The Jesuits (Part One) The contents of this article is not intended to accuse individuals. There are many priests and faithful believers in Roman Catholicism who serve God to the best of their ability and are seen by God as His children. The information contained herein is directed only towards the (Roman Catholic Church) religious political system that has reigned in varying degrees of power for nearly two millennia. Under the influence of its successive Popes, bishops, and cardinals, this system has established and increasing number of doctrines and statements that clearly go against Scripture. It is my sincere desire to lay the clear Word of God before you, the truth-seeking reader, so you may decide for yourself what is truth and what is error. Who Are The Jesuits? Throughout its history, many people have written and spoken about the reputation, history, and political nature of the Jesuit Order. Find out what they have to say in this compilation of quotes from throughout history. Some Background: The following excerpt from the World Scope Encyclopedia gives an overview of purpose and history of the Jesuit order, as the Order would like us to understand it. Jesuits, or Society of Jesus: A monastic Order of the Roman Catholic Church, founded (1536) in Paris by Ignatius of Loyola. Originally the special function of the order was to care for the sick and to fortify the position of the Pope within the (Roman Catholic Church). The latter function soon became the principle one of the order and thus it is not surprising that the order was approved by Pope Paul III as early as (1540), the first generalship being vested in the founder. By the time Ignatius died in (1566)..his order had increased from 60 to more than 1000 members. The members had to vow not only chastity, poverty, and implicit obedience to authority...but, especially, compliance with the commands of the Pope in going to any country and under any conditions to convert heretics and infidels, especially Moors and Jews. Their special obedience to the Pope naturally caused the Jesuits to fight against the greatest danger to the Catholic Church, Protestantism. Through this fight, the Jesuits developed political talents which soon made the members of the order the most versatile representative of the Catholic Church in worldly affairs. In order to achieve this goal, a complicated organization of the utmost rigidity was developed. The Jesuits received the rights both of mendicant orders and of secular priests. They recognized only the superiority of (the Jesuit Superior General) and the Pope. This gave them great worldly power. Furthermore, from their inception they devoted much interest to education, and early in their history were appointed to many highly important chairs of theology at the leading universities. Associated with all layers of society, from the humble to the powerful, the Jesuits combined great intellectual versatility and shrewd political apprehension with deep religious connected with the adoration of the Blessed Virgin. A certain soldierly spirit was furthered by the constitution of the order which provided severest punishment for members who did not comply with their vows. The Jesuists tried to restrain nationalistic tendencies everywhere and to emphasize the universality of the Catholic Church. Their missionary branch was no less important. Due to the fact that they (initial) worked principally in the Indies, Japan, China, and Abyssinia, the Jesuits spiritual work was often connected with the play, directly or indirectly, a vital role in political and economic conquest of the countries in which they served. Flourishing particularly in Spain and Portugal, members of the (Jesuit) order were among the first to set foot on the Spanish and Portuguese colonies in America. Their remarkable rise in power at European courts and among the people led many institutions of learning, their teachers, and non-Jesuit clergy to fear the Jesuits. It was largely for this reason that the parliament of France resisted the Jesuits in their attempts to obtain a foothold. By 1710, the order had more than 19,000 members and more than 22,000 by 1749. Increasingly feared and suspected by many European rulers, they were first driven out of Portugal in 1759, and other countries followed suit. In France...they were finally expelled in 1764. Three years later Spain revoked its approval of the order. In 1773, Pope Clement XIV suppressed the entire Jesuit Order by a papal bull, but in 1814, it was restored by Pope Pius VII. Later in the 19th century, however, the Jesuits were alternately driven out and permitted to exist in various European countries. They had to leave Italy in 1861, but were allowed to return in 1929. They were expelled from Germany in 1872, but permitted to exist there again after the fall of the Empire in 1918. In France the order was frequently expelled and restored after 1830 and finally permitted to return in 1919. England, Ireland, and the United States, however, never passed any laws against the Jesuits. At present, the order totals about 25,000 members in 50 provinces several of them in the United States. Their influence on the hierarchy of the (Roman Catholic Church) has increased continually since about 1860. In the United States they largely possess a large number of educational institutions, the most noteworthy being in New York City; Washington and Georgetown, D.C.; Baltimore; Buffalo, New York; St. Louise, Missouri; Denver, Colorado; Cincinnati and Cleveland, Ohio; Omaha, Nebraska; and San Francisco, California. However, the encyclopedia doesnt tell the whole story. Only recently did the sentiments of caring for the poor become advertised as the Jesuits main purpose. Read the next article (The Extreme Oath of the Jesuits.
Posted on: Fri, 02 Jan 2015 17:10:02 +0000