Suppression
of the Society of Jesus, from 1764-1814. |
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The Society of Jesus
was founded by
Ignatius of Loyola in 1539. It became a force for Catholic revival,
in harmony with the Council
of Trent. The Jesuits were a missionary Order, sending evangelists
to India, China, Japan, South America, Canada, and present-day Ethiopia.
Politically powerful and active in trade, the Jesuits aroused opposition,
especially in France. The Jesuit loyalty to the Pope angered those who
wanted French control of the church and those who sympathized with the
Enlightenment. Through a series of political
maneuvers, enemies of the Jesuits succeeded in having the Order suppressed
in France in 1764. Jesuits were expelled from Spain and Naples in 1767
and ordered to leave all Spanish colonies, causing the collapse of the
Paraguay Mission and other projects. Finally the pope abolished the
Order in 1773. Jesuits who served as missionaries around the world were
recalled, expelled, disbanded, or absorbed into other Orders. The Society
of Jesus was re-established in 1814, but Catholic missions around the
world suffered a major setback.
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