...

anti-Semitism Antisemitism or Jew-hatred is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who harbours it is called an antisemite. Whether antisemitism is considered a form of racism depends on the school of thought. Antisemi ...

.Vincent A. Lapomarda; '' The Jesuits and the Third Reich''; 2nd Edn,

Lewiston, New York Lewiston is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Niagara County, New York, Niagara County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 15,944 at the 2020 census. The town and its contained village are named aft ...

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; 2005; pp. 266-267

Death

Ledóchowski died in Rome on 13 December 1942, aged 76. After his funeral in the

Church of the Gesù The Church of the Gesù (, ), officially named (), is a church located at Piazza del Gesù in the Pigna (rione of Rome), Pigna ''Rioni of Rome, rione'' of Rome, Italy. It is the mother church of the Society of Jesus (best known as Jesuits). Wi ...

, his remains were interred in the Society's mausoleum at

Campo Verano The Campo Verano (Italian: ''Cimitero del Verano'') is a cemetery in Rome, Italy, founded in the early 19th century. The monumental cemetery covers a surface area of 83 hectares which is currently divided into several sections: the main Catholic ...

, on the eastern edge of Rome.

Appraisal

Nicholas Murray Butler Nicholas Murray Butler (April 2, 1862 – December 7, 1947) was an American philosopher, diplomat, and educator. Butler was president of Columbia University, president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a recipient of the Nobel ...

, who met Ledóchowski in 1930, later wrote that "in Rome I was told that Father Ledóchowski would rank as one of the two or three greatest heads of the Jesuit Order".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ledochowski, Wlodimir 1866 births 1942 deaths People from Melk District Superiors General of the Society of Jesus 20th-century Austrian Jesuits Austrian people of Polish descent 19th-century Austrian Jesuits Pontifical Oriental Institute Włodzimierz