The Pontifical Colleges of the Society of Jesus in Rome

Where were the priests and religious of the different nationes sent to Rome trained, academically and spiritually?

A number of pontifical colleges were active in Rome, and in many cases still are, for the training of local and international clergy. The most famous is the Roman College, which was intended for the training not only of Jesuits but also of priests mainly from the Old Italian States. They are called ‘pontifical’ because they were founded by the Pontiffs or became the property of the Holy See over time.

The Holy See entrusted some of these colleges to the Society of Jesus. Due to their location in the city of Rome, they were considered part of the Roman Province.

From around 1950, these particular institutions, together with other residences, were no longer dependent on the Roman Province but on the General Curia, they became part of the DIR: domus internationalis romanorum.

These were usually still living institutions and for these reasons, our historical archive has never received their archival fonds, which are still kept at their respective locations. In our archives, on the other hand, there is documentation from communication with the provincial for canonical visits, historia domus, and correspondence.

Let us see together which colleges these are and the sources on each of them in our archives.

Brazilian College

The Pius Brazilian Pontifical College has been run by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil since 2014.

Previously it was entrusted to the Society of Jesus, which trained generations of priests from Brazil here. The documentation preserved in our archive covers a chronological span between 1934 and 1952, consisting mainly of litterae annuae, letters of consultation, correspondence, and reports of the Provincial’s visits.

Of particular note are the statutes of the Academy of Blessed Ignatius de Azevedo SJ.

Germanic Hungarian College

Founded in 1552, it is one of the oldest pontifical colleges. Still entrusted to the Society of Jesus, clergy from Austria, Germany and Hungary and German-speaking countries in general are trained here.

Our archives contain documents produced between the second half of the 19th century and 1952: litterae annuae and historiae domus, correspondence, notes from the spiritual father of the college, a proposal for the adaptation of the rules, reports from the provincial, balance sheets, a few photographs and documents on the work carried out.

The Pontifical German-Hungarian College has its own historical archives, which is also frequented by our researchers and other scholars.

Greek College

The Pontifical Greek College, in existence since 1576, has been entrusted throughout its history to different religious orders: Dominicans, Jesuits, and Benedictines. So called in reference to the Byzantine, not Latin, rite practised by the priests who studied here, the college has trained clergy coming mainly from Albania and the Balkans and, more recently, from the Near East and other places with Byzantine rite.

It was entrusted to the Society of Jesus already during the Old Society and then for some years in the New: from 1890 until 1898. From this last period some documents remain on the history of the College, some letters and the registers of the ascribed to the Congregation of the Immaculate.

Ruthenian College

The Pontifical Ruthenian College was intended for the training of clergy from the Ukraine. It was only entrusted to the Society of Jesus for a few years between 1890 and 1904. From this period, however, we have documentation that is useful for researchers interested in reconstructing its history and work, thanks also to a history of the college written by Fr Polidori, one of its two Jesuit rectors. We also possess the historiae domus, correspondence and economic documents.

Pontifical Latin American College

As its name suggests, the college had as its objective the training of clergy from South America. It was entrusted to the Jesuits a few years after its establishment in 1856, the Father General assigned it to the Spanish Jesuits. It passed to the Roman Province around 1859. Today it is still run by the Society of Jesus but no longer depends on the Roman Province as it does for other international colleges.

We have more documentation of this college because of its long history with the Society of Jesus. In the folders we keep litterae annuae, lists of students, briefs of Pontiffs, documentation on the construction and arrangement of some of the college buildings, the college regulations, photographs of the community and the buildings.

The picture in today’s episode depicts one of the premises of the Pontifical Pio Latino Americano College, at Via Gioacchino Belli no. 3 in Rome, built between 1884 and 1887, then demolished in the 1960s.

Maronite College

Our archives also holds documentation of the Pontifical Maronite College between 1931 and 1939, the years in which it was entrusted to the Society of Jesus. A letter from Cardinal Tisserant on the suspension of the college is also preserved.

Polish College

This is the College for which our archive has less material than the others, only the litterae annuae of the years 1949 – 1951, since it was entrusted to the Society of Jesus. We do not keep other papers because, as already explained, from the early 1950s these colleges were no longer dependent on the Roman Province.

Russicum College

Entrusted to the Society since its foundation, the Pontifical College Russicum houses Catholic and Orthodox religious.

Here too, what has been said about the Polish College applies: in our archives we only keep the litterae annuuae for a few years, 1939 – 1942 and from 1945 to 1948, the institute keeps its own archives and has no longer been dependent on the Roman Province since the early 1950s.

Our archives also contain some documents concerning the Pontifical Urban College of Propaganda Fide: a lecture from 1837, some letters and customs. Here too, the college has not deposited its own archives.

Maria Macchi