The thawed relationship between Jesuit order Society of Jesus and John Paul is a major accomplishment of Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, a low-key and unflappable native of the Netherlands.

For centuries, the Society of Jesus has been considered both a blessing and a bane to the Roman Catholic Church. The order has been expelled at various times by the rulers of France, Spain, Portugal, Austria, Russia, Japan; the Papacy itself once suppressed the organization for 41 years. In modern…