Anselm Eckart
Encyclopedia
Anselm Eckart was a German Jesuit
missionary.
Eckart was born in , in what is now Germany. Entering the Society of Jesus at nineteen, he was sent as a missionary to Brazil
. Two years after his arrival in that country, he and his Jesuit brethren were arrested in the aftermath of the Távora affair
and carried to Portugal
. There they were kept in prison.
Eckart was confined for eighteen years in the underground dungeons of Almeida
and St. Julian. He wrote the story of his own sufferings and those of his companions in prison. Upon the death of Joseph I of Portugal in 1777, the Jesuits' opponent Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal fell into disgrace, and those of his victims who survived were released.
The Society of Jesus, which had been suppressed
four years earlier by the Brief of Pope Clement XIV
, had continued to exist in Russia. Father Eckart applied for readmission, and spent another 32 years in this way in the order. After filling the office of Master of Novices at Dünaburg, he was sent to the College of Polstok, Polish Russia, where he died aged 87.
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
missionary.
Eckart was born in , in what is now Germany. Entering the Society of Jesus at nineteen, he was sent as a missionary to Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Two years after his arrival in that country, he and his Jesuit brethren were arrested in the aftermath of the Távora affair
Távora affair
The Távora affair was a political scandal of the 18th century Portuguese court. The events triggered by the attempted murder of King Joseph I of Portugal in 1758 ended with the public execution of the entire Távora family and its closest relatives in 1759...
and carried to Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
. There they were kept in prison.
Eckart was confined for eighteen years in the underground dungeons of Almeida
Almeida
Almeida is a municipality in Portugal with a total area of 518 km2 and a total population of 7,784 inhabitants. Located in Riba-Côa river valley, Almeida is an historic town in Beira Interior....
and St. Julian. He wrote the story of his own sufferings and those of his companions in prison. Upon the death of Joseph I of Portugal in 1777, the Jesuits' opponent Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, Marquis of Pombal fell into disgrace, and those of his victims who survived were released.
The Society of Jesus, which had been suppressed
Suppression of the Jesuits
The Suppression of the Jesuits in the Portuguese Empire, France, the Two Sicilies, Parma and the Spanish Empire by 1767 was a result of a series of political moves rather than a theological controversy. By the brief Dominus ac Redemptor Pope Clement XIV suppressed the Society of Jesus...
four years earlier by the Brief of Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV
Pope Clement XIV , born Giovanni Vincenzo Antonio Ganganelli, was Pope from 1769 to 1774. At the time of his election, he was the only Franciscan friar in the College of Cardinals.-Early life:...
, had continued to exist in Russia. Father Eckart applied for readmission, and spent another 32 years in this way in the order. After filling the office of Master of Novices at Dünaburg, he was sent to the College of Polstok, Polish Russia, where he died aged 87.