[[Image:Il Gesu.jpg|thumb|right|Il Gesu, Motherchurch of the Society of Jesus, Rome, by Giacomo Barozzi da Vignola and Giacomo della Porta.]]
'''The Society of Jesus''' ([[Spanish]]: La Compañía de Jesús). usually called '''Jesuits''' is a powerful worldwide [[Roman Catholic Church|Catholic]] religious order well known for its devotion to education, science and the [[ultramontane]] cause of the [[Pope]]. Founded in 1534, today it is active in 112 nations with over 20,000 members, working in the fields of education, intellectual research, cultural pursuits, missionary work, human rights and social justice.
The Jesuits were founded by [[Ignatius of Loyola|Saint Ignatius of Loyola]] in 1534, to defend Catholicism against the [[Protestant Reformation]] and to do missionary work among the heathen. This religious order is better known by the name "Jesuits" ("Soldiers of Christ"). The Order is the largest order for men in the Catholic Church. It founded many schools in the US, including [[Fordham University]] in the Bronx, [[New York]], [[Loyola University Chicago]] and [[Georgetown University]] in Washington, D. C. In the world it has about 56 university centers and 400,000 students, 28 Jesuit universities and colleges in the United States.
In 1773, under pressure by government officials in [[France]], [[Spain]] and [[Portugal]], [[Pope]] Clement XIV abolished the order, but the [[Russian]] Queen [[Catherine II the Great]] protected it there. Pressure to restart its educational programs led to the reinstatement of the Jesuits in 1814 by Pope Pius VII.
In the late 20th century through today, some Jesuits are criticized for being [[liberal]] rather than adhering to the doctrine of the Church. Many of the Jesuit colleges have become overrun by [[leftist]] professors and students.
Ignatius of Loyola wrote the Jesuit Constitutions, which created a tightly centralized organization and stressed absolute self-abnegation and obedience to the [[Pope]]. Jesuits do not have an official habit, although the mandate of the order was to dress in the manner of diocesan priests at the time. This has led to some Jesuit priests adopting an archaic habit of a black cassock tied at the waist with a white rope girdle (or amaranth during the Advent). Some priests may wear a biretta cap and cape to celebrate mass or walk among parishioners on feast days. Typically however, Jesuit priests wear a tab collar shirt as do diocesan priests.
The Order has a commitment to spread the devotion to the [[Sacred Heart]] and to Our Lady, the [[Virgin Mary]].
==Jesuits and science==
[[Ampere]], [[Volt]]a, [[Ohm]]:
* Abbreviations of the names of three Jesuit-trained or Jesuit-financed scientists are to be found on almost every consumer electronic device or consumer appliance sold around the world.<ref>[http://www.scientus.org/Church-Science-History.html Science and the Church:Beyond Galileo]</ref>
== Distinguished Jesuits ==
*Edmund Campion, English martyr.
*Teilhard de Chardin, French paleontologist and spiritual writer.
*[[Jorge Mario Bergoglio]], elected Pope Francis in 2013
== See also ==
*[http://www.ignatius.org/ St. Ignatius College Prep, Chicago, Illinois]
== References ==
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[[Category:Catholic Church]]