Claudio Acquaviva | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 14 September 1543 |
| Died | 31 January 1615(1615-01-31) (aged 71) |
| Occupation | Jesuit priest |
| Known for | being the second founder of the Jesuit Order andSuperior General of the Society of Jesus |
Claudio Acquaviva, SJ (14 September 1543 – 31 January 1615) was an ItalianJesuit priest. Elected in 1581 as the fifthSuperior General of the Society of Jesus, he has been referred to as the second founder of the Jesuit order.[1]
Claudio Acquaviva was born inAtri,Abruzzo, the son of Giovanni Antonio Acquaviva d'Aragona, 9th Duke of Atri, descended from a noble family illustrious at the court of Naples for its patronage of humanist culture. His grandfather,Andrea Matteo Acquaviva (1456–1528), was acondottiere andhumanist whose brotherBelisario Acquaviva (1464–1528), Duke of Nardo, was also a notedman of letters. Some older texts, including those illustrated in this article, spell his nameAquaviva.[2]
After initial studies of humanities (Latin,Greek andHebrew) andMathematics, he studiedJurisprudence inPerugia.
He had heard of the Society of Jesus through his friendship withFrancis Borgia and Juan de Polanco. He was particularly impressed by the works of the Early Companions during the Plague in 1566 and decided to join the Order in 1567. With the blessing ofPius V, he asked the then Superior General, Francis Borgia, to be admitted to the noviceship. After completing his studies, he was very soon given positions of important responsibility, his administrative gifts marking him out for the highest posts. He soon became the Provincial superior ofNaples and then ofRome; and during this office, he offered to join the Jesuit mission to England that set out underRobert Parsons in the spring of 1580.[2]
His nephew, the Jesuit missionary and martyrRodolfo Acquaviva (1550-1583) was inspired to join the Society of Jesus at the age of seventeen by the example of Claudio, who was twenty-five when he joined the year before in 1567.
Upon the death ofEverard Mercurian on 1 August 1580, the FourthGeneral Congregation was called for 7 February 1581. Acquaviva was elected the next Superior General, being then only thirty-seven years old, to the great surprise ofGregory XIII. However, the extraordinary sense of governance he displayed - in particular when his leadership was questioned -, the continuous apostolic vitality of the Jesuits as well as the regular increase of membership that came to the Society during his long generalate, abundantly justified the votes of the electors.[2]
In his first letterOn the happy increase of the Society (25 July 1581), he treats of the necessary qualifications for superiors, and points out that government should be directed not by the maxims of human wisdom but by those of supernatural prudence. He successfully quelled a revolt among the Spanish Jesuits, which was supported byPhilip II, and he made use of Parsons in this matter.[2] In a very rare case of the convocation of a General Congregation being imposed on a Superior General (GC V, of 1593) Aquaviva's ways or working were forcefully challenged, but his openness and genuine humility won him the Delegates' hearts and he came out of the ordeal completely vindicated. A more difficult task was the management ofSixtus V, who was hostile to the Society. By consummate tact and boldness, Acquaviva succeeded in playing the king against the pope, and Sixtus against Philip. For prudential reasons, he silencedJuan de Mariana, whose doctrine ontyrannicide had produced deep indignation in France; and he also appears to have discountenanced the action of the French Jesuits in favour of the League, and was thus able to secure solid advantages when Henry IV overcame the confederacy.[2]
During his period as General, the already worldwide Jesuit Missions grew in India and Japan and were established in China, underAlessandro Valignano. Acquaviva saw missions established inParaguay andCanada and he promoted them throughoutProtestantEurope, in particular toEnglish Recusants during theElizabethan Age.
To him is due the promulgation of theRatio atque institutio studiorum (1586), summing up years of experience in the field of education and marshalling them into a 'Jesuit system of education'. But theDominicans denounced it to the Inquisition, and it was condemned both in Spain and in Rome, on account of some opinions concerning theThomist doctrines of the divine physical promotion in secondary causes and predestination. The incriminated chapters were withdrawn in the edition of 1591. In the fierce disputes that arose between the Jesuit theologians and the Dominicans on the subject of grace, Acquaviva managed, underClement VIII andPaul V, to save his party from a condemnation that at one time seemed probable.[2]
Acquaviva wrote inIndustriae ad curandos animae morbos (Curing the illnesses of the soul, §2, 4) about interacting with others that one should not compromise in substance (i.e., the Christian faith), but should present the matter in a gentle way, i.e.,fortiter in re, suaviter in modo. This phrase, meaning "resolute in execution, gentle in manner" or "vigorous in deed, gentle in manner" has since become a famous phrase that is also used as the motto of several organisations.
Claudio Acquaviva died in Rome in 1615, leaving the Society nearly tripled in size and numbering 13,000 members in 550 houses and 15 provinces. The subsequent influence exercised by the Jesuits, in their golden age, was largely due to the far-seeing policy of Acquaviva, who is regarded as one of the greatest Superiors General to have governed the Society.[2]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Aquaviva, Claudio".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 2 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 239–240.| Catholic Church titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Superior General of the Society of Jesus 1581–1615 | Succeeded by |
