Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture Money Videos
Jesuit
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Images
St. Ignatius Loyola Matteo Ricci Jesuit mission ruins Pope Francis: A Life in Pictures Pedro Arrupe Georgetown University Dôme des Invalides
For Students
Jesuit summary
Related Questions
Read Next
The Cathedral of Saint Paul in Minnesota. The Italian Renaissance church, built in 1915, is styled after St. Peter's in Rome.
To All Nations: 8 Fascinating Jesuit Missionaries
Saint Francis Xavier baptizing the infidels by an unknown painter, 18th century; in the collection of the Museo Nacional de Arte, Mexico City, Mexico.
How did St. Francis Xavier shape Catholicism?
Discover
United States electoral college map showing number of electoral votes by state.
How Does the Electoral College Work?
The Cheshire Cat is a fictional cat from Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. (Alice in Wonderland)
11 Banned Books Through Time
Groups of depositors in front of the closed American Union Bank, New York City. April 26, 1932. Great Depression run on bank crowd
Causes of the Great Depression
Andrew Jackson delivering a speech while on his way to Washington, D.C., for his inauguration in 1829. From Harper's Weekly, 1881.
5 Remarkably Close U.S. Presidential Elections
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Mozart rehearsing his 12th Mass with singer and musician. (Austrian composer. (Johann Chrysostom Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
7 Famous Child Prodigies
Close-up of tobacco plants in Ontario, Canada. Tobacco, Nicotiana, cured leaves used after processing in various ways for smoking, snuffing, chewing, and extracting of nicotine.
7 of the World’s Deadliest Plants
Close up of books. Stack of books, pile of books, literature, reading. Homepage 2010, arts and entertainment, history and society
12 Novels Considered the “Greatest Book Ever Written”

Jesuit: Facts & Related Content

verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Share
Share to social media
URL
https://www.britannica.com/facts/Jesuits
Written and fact-checked by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Facts

Also Known As Society of Jesus • S.J.
Date 1540 - present
Areas Of Involvement education • human rights • social service • ecumenism • mission • charity
Related People St. Ignatius of Loyola • Matteo Ricci • St. Francis Xavier • Charles III • Francisco Suárez • François-Joachim de Pierre de Bernis • Claudio Aquaviva • John III • Clement XIV • Pedro Arrupe • Jean-Joseph-Marie Amiot • Louis Bourdaloue • Giulio Aleni • Peter Faber

Did You Know?

  • The Jesuit order claims more than 16,000 members across the world.
  • In 2013 Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina became Pope Francis, the first Jesuit to be elected pope.
  • Jesuits take four vows: chastity, poverty, obedience, and specific obedience to their missions as defined by the Pope.

Photos

St. Ignatius Loyola
Matteo Ricci
Jesuit mission ruins
Pedro Arrupe
Georgetown University
Dôme des Invalides
See All Images and Interactives →

Related Topics and References

Topics
Dig Deeper: More Articles That Discuss This Topic