FRANCA, LEONEL

Founder and first rector of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, spiritual leader and writer; b. São Gabriel, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, Jan. 6, 1893;d. Rio de Janeiro, Sept. 3, 1948. After completing his early studies in Bahia, he attended the Jesuit Colégio Ancheita in Novo Friburgo, Rio de Janeiro, until he entered the Society of Jesus on Nov. 12, 1908. Upon completion of his liberal arts studies in São Paulo (1912), he studied philosophy at the Gregorian University, Rome. Returning to Brazil (1915), he taught for five years at the Colégio S. Inácio, Rio de Janeiro. He went back to Rome (1920) for theology at the Gregorian and was ordained on July 26, 1923. After his tertianship at Oya, Spain (1925), he pronounced his solemn vows on Feb. 2, 1926, at the Colégio Anchieta, which had become the scholasticate; there for two years he taught philosophy and was prefect of discipline. In 1928 Franca returned to the Colégio S. Inácio, where he remained until his death.

From his youth Franca was the victim of a heart ailment and received the Anointing of the Sick five times, but his frail health did not prevent him from exercising an extraordinary influence, particularly on the intellectual levels and among the nation's leaders. He was also a dedicated confessor and especially gifted as a spiritual director. He organized and for years was president of the Association of Catholic Professors in Rio de Janeiro and for a long time was ecclesiastical assistant in various centers of Catholic Action. Cardinals Sebastian Leme and Jaime de Barros Cámara held him in high esteem and entrusted him with important religio-political missions. He also enjoyed great prestige in government circles, and his influence as counselor of ministers and of members of Parliament brought about favorable decisions in various questions of national scope, e.g., legislation on divorce, laws in favor of religious instruction in government controlled schools, and the appointment of chaplains to the armed forces. The President of the Republic, Getúlio Vargas, invited him to run for senator.

Franca was a prolific writer and lecturer. At his death more than 200 lectures on apologetics, education, and sociology were found in his files. He published 14 books, the best known being Nocoes da História da Filosofia (currently in its 18th edition), O Divórcio, A Psicologia da Fé, A Crise do Mundo Moderno (translated into Spanish), A Imitação de Cristo, A Igreja, A Reforma, e a Civilização (translated into Dutch), O Livro dos Salmos, and a study of the ratio studiorum. He contributed to numerous journals until he devoted his time exclusively to the periodical Verbum, which he founded (1944) as the Catholic University magazine. When the foundation of the university was decided upon in the Brazilian Plenary Council of 1939, Cardinal Leme entrusted the work to the Society of Jesus in the person of Franca. He organized first the Catholic Faculties of Rio de Janeiro with chairs in law, philosophy, sciences, and letters. On Dec. 12, 1940, he was named the first rector. In March 1941 he inaugurated courses for both men and women. In 1942 the government officially recognized the Catholic Faculties. Franca founded (1943) the School of Social Service. In 1946 the federal government granted the institution the official title of university, and in the following year the Holy See raised it to the rank of pontifical university. Finally, in 1948, Franca obtained the government's authorization to install the faculty of engineering. This was the last note in his diary.

Bibliography: l. g. da s. d'elboux, O Padre Leonel Franca, S.J. (Rio de Janeiro 1953).

[l. g. s. d'elboux]