Eberhard Mercurian. — Fourth Superior General of the Society of Jesus, b. at Marcour (Belgium) in 1514, d. at Rome on 19 Aug. 1580. He entered the Society in 1548, was rector of the College at Perugia, provincial of Flanders, assistant for Germany, and was elected General on 23 Apr. 1573.
With zeal he fostered the interior development of the Order, publishing the “Summary” of the Ignatian Constitutions and providing a body of “Rules” common to all and particular to the various offices. Favoured by Gregory XIII, he was entrusted in Rome with the English Seminary and saw the Roman and German Colleges enlarged; he began or promoted many missions among heretics and unbelievers in England, Poland, Transylvania, Sweden and Russia; among the Maronites of Lebanon, in India, China and Japan, whither he sent as many as ninety-three subjects, including A. Valignano, M. Ricci and the Bl. R. Aquaviva. He vigorously promoted extensive apostolic missions in Catholic Europe (Marquisate of Saluzzo, Dalmatia, Greece and the islands of the Archipelago). At his death the Order numbered 21 provinces and 500 subjects.