The Society of Jesus (S.J.), is a scholarly religious congregation of the Catholic Church which originated in sixteenth-century Spain. Its members are called Jesuits. Among its ranks are members of both the Society of Leopold and the Celestial Chorus.
For the real-world congregation, see: Society of Jesus
Overview[]
Founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1540 CE, the Society of Jesus grew rapidly across the world. Jesuit missionaries took Catholicism into Asia, Africa, and Latin America, while Jesuit scholars contributed to theology, linguistics, and philosophy. The goal of the Society of Jesus is twofold: its own salvation and the salvation of all humanity. The Jesuits are not limited to a particular apostolate (hospital, school, mission, etc). Ignatius abandoned many conventional monastic practices which he felt conflicted with an active apostolate: communal singing of the divine office, compulsory fasts, and penances were among these practices. Contemporary Jesuits stress more social activism than Catholic orthodoxy.
There are four grades of Jesuits: scholastics, younger members training for the priesthood; lay brothers (temporal coadjutors), who tend to the needs of the community; priests (spiritual coadjutors) with simple vows; and professed fathers, priests of greater intellectual advancement, with solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience.
Jesuit training is rigorous, including a novitiate (two years), philosophical study (three years), apostolate work (two to three years), theological study (four years, with ordination after the third), and the tertianship (one year): prayer, study, and pastoral work. Vows typically follow the tertianship, and for many, advanced academic work (e.g., a doctorate) then ensues. The process is designed to weed out unworthy individuals, build the requisite skills for ministry, and engage in a deeper union with God through Ignatius” Spiritual Exercises.
Mage: The Awakening[]
Jesuit Choristers operate the Memory of Ignatius Chantry in Brazil.
References[]
- VTM: The Inquisition, p. 33
- VTM: The Hunters Hunted II, p. 118
- MTA: Guide to the Traditions, p. 269-270