JESUITS, jeila-Its (Fr. Jesuits, from Neo Lat. Jesuita, from Lat. Jesus). Or SOCIETY OF JESUS. A religious Order of the Roman Catholic Church. The preliminary step to the foundation of the society was taken when, on August 15, 1534, Ignatius of Loyola (see IGNArrus), with six associates—Pierre Le Fevre. a Savoyard; James Laynez, Francis Xavier, Alfonso Salmeron, and Nicholas Bobadilla, Spaniard-. and a Por tuguese, Simon Rodriguez—took. in the chapel on Montmartre. Paris. vows to make a pilgrim age to the Holy Land and devote themselves to the conversion of the infidels. Owing to the breaking out of war with the Turks, they could not make the pilgrimage as planned, so they ap plied themselves to various spiritual works in and around Venice. from which it had been their intention to sail. They lived more or less in common. hut were not united in a formal way until 153$, when the first idea of permanent organization came. They went to Rome, and laid the preliminary sketch of the constitution of their proposed Order before Pope Paul M.. who approved it in 1539. The formal creation of the Order of Jesuits was made by bull dated September 27, 1540. In founding the Jesuits. Ignatius is often said to have contemplated re pairing the losses occasioned to the Church by Luther: but at this time he had scarcely heard of him. His object was the increase of devotion among the adherents of the Church. The motto of the new Order was Ad Hajorem Dri Mariam, often abbreviated A. M. D. Cr. (to the greater glory of God). The members bound themselves, besides the usual three vows of religious Orders to poverty, chastity, and obedience. by a fourth VOW to go as missionaries wherever the Pope might send them.
The 1/rder was inaugurated in 1341 by the elec tion of Ignatius as general. Ile wished to refuse this olliec at first, but was finally prevailed upon to accept it. The Halite chosen—Society or more properly (C'ompany) of Jesus—was meant to re call that Ignatius's idea in its foundation was that they were to be a band of soldiers in the army of the Church. What time he could spare front the government of the Society and his many good works the general devoted during the next ten years to the drawing up of the formal Con stitutions and rules of the Order. In 1550 these were submitted to the members, and received cer tain modificativns in detail. The revised text, written by Ignatius himself and as the autograph text, was then sent to all the fathers. even to those in India, and suggestions asked. Such as seenied proper were incorporated in a third text, which forms the Constitutions of the Jesuits now in force. These are essentially from the hand of Ignatius, never having received any important modification. They are considered by Jesuits of the present day as the palladium of their existence as a religious Order. The most important part of the Constitutions are those that prescribe the training to which each mem ber of the Order shall be subjected. The forum
lion, as it is ealled, of the Jesuit for his life work takes about eighteen years. As a rule, be fore entrance into the Order he has already pur sued studies equivalent to those required for the collegiate degree of A.B. The first two years of novitiate are spent in spiritual exercise:, prayer. meditation, and ascetic reading, in the practice of modification. and in humble occupa tions of various kinds. During his first year the novice devotes thirty days of retreat, a, it is called; in absolute silence, to making the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius. These consist of meditations on the four last things to lie remem bered and on the life of Jesus Christ. Every year of his life afterwards, no matter what his status in the Society. at least eight successive days are devoted to the same purpose. At the end of the second year of novitiate the candidate takes simple vows of poverty, chastity. and obedience. Then two years are devoted to the study of the humanities and the modern language,. After this three years are given to philosophic and scientific studies, during which, though a definite course is marked out for all, opportunities are provided for those who wish to pursue special studies. At the completion of these seven years of study of self. the humanities, philosophy. and science. the young Jesuit. usually now about twenty-five years of are, is sent to teach for five years in a Jesuit college. if he has shown predilection and talent for some special study, he will, as far as circum stances permit. be assigned to teach this branch. He is not confined to one class his years of teaching, but is supposed to go up with his class during the course, thus providing for his own mental development as well as the con si.tent progressive formation of his students. After the period of college work, the Jesuit studies theology for three years. and then is ad vanced to holy orders. For one year more theo logical studies are continued. and then oppor tunities are given the young priest for mission work and spiritual employment of various kinds for a year, after which a final year of novitiate, called the third year of probation. is prescribed. During this year the Jesuit devotes himself ex clusively to the study of spiritual things, his eon character, the ways and means of the In stitute of the Society, its rules and Constitution. During his third year the thirty lays' retreat of silence and prayer, according to the method of the spiritual exercises of Saint Ignatius, is once more made. After this final year of pro bation the candidate is admitted to the last solemn vows, now four in number, because they include a special vow of obedience to the Pope. Those who accomplish this full course are called professed fathers.