ROOTHAAN, JOANNES PHILIPPE. - Twenty-first general of the Society of Jesus, b. in Amsterdam on 23 Nov. 1785, d. in Rome on 8 May 1853.

Having entered the Order in Russia, where the Jesuits had been able to continue to exist as such, in 1808, he devoted various years to teaching and to ministries in Russia, in Poland, in Austria, in Switzerland. He spent the period 1820-23 at Briga, the period 1823-26 at Turin, as rector of the College of the Provinces; on 9 July he was elected general.

In the changing and painful circumstances of the time of his generalate he knew how to conduct himself with courage, calm and prudence, directing his particular cares to the ascetic and scientific field. He promoted, in fact, the cult and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to that of Mary, as a refuge and salvation in those stormy days: Litterae de cultu S. mi Cordis Iesu (Antwerp 1848) and De cultu purissimi Cordis Mariae (ibid. 1848); he prepared a literal Latin version of the Spiritual Exercises from the Spanish original, providing it with excellent annotations (Rome

ROOTHAAN, JOANNES PHILIPPE - Portrait executed by E. von Steinle, Rome, Archive of the General Curia of the Jesuits.(by courtesy of Msgr. A. P. Frutari)

1835) and later also with an important pamphlet: De ratione meditandi (ibid. 1836). For the scientific side he attended to the emendation and adaptation of the Ratio studiorum, on the basis of the memorandum of Fr. E. Vasco (published for private use: La Ratio studiorum adattata ai tempi presenti, 4 vols., Rome 1851); he zealously promoted, according to the wishes of Pius IX, the implementation of the Civiltà Cattolica, stimulating the creation of other similar periodicals in Europe. The persecutions and the apparent defeat of the Society in the turmoils of Europe were largely compensated by the increase of its subjects, by the creation of many new provinces and missions in all parts of the world. He also left a large collection of letters, now partly published: Epistolae J. P. R. (5 vols., Rome 1935-40).

Bibliography5 works

BIBL.: M. Alberding Thijm, Levenschets von p. J. R., Amsterdam 1883; P. Albers, De p. J. P. R., Generaal, 2 vols., Nijmegen 1900; R. Neu, J. R., der bedeutende Jesuiten general neuerer Zeit, Freiburg im Br. 1928; P. Pirri, Il p. J. R., 21ª gener. della C. di G., Rome 1930; J. A. Otto, Gründung der neuen Jesuitenmission durch General P. J. P. R., Freiburg im Br. 1939.

Celestino Testore

@incollection{ec10_roothaan_joannes_philippe, author = {Testore, Celestino}, title = {Roothaan, joannes philippe}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {X}, pages = {1337--1338}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1953}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/roothaan-joannes-philippe} }

One of some 20,000 entries brought back from the twelve printed volumes (1948–54). Spotted something? Help us improve it.

Roothaan, Joannes Philippe

About this entry