Jan Roothaan facts for kids

Roothaan

Jan Philipp Roothaan (born November 23, 1785 – died May 8, 1853) was a Dutch Jesuit priest. He became the twenty-first leader, known as the Superior-General of the Society of Jesus, for the worldwide Jesuit order.

Growing Up and Becoming a Jesuit

Jan Philipp Roothaan was born in Amsterdam, Netherlands. His family had moved there from Frankfurt and became Catholic. He was the youngest of three brothers. When he was 16, he finished high school (called a gymnasium). He then continued his studies in classical subjects like Latin and Greek for four more years.

As a young boy, Jan Philipp was an altar server at a church in Amsterdam. There, he met former Jesuit priests. He told them he wanted to become a Jesuit. In 1804, he traveled to Russia to join the Society of Jesus. At that time, the Pope had just allowed the Jesuits to exist in Russia.

He completed his first training period (novitiate) in Dunaburg, Latvia. From 1806 to 1809, he taught at the Jesuit high school there. He was very good with languages. He already knew Polish, French, Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. After teaching, he studied philosophy and theology. He became a priest in 1812.

A Life of Teaching and Leadership

For the next four years (1812–1816), Roothaan worked as a professor in Pusza. This was a time of big changes in Europe because of the Napoleonic Wars. During this period, the Pope officially brought back the Society of Jesus everywhere in the world (1814).

From 1816 to 1820, Roothaan taught and worked in churches in Orsha, which is now in Belarus. He made his final promises to the Jesuit order in 1819. But soon after, the Jesuits were forced to leave Russia in 1820. Roothaan went into exile and ended up in Brig, Switzerland. He taught there for three years.

Later, Roothaan was chosen to be the head (rector) of a new Jesuit college in Turin, Italy. Not long after, in 1829, he became the vice-provincial for Italy. This meant he helped lead the Jesuits in that region.

Becoming the Superior General

In 1829, the leader of the Jesuits, Luigi Fortis, passed away. A special meeting, called the 21st General Congregation, was held to choose a new leader. On July 9, 1829, Jan Philipp Roothaan was elected as the Superior-General of the Society of Jesus. This was a very important role.

The meeting gave Roothaan a clear task: to make the "new" Jesuit Society strong and stable. He was asked to be careful about opening too many new schools. He also needed to improve how Jesuits were trained both mentally and spiritually. He brought back old Jesuit traditions, like writing annual letters and holding regular meetings. He also insisted that Latin be used for all official communications.

Leading the Jesuits Worldwide

Roothaan is known for helping the Jesuits keep their strong inner spirit. He wrote many letters to the Jesuits about this, starting with his first one in 1830. To help with spiritual growth, he also worked on a new version of the Spiritual Exercises by St. Ignatius, which is a guide for spiritual reflection.

In 1832, he published a new Ratio Studiorum. This was a guide for Jesuit education. It emphasized the benefits of the traditional Jesuit way of teaching. Roothaan also wanted to expand the work of the Jesuits. In 1833, he wrote a strong letter asking for volunteers to go on missions to other countries. By the end of his time as leader in 1853, there were 1014 Jesuits working in missions overseas, including in America, Africa, and Asia.

He also supported traditional Jesuit activities like preaching and helping in rural areas. When a serious illness (cholera) spread in Rome in 1837, he sent Jesuits to help the sick. He also encouraged intellectual work. The Bollandists, who study the lives of saints, continued their historical research. A new Catholic magazine, La Civiltà Cattolica, was also started.

Traveling in Difficult Times

Roothaan lived during a challenging period. Jesuits were often forced to leave different countries, especially during the Revolutions of 1848. Roothaan sent them letters to encourage them during these hard times.

Roothaan himself had to leave Rome for two years when a new government took over. This gave him a chance to visit Jesuit communities and their work in France, Belgium, the Netherlands, England, and Ireland. He was the first Jesuit Superior General to ever travel and visit these places. However, when he returned, his health was not good. He became weaker, which showed that his life was coming to an end.

His Legacy

Jan Philipp Roothaan died on May 8, 1853, in Rome. He had led the Society of Jesus for 21 years. During his time as leader, the number of Jesuits grew from 2,137 to 5,209. The number of Jesuit high schools also increased from 55 to 100.

Roothaan was a very talented man and a skilled leader. He worked tirelessly to restore and strengthen the spiritual life of the Jesuit order. He was a man of his time, meaning he didn't always agree with the new political ideas that were changing Europe in the mid-1800s.

One person who wrote about Roothaan described him well: "He was naturally very energetic, but he controlled all his feelings through Christian self-control. This meant that being very balanced in all things was his special quality."