Five facts about Jesuits

As Jesuits gather in Rome to elect their superior leader here are five facts about them.

1. The Society of Jesus, as Jesuits used to be known are officially known, was founded in 1540 by the Spaniard St. Ignatius Loyola. The order has about 19,200 members in 112 countries. At its height in the 1960s the order had 36,000 members. It is a male-only order with a growing number of members from developing countries, especially India.

2. The Jesuits were disbanded by Pope Clement XIV in 1773 after political pressure in Europe, but were restored in 1814 by Pope Pius VII. They were said to be such astute debaters that critics coined the adjective “jesuitical” to describe someone who uses sly reasoning to argue a point of view.

3. They are best known for their prominent role in education, theology, missionary work
and publishing, with a strong emphasis on social justice and human rights. They run many prestigious secondary schools and universities around the world and publish leading intellectual journals.

4. Pope John Paul II, who died in 2005, clashed with the Jesuits. He said the order had become too independent, leftist and political, particularly in Latin America. Many of the theologians disciplined by the Vatican in recent years have been Jesuits.

5. The new Jesuit leader is elected by a secret ballot. After he is chosen, delegates are not allowed to leave the room until the Pope is informed, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition.

Source: Reuters.

Comments

[Tony Francis]

Pere Lachaise, the big cemetary in Paris where Chopin, Jim Morrison of the Doors, Peter Abelard and Heloise, and many other luminaries are buried is said to have come from confiscated Jesuit land.
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pere_Lachaise
Some Catholic Saints like St. Francis of Assisi have universal appeal. Others like St. Ignatius Loyola remain controversial, both within and outside the Church.
http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus
Himmler was said to be an admirer of the Jesuits. He organized the SS to be a militant defender of Nazisim and the Third Reich, in a manner similar to what he envisioned the Jesuits to be of the Catholic Church. A few years ago, an old Irish priest said of the Jesuits: "They used to be good, very good, but I just can't say that of them anymore." - with appropriate head hanging and Irish brogue.

[Julia from Illinois]

The order's name is still "The Society of Jesus".

"Jesuit" is the nickname of the order's individual members.

[Tom Heneghan]

It has just been pointed out to me that Faith Central quoted the above Reuters story as saying the Jesuits used to be known as the Society of Jesus. In our original story, we said they are known as the Society of Jesus "formally." Some subeditor appears to have misunderstood this to mean "formerly" and changed it before the story appeared here.

[John]

The Jesuits are famous for saying "give us the boy for the first 7 years of his life, and we'll give you back the man"

Maybe they should update it for the present day? "give us the boy for the first 7 years of his life, and we'll give you back a constant stream of brainwashed, abused, socially inept, scientifically backward, repuiblican candidates"

Maybe these guys pray harder for paedophile priests, and that's why the Catholics don't like them?

[alan]

Catch 'em young! The motto of all religions.
Why do you think they're so keen on Faith Schools, Sunday Schools and Koran Schools?
What emerges? Brainwashed little brats.
Some, thank goodness, have enough intelligence to free themselves.
But not many.