VAN ROSSUM, WILLEM MARINUS

Cardinal; b. Zwolle, Netherlands, Sept. 3, 1854; d. Maastricht, Aug. 30, 1932. After early education in an orphanage, he entered a seminary (1867), joined the re demptorists (1874), and was ordained (1879). After being successively professor of dogmatic theology (1883–92) and rector (1893–95) at Wittem, he went to Rome (1895) and was appointed consultor to the Holy Office (1896) and to the Redemptorist superior general (1909). From 1904 to 1917 he was a member of the commission that prepared the Code of canon law. Created cardinal (1911), he became a member of several Roman congregations and succeeded Cardinal rampolla as president of the pontifical biblical commission (1914). In 1918 he became prefect of the Congregation for the propagation of the faith (Propaganda), and titular archbishop of Caesarea in Mauritania. As head of Propaganda he played a key role in repairing the devastations of World War I in the missions and inaugurating a period of great mission activity. Vigorous and farsighted, he inspired the creation of native priesthoods and hierarchies, including the first seven Chinese bishops (1926) and the first Japanese bishop (1927). He was also responsible for founding several missionary seminaries, notably the Collegium Urbanum at Rome (1928); creating 162 new missionary districts; and reassigning expelled German missionaries to new areas in South Africa and China. Centralized control of the missions from Rome was maintained by new apostolic delegations. The International Fides Service provided detailed information about mission territories. Van Rossum's inspiration was important in the appearance of the papal missionary encyclicals Maximum illud (1919) and Rerum Ecclesiae (1926). The cardinal was also largely instrumental in reorganizing and centralizing associations providing material aid to the missions. Through the Unio cleri pro missionibus he increased clerical participation in mission activities. Van Rossum acted as papal legate to the Eucharistic Congresses at Vienna (1912) and Amsterdam (1925). He also published theological and devotional works.

Bibliography: m. de meulemeester et al., Bibliographie générale des écrivains Rédemptoristes, 3 v. (Louvain 1933–39) 2:444–447. j. m. drehmans, Kardinaal van Rossum (Roermond 1935). j. o. smit, Wilhelmus Marinus kardinaal van Rossum (Roermond 1955).

[a. g. weiler]