LEDÓCHOWSKI, Wlodzimierz. - Twenty-sixth Superior General of the Society of Jesus, born at Loosdorf (Austria) on 7 Oct. 1866, died in Rome on 13 Dec. 1942. Page at the court of Emperor Franz Joseph, he attended the "Theresianum" in Vienna; he studied law at the Seminary of Tarnów, philosophy at the Gregorian University in Rome, and was a student at the German College. He entered the Society of Jesus in 1889, completed his studies, and from 1897 served as writer, then successively as rector of the residence and of the Major College in Kraków, and as provincial of Galicia. In 1906 he was elected "Assistant" for Germany; on 19 Feb. 1915, General of the Order. As such he resided always in Rome, except for a brief stay in Zizers (Switzerland) during World War I (1915–18).
During his administration he zealously and steadfastly promoted a great series of works, displaying a remarkable insight into the needs of the times and the character and talents of his subjects, to which he responded accordingly. He brought to completion the revision of the Society’s law in light of the new Code of Canon Law; he fostered the study and following of St. Thomas Aquinas, wisely determining and clarifying this according to the spirit of the Church; he ardently promoted the Marian Congregations, the work of the Spiritual Exercises, the Apostleship of Prayer, and the growth and support of the missions; in every way he encouraged popular and learned publishing activity to defend the Church and oppose deviations of any kind. Under his leadership, the Society was entrusted with the Oriental Institute and the Russicum; the General Curia and the Gregorian University were given new premises. Statistics show that his government was one of the most fruitful: in 1915 there were 5 assistancies, 27 provinces, and 16,946 members; by 1941 the figures had risen respectively to 8, 50, and 26,588; the missions entrusted to the Jesuits grew from 29 to 46, and the missionaries from 971 to 3,785. At his death, educational activity—excluding the missions—comprised 15 universities and 42 secondary institutes with 138,800 pupils; literary output included 1,112 journals in 50 languages and countless works. The most significant innovation was his admission and granting of faculties to a good number of his subjects to celebrate the Eastern rite. To this may be added the noble crown of saints and blesseds whose canonization or beatification occurred during his time, including St. Robert Bellarmine, St. Peter Canisius, the North American Martyrs, Bl. Claude de la Colombière, Bl. Joseph Pignatelli, and numerous martyrs of England and Scotland.