Ignatius of Loyola & the Jesuits

Kayla, Grace, and Andrew

What happened? • Most instrumental reform group in the

Counter-Reformation [Jesuits] • Organized by Ignatius of Loyola in 1530 • Ignatius was a courtier and caballero as

he grew up • In 1521 he started to become religious

after he was wounded in battle • He was impressed with the saints and

their self-sacrifice and ways to get over mental anguish, that he decided to be a soldier of Christ as well

• The Spiritual Exercises were religious and moral self-discipline rules that Ignatius came up with while he was recuperating

What happened? Designed to teach one to be able

to reach total self-mastery, physically and mentally

• Most protestants saw Jesuits going against the church, but the exercises were to teach the catholics to submit to the church

• The simplicity of these statements won over many protestants back to Christianity (Austria and Germany)

Ignatius of Loyola 1491-1556 Originally a courtier (advised King) 1512- began spiritual pilgrimage when he

wounded his legs during a battle with France

While recovering he studied Christian classics

Became a soldier of Christ because he was inspired by the self-sacrifice of the Chrurch’s saints

Believed and made the Spiritual Exercises 1530s-founded the Society of Jesus

The Jesuits They are the members of the

Society of Jesus

Believed that Protestants were disobedient to church authority and religious innovation

Turned to Ignatius’s exercises to teach good Catholics to respect Church authority and spiritual direction Symbol for the society of Jesus today

How the Jesuits showed weakened religion?

The Jesuits helped create new reforms for the church during the counter reformation.

Their preaching weakened protestants in southern Germany and the area around it.

This shows disunity because the church was falling apart and the Jesuits were trying to rebuild it, by suggesting reforms and stemming the growth of protestants