Some Interesting Facts about Jesuits...

 

+ Founded in 1540 by St. Ignatius Loyola- a Spaniard, the Society of Jesus has about 19,200 members in 112 countries, down from a peak of some 36,000 in the 1960s.

+ It is an all-male order with a growing percentage of members from developing countries, especially India.

+ The Society of Jesus was suppressed by Pope Clement XIV in 1773 and was restored in 1814 by Pope Pius VII.

+ They were said to be such intelligent debaters that critics coined the adjective "jesuitical" to describe someone who uses sly reasoning to argue a point of view!

+ The Jesuits are best known for their prominent role in education, theology, missionary work and publishing, with a strong emphasis on social justice and human rights.

+ They run many prestigious secondary schools and universities around the world and publish leading intellectual journals.

+ They are engaged in a wide variety of works: there are Jesuit parish priests, spiritual directors, writers and teachers, but also actors, lawyers, doctors, sculptors and astronomers.

+ The Jesuit Superior General is elected by a secret ballot. After he is chosen, delegates are not allowed to leave the room until the Pope is informed, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition.

+ Scores of lunar craters are named after Jesuit astronomers.

+ The Society of Jesus is the largest religious congregation in Catholic Church.

+ There was a Jesuit in the Indian Constituent assembly. Fr. Jerome D'Souza sj is probably the foremost reason why the right to practice and propagate one’s religion is included in the Constitution of India.

+ Click here for an approximate list of Jesuit Universities and Schools world over.

Originally Composed by Fr.John Francis SJ