Peter Jan Beckx
Pierre Jean Beckx SJ ( born February 5, 1795 in Zichem in Leuven, Belgium, † March 4, 1887 in Rome) was 22 general of the Society of Jesus.
Life
Beckx, son of a shoemaker, attended by the Latin school Zichem 1815 the Jesuit College at Malines, where he was ordained a priest on March 7, 1819. He was first eight months chaplains in Uccle / Ukkel in Brussels, on October 29, 1819 Beckx entered the Congregation of the Society of Jesus in. After pastoral activities in Hamburg, Hildesheim and Braunschweig, he became professor of canon law in Hildesheim.
As 1825 Duke Friedrich Ferdinand of Anhalt- Köthen converted to the Catholic faith, Beckx was sent as chaplain and confessor to Köthen. After the death of the Duke in 1830 he moved with his widow, the Duchess Julie, to Vienna. During his stay in Vienna he was charged several times by his order, but by the Holy See, with important missions in Lombardy, Hungary and Bavaria. In the revolutionary year of 1848 Duchess Julie and Beckx died was sold with all other Jesuits from Austria.
Beckx went back to Belgium and in 1851 Rector of the College in Leuven. Soon, however, he returned back to Austria, and in 1852 was appointed Superior of Hungary and a short time later he became Provincial of the Province of Austria. In this capacity he participated in the Congregation of Procurators in Rome.
When, on May 8, 1853, died the 21st General of the Order, Joannes Philip Roothaan, 1853 Beckx, the General Assembly unanimously on July 2 to 22, General of the Order.
Beckx succeeded as Jesuit General, the number of members of the order to more than double. During his tenure, new Jesuit provinces were created in Ireland, France, Spain, Portugal and North America. Even the frequent missions in Protestant areas and the significant influence that the Order had won, especially since the late 1850s, were primarily attributable to its skillful management of the affairs of the Order.
During his tenure the Order Magazine Civiltà Cattolica (Italy ) was founded. He was also co-founder of Etudes (France), the voices from Khajuraho ( Germany ) (now: '' Voices of Time '') and the Journal of Catholic Theology ( Austria ).
1873 moved Beckx together with the mother house of the Order to Fiesole, near Florence has to offer. At his own request Beckx 1884 Anthony Anderledy was at its side, cum jure successionis. This meant that Anderledy should still be proclaimed on the anniversary Beckx ' the new General.
His last years were spent Beckx again in Rome, where he died at the age of 92 years on March 4, 1887.
The significant for India Jesuit Bishop Charles Lavigne (1840-1913) worked for 4 years as his secretary in front of his missionary activity and was coined by him.
Works
- Month of Mary, Fribourg 1885