ARENDT, WILHELM. - Jesuit, moralist, b. in Louvain on 31 March 1852, d. in Rome on 23 Feb. 1937. He was rector of the Belgian College in Rome, where in 1889 he entered the Society of Jesus. After having taught moral theology for some years at the Gregorian University, he was called in 1909 to replace Fr. Domenico Palmieri as theologian of the Sacred Penitentiary; a post he held until 1934. He was also, until his death, a consultor of the Holy Office. In both these posts he proved himself one of the most effective and able collaborators, who to the vastness of his knowledge knew how to join the humble disposition of a docile son of the Church.
Of his numerous works the principal ones are: Apologeticae de aequiprobabilismo Alphonsiana historico-criticae dissertationis s. p. I. de Caigny... crisis iuxta principia Angelici Doctoris instituta...: Accedit Dissertatio scholastico-moralis pro usu moderato opinionis probabilis in concursu probabilioris a s. Alphonsio de Ligorio... (Freiburg im Br. 1897); De sacramentalibus (Rome 1900); Aequiprobabilismus ab ultimo fundamento discussus (ibid. 1909); Analysis theologico-canonica Decreti «Ne temere» de sponsalibus et matrimonio (ibid. 1909); De impotentia feminae ad generandum (ibid. 1913); Circa controversam validitatem matrimonii feminae recitae. Diatriba pro sanctitate pacti coniugalis (ibid. 1923); De absoluta habilitate sterilium ad matrimonium (ibid. 1925) (in these three works the A. upheld a particular theory of his own).