The 27th Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Jean-Baptiste Janssens, provided sanctuary to a large number of Jewish children within the Brussels residence of the Jesuit Provincial during 1945. This act of protection occurred while he served as the Provincial for the Northern Belgian Province, an office he held during the final years of the Second World War.
Academic and Formative Years
Born in Mechelen, Belgium, in 1889, Janssens attended the Diocesan Secondary School in Hasselt before moving to the St. Aloysius University Faculty in Brussels. His religious training began in September 1907 when he entered the Jesuit novitiate at Drongen. He completed his initial vows in 1909. Further studies included philosophy in Leuven and a doctorate in civil law from the Catholic University of Louvain. Between 1921 and 1923, he studied at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, where he earned a doctorate in canon law. Returning to Leuven, he served as a teacher of canon law until his appointment as rector of the Jesuit theologate in 1929.
Twenty questions, eight minutes on the clock, and a percentile measured against everyone who has taken it. No sign-up.
Take the IQ test →Election as Superior General
Following the 1942 death of Superior General Wlodimir Ledóchowski, the Society of Jesus remained under the governance of Vicar General Norbert de Boynes for three years due to war conditions. In 1946, the 29th General Congregation convened in Rome to elect a successor. On 15 September 1946, delegates selected the 57-year-old Janssens to lead the order. His tenure spanned 18 years, during which he focused on administrative restructuring and global ministry coordination.
Ecclesiastical Governance and Social Reform
In 1949, Janssens issued an Instruction on the Social Apostolate, a document that urged Jesuit institutions to prioritize the needs of the proletariat. He explicitly challenged the existence of caste systems within Jesuit schools and warned against identifying with the wealthy. To improve operational efficiency, he established offices for general Prefects of Studies to oversee provincial and national colleges. In 1960, he hosted the first international meeting of education experts in Rome to standardize the Society's academic criteria.
Final Years
By 1957, Janssens requested the 30th General Congregation to provide him with a vicar general, resulting in the election of John Swain. His later administrative focus aligned with the developments of the Second Vatican Council, particularly regarding the expansion of ministries to serve the poor. After 18 years and one month in his position, he died on 5 October 1964 in Rome. He was buried at the Campo Verano cemetery.
Fast facts
- Born: 1889, Mechelen, Belgium
- Died: 5 October 1964, Rome, Italy
- Positions held: Superior General of the Society of Jesus (1946-1964)
- Education: UCLouvain Saint-Louis – Bruxelles and Pontifical Gregorian University
- Recognition: Righteous Among the Nations (1975)
- Burial site: Campo Verano
- Religious affiliation: Catholic, Latin Church
Questions readers ask
Why was Jean-Baptiste Janssens recognized as Righteous Among the Nations?
He was awarded the title in 1975 for his role in sheltering a large group of Jewish children at the Jesuit Provincial residence in Brussels during 1945.
What major internal changes did Janssens implement in Jesuit schools?
He mandated the creation of offices for Prefects of Studies to coordinate education across provincial and national borders and pushed for an apostolate focused on the needs of the poor rather than the wealthy.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1975
- Worked as Catholic priest, teacher and canon law jurist
- Educated at Pontifical Gregorian University and UCLouvain Saint-Louis – Bruxelles
