Ignatius of Loyola establishes the Jesuit Order to stop the spread of Protestantism in the 16th Century.
The 16th Century was a time of great change in Europe. The Renaissance was shaping art, literature and philosophy, while the Protestant Reformation was changing the face of Christian worship. In response to the growing numbers of Protestants in Europe, following Martin Luther’s 95 Theses, the Catholic Church began sweeping policy changes. One of the changes during the Counter-Reformation was the establishment of an intellectual group of Catholic priests, called the Jesuits.
The three main activities of the Jesuit Order were:
- Stopping the spread of Protestantism in both Europe and the New World
- Spreading the tenants of Catholicism through missionary work
- Establishing Catholic schools and colleges in Europe and abroad
Ignatius of Loyola Founds the Jesuit Order
A Spanish soldier, Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a devout Catholic who helped to establish the Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. Ignatius used his military background, when organizing his followers. He wrote a book, “The Spiritual Exercises,” as a guide for Jesuit Priests. In it, Jesuits were encouraged to practice firm discipline, regular and detailed confession, and to excel at all tasks no matter how humble, because they were doing God’s work.
The Jesuits in the New World
The earliest settlers of the Americas were accompanied by missionaries from the Jesuit, Franciscan and Dominican orders. Each of these religious groups played an important role in establishing Christianity in both North and South America. The missionaries also were responsible for introducing European farming methods to Native Americans, as well as loyalty to the Spanish crown.
Matteo Ricci and China
One of the best known Jesuit priests was Matteo Ricci, who spent 30 years at the royal court in China. He is credited as being the first to introduce European customs to the Chinese. Ricci tried, unsuccessfully to establish Christianity in China. However, most Chinese were not accepting of a theology that forbids the worship of Ancestors. The Chinese emperors, however, let Jesuit missionaries stay on as court mathematicians, astronomers and cartographers through the 17th and 18th Centuries.
Decline of the Jesuit Order
By the early 18th Century members of the Jesuit order held a great deal of political power throughout Europe and the New World, with members in high government positions. Jesuit colleges educated the Catholic nobility, further strengthening their influence in Europe. So it isn’t any great surprise that the order had many political enemies. Spain and Portugal disliked the power the Jesuits had in the Americas. In Portuguese and Spanish colonies, Jesuit missionaries operated their missions like independent states, protecting the rights of the Native Americans. Spain and Portugal wanted the mission land and slave labor from natives, and pressured the pope to disband the order.
The Age of Reason brought about a general dislike of the Jesuits by both enlightened thinkers and monarchs. Europe’s Enlightened thinkers, who saw little reason and logic in organized religion, disliked the Jesuits, since they represented the intellectual wing of the Catholic Church. European monarchs, like Louis XV (1715-1774) wanted more control over church affairs. In 1762, Louis kicked the Jesuits out of France and confiscated all their property for the crown.
Finally in 1773 Pope Clement XIV officially dissolved the order and closed all the schools and colleges that the missionaries had operated. However, following the French Revolution the Jesuits made a comeback. Today over 20,000 Jesuit priests still do missionary work all over the world.
Sources:
Lang, Sean. European History for Dummies. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons, LTD. 2006.
Mckay, Hill, Buckler. A History of World Societies: Volume II Since 1500. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. 1992.
