VAN ROSSUM, WILLEM. — Cardinal, born at Zwolle (Netherlands) on 3 September 1874, died at Maastricht (Netherlands) on 30 August 1932.
Having entered the Redemptorists at Ruremonda in 1873 and been ordained a priest in 1878, he was appointed professor of dogmatic theology at Ruremonda and at the College of Wittem, of which he subsequently became prefect of studies (1886) and superior (1893). Called to Rome in 1900, he was appointed consultor of the Congr. of the Holy Office and in 1904 was among the first members of the Pontifical Commission for the codification of canon law. General consultor of his Congregation (1909), he was created cardinal by b. Pius X in 1911. After holding the office of major penitentiary (1915), he was called by Benedict XV to the office of prefect of the Congr. «de Propaganda Fide» and received episcopal consecration from the same Pontiff.
He was one of Pius XI’s principal collaborators in his extensive work on behalf of the missions and played a major role in the Vatican Missionary Exhibition during the Holy Year of 1925, in the construction of the new Urban College «de Propaganda Fide», in the election of the first Chinese bishops and the first Japanese bishop, and in the establishment of numerous apostolic vicariates and prefectures; he was also legate a latere of b. Pius X at the International Eucharistic Congress in Vienna (1912) and of Pius XI at that in Amsterdam (1924).
An eminent student of theological studies, he published numerous works, among which are: Dissertatio S. Alphonsi de praedestinatione D. N. J. Christi (Rome 1896), Commentarius de Iudicio Sacramentali (Rome
