In 1796, with the invasion of the pope's states, the remaining Jesuits became dispersed, and the few Americans returned to their respective countries. Some of them had their pensions doubled and trebled, and received other compensations. But the privilege of living in their native country did not last long. The Spanish government, controlled by Godoy, the favorite of King Cárlos IV., caused the last survivors to be confined in convents.[1]
The deputies from America and the Philippines to the national córtes in Spain, presented several petitions for the restoration of the society of Jesus in the Indies. The eleventh and last was on the 16th of December 1810, and was ratified on the 31st of the same month by new members from Mexico. The reasons[2] adduced were the great importance of the society in promoting science, and the progress of missions which introduced and spread the Christian faith among the
- ↑ Bustamante, Expatriacion, in Alegre, Hist. Comp. Jesus, iii. 304; Id., Suplem., in Cavo, Tres Siglos, iii. 4. Father Rafael de Célis, a native of Vera Cruz, wrote in 1786 a catalogue of the province of Mexico containing biographical data, and showing the date of death of each member till the time of his own demise. The list was continued by Father Pedro Manjuez. Only 99 were alive at the beginning of the 19th century; and in 1820, 96 of them were already dead. Comp. Jesus, Catálogo, 3-202; Gaz. Mex. (1798-9), ix. 85-7. It is well known that several of the exiled Jesuits wrote voluminous works, for which the learned world has given them due credit. Among such writers were several natives of New Spain, from whose productions I have often quoted in the course of this work. Their names and writings will be duly noticed elsewhere. Others had won themselves in the eighteenth century an honorable and revered name in Mexico, for their virtues and apostolic zeal; namely, Antonio de Hordoñana, Francisco Chavez, Francisco Javier Solchaga, Juan Villavicencio; Francis Herman Glandorff, a native of Westphalia, the great apostle of Taraumara, who was compared with Saint Francis Xavier, and died August 9, 1763; Juan Francisco Iragorri, the 'santo americano;' Francisco Javier Gomez; Juan Perez, of whom Father Oviedo said that a man of approved spirit saw 'subir su alma de la cama al cielo, sin pasar por el purgatorio'—seeing the soul fly up is certainly a dramatic form of expression. Perez died in March, 1780; he was noted for the charitable care he took of insane females. Then there were Agustin Arriola, Manuel Álvarez, Juan Carnero, who foretold the day of his death; José de Guevara, Cristóbal Flores, Salvador de la Gándara, Manuel Arce, Pedro Canton, Juan Antonio de Oviedo, Juan Mayora, and Agustin Marquez. Excepting Glandorff, Gomez, Perez, and Alvarez, the above named were born in New Spain. Mayora, Rel., 1-78; Dicc. Univ. Hist. Geog., i.-x. passim; Jesus, Cat. Comp., 200; Lazcano, Vida del P. Oviedo, 1-582; Pap. de Jesuitas, MS., no. 20, 1-31; Castañiza, Rel., frontispiece.
- ↑ The new deputies asked for their consideration, 'con la preferencia que demandan las Américas, y la urgencia de que somos testigos.' Bustamante, Defensa Comp. Jesus, 15-16.
