Lorenzo Ricci
Lorenzo Ricci (2 August 1703
Early life and career
Ricci was born in Florence, Italy, into one of the most ancient and illustrious families of Tuscany. When very young, he was sent to Prato to the Jesuits Cicognini College. He entered the Society when he was scarcely fifteen, on 16 December 1718, at the novitiate of S. Andrea at Rome.
Having completed his studies in philosophy (1722–25) and theology (1729–34) at the
Superior General
At the 19th
Jesuits in Portugal
The crisis with the Catholic Bourbon royal courts was coming to a head. Four months after Ricci's election, an attempt was made on the life of King Joseph I of Portugal. Prime Minister Carvalho, jealous of Gabriel Malagrida's influence at court, charged the Jesuit with involvement in the plot. Malagrida was declared guilty of high treason, but, as a priest, could not be executed without the consent of the Inquisition, so he was executed for heresy instead. The Jesuits were expelled from Portugal in September 1759.[4] The decree also included the Portuguese possessions of Brazil, Goa, and Macao.[5]
Jesuits in France
The Jesuits in France had earned the enmity of the influential Madame de Pompadour. According to the Comtesse de Courson, in 1752 Pompadour had approached the Jesuits requesting to be openly admitted the sacraments, in hopes of strengthening her position and influence to the detriment of the Queen and the Dauphin. Suspecting her motives were less than spiritual, the priests demurred until such time as she should cease to be the King's mistress. Within a few years she became one of the most ardent promoters of the destruction of the Society; the reason for her hostility suspected by many.[5]
As long as
Ricci sent circular letters to the Jesuits on Fervent perseverance in Prayer (1763), On greater fervour in prayer in 1769, and just a few months before the suppression of the Society another one on a New Incentive to Prayer (February 1773). Clearly he was not in touch with what was going on. But pressure on the
Death
Jesuit communities were disbanded, libraries confiscated, and properties looted. Under pressure from Spanish ambassador
About six weeks after Ricci's death, Pope Pius VI ordered the release of Ricci's five assistants.[6]
References
- ^ a b c Van Ortroy, Francis. "Lorenzo Ricci." The Catholic Encyclopedia Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. 30 May 2018
- ^ Syre, Otto. "November 24th 1775 – Ricci Lorenzo", Jesuiten, October 2, 2014
- ^ Cordara, Julius. "Denkwurdigkeiten der Jesuiten", Beiträge zur politischen, kirchlichen und Culturgesch, III (Ignaz von Döllinger, ed.), 1882, p. 19
- ^ a b c "The Jesuit Ordeal IV: Lorenzo Ricci, the Last General", John J. Burns Library, Boston College
- ^ a b c Neave, Barbara (Comtesse de Courson). The Jesuits: Their Foundation and History, Vol. 1, Benziger Brothers, 1879 This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain.
- ^ a b Byron, Tim et al. "Jan 15 1776 – Jesuit prisoners released from Castel Sant’Angelo", Jesuit Restoration - 1814, January 14, 2014
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "Lorenzo Ricci". Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
- attribution
- Cordara, De suppressione Societatis commentarii, Padua, 1923-25.
- Ravignan, Xavier de, Clément XIII et Clément XIV, Paris, 1856.
- Rosa, I., I Gesuiti, Rome, 1957.
- Pastor, Ludwig von, Geschichte der Päpste, XVI,2 Herder Freiburg, 1961