What was meant to he the suppression of the Society proved but a temporary suspension. In 1792 the Duke of Parma secured a partial reor ganization for his dominions. In 1:411 Pope Pius VII. (1800-23) permitted the formal reestab lishment of the Jesuits in Lithuania and White Russia, and with still more formality in Naples in 1804. On August 7. 1814. by the bull Roliei ludo omnium ecrIrsiarum, the c, mplete rehaffili tation of the Order was made. Since then the Jesuits have continued to spread all over the world. There were, in 1902. 13,145 Jesuits throughout the world, of whom 6647 were priests, 4545 scholastics, and 3933 lay brothers. In America there were over 2100. of %thorn about 780 were priests, 735 scholastics, and 585 lay broth ers. In the Philippine Islands there were 102 -Jesuits, and 55 in Cuba.
Among the works of the Jesuits there is none to which they devoted themselves with more zeal, nor, we may add, with greater success, than-that of the education of youth. Saint Ignatius him self insisted on this, and was the first to make education the special ministry of a religious Order. The principles to guide the Society in its educational work were laid down by Ignatius in the fourth part of the Constitution. This was. however, only an outline of a system of educa tion. At first the Jesuits adopted the methods of teaching then followed in the various Catholic schools of Europe, drawing chiefly from the tra ditions of the great University of Paris, the alma mater of Saint Ignatius and his first com panions, though with due attention also to the developing methods of the humanistic schools of the Netherlands, then justly celebrated. The theory that the Jesuits' method of education was borrowed largely from the "Plan of Studies" of John Sturm of Strassburg is now admitted to he false. From 1540 to 1599 the Society was en gaged in forming a complete system of studies. Plans were drawn up and put in practice in vari ous colleges. as for example those of Nadal and Ledesma. The practical system thus created was completed under Acquaviva, the fifth gen eral of the Society, who ruled during its most brilliant period (1581-1615). In 1584 a com mittee of six experienced -Jesuit teachers of dif ferent nationalities drew up a preliminary plan which was tried in all the colleges of the Society. The results of this five-year trial were reported to Rome and the suggestions made were employed in drawing up a modified plan which was sent to the various colleges in 1591. After this plan
had been tested for over five years, the final plan was drawn up and formally issued in 1599. This is the famous Patio Studioruni, xvhieh was the fruit of long and patient efforts, and the result of the combined wisdom of the whole Society. The system is livided into three parts—(I ) Studio inferio•a, inferior studies, which consist chiefly of linguistics, the literary study of the classical with history. archipoloffy. etc.. as collateral branches; (2) arts, or philosophy. consisting of philosophy, mathematics, and the natural sciences as far as they were known and cultivated in those times; (3) theology. It the lower course. that of humanities, there were ordinarily fire classes, in seine places six. These were called the grammar classes, first, second. and third. then humanities, or poetry and rhetoric. After the restoration of the Society at the begin ning of the nineteenth century, the of the times demanded a change in the eductional sys tem. Father Roothaan, then general, proceeded with the same care as Acquaviva in securing the opinions of the best educators in various coun tries. The revised Ratio Studiarum was pub lished in 1S32. This was not definitive, hut was considered subject to such further changes as might prove advisable in the course of time, and the progress of education. The principles of the old Ratio Studionim are preserved, but greater attention is recommended to the natural sciences and special care is to be devoted to the teaching of the mother tongue. The Jesuits have always been markedly successful in the teaching of Latin iind Greek. The essence of their method is the prelection or preliminary explanation of a pas sage by the teacher, followed by the pupil's study of it and then by recitation, which includes gram made, historic, and other detail,. Imitative themes are a prominent feature, and, as far as possible. the pupil is brought to a speaking knowledge of tile language studied. Frequent repetitions are recommended. The thoroughness of this system is exemplified by their own mas tery of the Latin tongue. and the lasting knowl edge acquired by their students, especially in the classic languages. How well the recommenda tion to devote inure attention to the sciences has been carried out is shown by the fact that such great astronomers of the nineteenth century as De Vico, Perry, and Secchi were Jesuits.