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Tadeusz BrzozowskiGeneral of the Society of Jesus
Date of Birth: 21.10.1749
Country:  Poland |
Content:
- Early Life and Jesuit Formation
- Return of the Jesuits and Rise in Russia
- General of the Jesuits in Russia
- Restoration of the Society of Jesus
- Final Years and Legacy
Early Life and Jesuit Formation
Thaddeus Brzozowski was born in 1749 in Königsberg to a Polish family. He joined the Jesuit Order in 1765 and studied at Jesuit colleges in Slutsk and Nesvizh. After the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773, he moved to Vilnius and pursued theological studies, being ordained a priest in 1775.
Return of the Jesuits and Rise in Russia
When Empress Catherine II refused to enforce the papal bull dissolving the Jesuits in Russia, Brzozowski re-entered the Order in Polotsk. He excelled in theological research and preaching, and held various teaching and administrative positions within the Order. In 1797, he was appointed Secretary of the Society and worked closely with the General Vicars of the Jesuits in Russia.
General of the Jesuits in Russia
In 1801, the Jesuits were officially permitted in Russia, and Brzozowski was appointed assistant to the newly elected General, Gabriel Gruber. After Gruber's tragic death in 1805, Brzozowski was elected General. During his tenure as General in Russia (1805-1815), he oversaw a period of expansion, founding missions and establishing the Polotsk College as an academy with university privileges.
Restoration of the Society of Jesus
In 1814, Pope Pius VII restored the Society of Jesus worldwide. As a result, Brzozowski became the nineteenth General of the newly reestablished Order. This development led to tensions with the Russian court, culminating in the expulsion of the Jesuits from St. Petersburg in 1815.
Final Years and Legacy
Brzozowski spent his later years in Polotsk, where he died in 1820. Shortly after his passing, the Jesuits were expelled from Russia, and their institutions were dissolved. Luigi Fortis succeeded Brzozowski as General of the Order in 1820. Brzozowski's legacy includes his leadership during a pivotal period for the Jesuits in Russia and his contributions to the Order's restoration worldwide.
