In consequence of this bull, the Jesuits were likewise suppressed in the Sardiuian monarchy, in the Austrian dominions, and in every Catholic state. Two powers only, Prussia and Russia, one Protestant and the other Greek schismatic, allowed the fathers an asylum in their dominions, and continued to entrust them with the education of their Catholic subjects. From Russia they were however expelled by an ukase of the Emperor Alexander iu June 1817.
At the time of the first expulsion of the Jesuits from Portugal, in 1759, the society reckoned altogether 22,589 members, half of whom were priests. They bad 24 professed houses, 669 college., 176 semin aries, or boarding-houses, 61 noviciate houses, 335 residences, and 273 missions. Their principal professed house, in which the general resided, was a vast building attached to the splendid church of the Gael at Rome. They had besides the Rowan college and church of St. Ignatius in the sante capital, several other colleges and seminaries for boarders of various nations, a noviciate-house on the Quirinal, a seminary and college at Frascati, a house at Tivoli, and numerous other colleges and schools in the Papal states. All these, after the suppres sion of the society, were entrusted to secular priests and professors, but still the method and the discipline of the society were in most instances continued, being found too useful to be abrogated.
The general of the society, Father Ricci, was confined in the castle of St. Angelo, being suspected of still assuming in secret his former authority over tho dispersed Jesuits, and also, but apparently without foundation, of having concealed sums belonging to the society. No. thing however having transpired against him, he wins treated with some courtesy and attention, but was kept in confinement till his death, in November 1775. On his death-bed, before receiving the sacrament, he signed a solemn though mild protest on behalf of the extinct society, the conduct of which, he said, to the beat of his knowledge, had not afforded grounds for its suppression, nor had he himself given any reason for his imprisonment : he ended by forgiving sincerely all those who had contributed to both. His remains were buried with all due honour in the church of the Gesu, among those of his predecessors.
After the society had been suppressed for about thirty years, several attempts were made at the beginning of the present century to re-esta blish it. Many persons in high stations, frightened at the convulsions which agitated the world, imagined that had the Jesuits continued they might have proved a powerful means for maintaining order and pre venting revolutions by the moral influence which they had over youth.
In 1801, Pius VII. issued a brief, allowing the Jesuits of Russia to live as a society, and to have colleges and schools. Another brief, dated 30th of July 1804, allowed at the request of king Ferdinand of Naples, the opening of schools and colleges by the Jesuits in the kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Lastly, after his restoration, Pius VII. issued a bull, in August 1814, solemnly re-establishing the society as a religious order, under the constitutions of St. Ignatius, and under obedience to the general chosen by it, to be employed in educating youth in any country of which the sovereign shall have previously recalled or consented to receive them : and Pius began by restoring to them their house of the Gesii, and afterwards the Roman college. They have since found their way back, either by open invitation or implied permissiou, into almost every Roman Catholic country of Europe ; and probably there is no Protestant country in which they are not more or less numerous.
The act of the 10th Geo. IV., c. 7, which is entitled An Act for the Relief of his Majesty's Roman Catholic subjects,' forbids Jesuits, or members of other religious orders, communities, or societies of the Church of Rome, bound by monastic or religious vows, from coming into the realm, under pain of being banished from it for life ; except natural born subjects, who were out of the realm at the time of the passing of the act. Such religions persons may however enter the United Kingdom on obtaining a licence in writing from one of the principal secretaries of state, who is a Protestant, and may stay such time as such secretary shall permit, not exceeding six months, unless the licence is revoked before the end of the six months. The act also makes it a misdemeanour in any Jesuit, or member of other religious body described in the act, to admit, or to aid in or consent to the admission of, any person within the United Kingdom to be a member of such body ; and any person admitted or becoming a Jesuit, or member of other such body within the Uuited Kingdom, shall, upon conviction, bo banished from the United Kingdom for life. It is how ever provided that nothing in this act shall affect any religious order, community, or establishment consisting of females bound by religious or monastic vows.