Pierre Charles

Pierre Charles (3 July 1883 – 11 February 1954) was a Belgian Jesuit priest, philosopher and theologian. He is particularly remembered for animating the Semaine missiologique de Louvain (Louvain Missiology week). Biography Early formation After brilliant studies at the St Michael College, Brussels, Pierre entered the noviciate of the Society of Jesus on 23 September 1899, at Tronchiennes. The initial spiritual formation completed, it was clear that he would be destined for intellectual work in the Society of Jesus. For his years of Theological training (1907-1910) the young Jesuit was in Hastings (England) where the French Jesuits had their Theologate in exile. He had among his professors Léonce de Grandmaison and Albert Condamin and as companions: Pierre Rousselot, Joseph Huby, Auguste Valensin, Paul Doncœur and Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He was ordained priest (along with his brother Jean) on 24 August 1910, in Louvain (Belgium). This was followed by another year of Theology. The last year of Jesuit formation, known as "Tertianship", was made under the direction of Father August Petit, in Tronchiennes (1911-1912). During a further two years of theological specialization at the University of Louvain he went to Paris where he studied at the Catholic Institute, the Sorbonne, the College of France and the School of higher studies. He thus attended the classes of Henri Bergson and Victor Delbos.