How the Founder dealt with the Roman Curia: A three-part historical review.

Part One:
The Founder’s way and stamina in dealing with authorities in Rome.

Over time, the Mission House in Steyl grew into a religious congregation under the leadership of Fr. Arnold Janssen, the Superior General for life. He was in command of the Society for 33 years, overseeing the inception of four mission houses, five seminaries, and the unfolding of new SVD missions overseas. He also was responsible for the appointments of hundred priests, Brothers, and Sisters year after year. However, as prevailing Superior General, he was dependent on the higher authorities in Rome, especially on his immediate Superior, the Prefect of the Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide (SCPF), charged with the supreme direction and administration of the missionary activity of the Church.

Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide’s initial position on the Society.

The SCPF had considered our Society as a missionary and not as religious in principle. The SVD priests were ordained early, according to the Titulus Missionis. Fr. Arnold had to obey the directives of the Curia officials. They did not always overlap with his opinions and the interests of the Society. His main goal was the establishment of the Society on a solid foundation. His obedience is seen in how he interpreted orders sensible and broad-mindedly.

Fr. Arnold reminded his missionaries to consider the demanded statistics for SCPF on “how often the missionaries have dispensed each sacrament, e.g., baptisms, anointings, confessions, communions; how many chapels, churches, schools, and pupils there are, etc., and finally, what the total number of Christians is.” (AJ Reader, No. 182).

Fr. Blume stated, “he (Fr. Arnold) loved the tombs of the martyrs and saints, but not the negotiations with the Curia.” That was even more evident as the Founder aged in years. Nevertheless, the Founder’s dealing with the Roman authorities, specifically with officials of the Propaganda Fide, provides us with some interesting observations.

The Founder: An Untiring contemplative in action.

Arnold Janssen undertook ten tiring business trips to Rome during his lifetime. He was received at six papal audiences: four times by Pope Leo XIII (1878, 1883, 1885, 1893) and two times Pope Pius X (1905, 1907). His Roman trips took place with quite astonishing regularity: 1878, 1881, 1883, 1885, 1891, 1893, 1899, 1900, 1905, 1907 and were of vital importance for the internal and external development of the Society.

These time-consuming and thorny negotiations in Rome concerned: mission territories, papal approval of the Rule, Bishop Anzer’s case, and territorial division of the Society. To have some idea of the Founder’s busy schedule in Rome, it’s insightful to look onto his travel notebook from his Roman stay in 1899. He met with Msgr. Vives y Tutó OFMCap., an influential theologian and consultor of SCPF (Cardinal since 1899) five times. He had four sessions with Card. Steinhuber SJ, consultant to SCPF, and Card. Cavagna, eminent canonist. In addition, he met and exchanged views with Card. Jacobini, the former secretary of SCPF, Card. Mieczyslaw Halka-Ledochowski, the Prefect of SCPF, and Msgr. Ciasca, secretary of SCPF (also cardinal since 1899).

He had two meetings with Card. Satolli, a renowned professor of neo-scholastic at the Urban College of SCPF. Arnold also met with Card. Rampolla, the Secretary of State once. Besides, he met a bunch of Latin-American bishops assembled at their first Plenary Council in Rome. During his seventh visit to Rome in 1899, he almost went daily to St. Peter’s Basilica to pray for all confreres at the Prince of the Apostles’ tomb. This spiritual closeness to the apostles and spiritual treasures of the Church reflects his pronounced Sentire cum Ecclesia.

Initial contact with Cardinal Alessandro Franchi.

The excellent way to bring closer Arnold Janssen’s relations to the Propaganda Fide is to characterize his dealing with the four Cardinal Prefects SCPF during his lifetime as Superior General. The first was the brief contact with Card. Alessandro Franchi, Prefect of SCPF for four years (1874-1878). He was considered in a positive sense as a “liberal” and an experienced diplomat from Rome striving for reconciliation and moderation.

Before opening the mission house in Steyl, Fr. Arnold addressed him in a draft letter of February 9, 1875, which was never sent. He wrote: “I have consistently recognized the significance and importance of Rome, and therefore, I strove to establish a foundation in the center of Christianity as soon as I could.” At his first Roman visit in 1878, Fr. Arnold wanted to meet Card Franchi. Meanwhile, under the new Pope Leo XIII, Franchi became the new Secretary of State. But the Cardinal was out for dinner, so he left only his card explaining the purpose of his visit to the priest on duty. The Cardinal died suddenly at the end of that month.

Reminiscences from other meetings with Curial officials.

Fr. Arnold left some reminiscences of his meetings with the Curial officials. About his second Roman visit in 1881, he wrote: “Yesterday and the day before, I was with various cardinals of the Propaganda, all of whom received me warmly, and most of whom gave me more than half an hour to tell them about our house and the situation in our region,” then he added “I still have many visits to make, for instance, to the cardinals and offices attached to the Propaganda. It involves much walking and then very often they may not be in”.

Fr. Arnold could be very determined in dealing with the Roman officials. The latter “was often dismayed and upset when he approached them with his counterproposals” (Remembering AJ, 288). Fr. Hilger, his secretary, reported that he could present his reasons in such a humble and proper manner that he usually achieved more than he had hoped; one of the officials just said: “We will let the old man have his way.”

Card. Francesco di Paola Satolli (1839-1910), the Prefect in charge of the commission for approving the constitutions, claimed that our General was a holy man, but he couldn’t understand him. Card. Satolli showed little understanding of Fr. Arnold’s arguments and objected to the name of our Society. Finally, he had been overruled by the sound arguments of the Founder. Despite that, he rejected categorically any modification.

Overall, Fr. Arnold took some heavy blows during the strenuous negotiations on the papal approval of the Rule. Nevertheless, he kept his usual calm composure. He proceeded prudently. Through his unpretentious attitude, Fr. Arnold made an extremely positive impression. He stuck to his deep conviction that “missionaries must bear witness to Christ, first of all in their conduct and lifestyle. Skillful diplomacy and connections with people in high places were secondary matters”.

The next part of the series will focus on the Founder’s attempts to solicit the approval of the Rule 1899-1905. How did he fare with the Propaganda Fide?