Every November 14, the Catholic Church celebrates Saint Joseph Mary Pignatelli, a Spanish Jesuit born in Zaragoza (Spain) in 1737.
Of Italian descent, he came into the world in a family of ancestry: he was the son of Don Antonio Pignatelli of Aragon, prince of the Holy Roman Empire, and Doña Francisca Moncayo y Fernández de Heredia. His family was also large: José María was the seventh of eight children.
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Expelled from Spanish territory
José María first entered the Jesuit school in Zaragoza, where he would study humanities. Later he was admitted to the novitiate of the Society of Jesus. During those years of training he regularly supported the catechism of children and prisoners in prisons.
In 1767, when the Jesuits were expelled from Spain and its territories by order of King Charles III, “the Politician” (r. 1759-1788), José M. Pignatelli and one of his brothers – also a Jesuit – were He offered them authorization to stay in Spanish territory on the condition that they renounce the order. The brothers rejected the proposal and chose exile, so they ended up asylum on the island of Corsica.
Suppression of the Society of Jesus
The brothers remained in Corsica until French military forces invaded the island and they were deported again.
In 1773, Pope Clement XIV (p. 1769-1774) issued a decree suppressing the Society of Jesus, both under pressure from the Spanish crown and its European allies. As a consequence of this measure, approximately 23 thousand Jesuits were forced to abandon their respective convents and monasteries.
Saint Joseph Pignatelli, like the vast majority of Jesuits, had no other alternative than the diaspora or going underground, and they lived that way for at least the next two decades.
Russia
Father Joseph Mary, with the permission of Pope Pius VI (p. 1775-1799), joined the members of the Company living in Russia, and with their help he would initiate a plan to reorganize the Order in Italy. His main efforts were directed at attracting and growing new vocations, which he sent to Russia for training and preparation.
When the time came, the Jesuit provincial superior in Russia appointed him Provincial in Italy, with the approval of Pope Pius VII (p. 1800-1823). Thus, the Society of Jesus began to be reborn, even if it was slowly and secretly. The saint prayed and worked tirelessly to see the Order reborn and gain momentum. In 1804, their efforts bore fruit: the kingdom of Naples accepted the return of the expelled Jesuits.
Restoration of the Jesuits
Shortly afterwards, with the generous help of many European families, Pignatelli managed to reopen several Jesuit convents in Rome, Palermo, Orvieto and Sardinia. Although, in 1811, on November 15, before being able to see the complete reestablishment of the Society of Jesus, Father José Maria died.
The fruit of their work would see the light of day not long after. On August 7, 1814, Pope Pius VII decreed the restitution of the Society of Jesus throughout the world.
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If you want to know more about the Restoration of the Society of Jesus, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/Restauraci%C3%B3n_de_la_Compa%C3%B1%C3%ADa_de_Jes%C3%BAs.
Central Editorial
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