( 1491 - 1556 )

Saint Ignatius of Loyola , Founder of the Jesuits

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Ignatius of Loyola
'''Ignatius of Loyola''', also known as '''Íñigo López de Loyola''' (December 24, 1491? ; July 31,1556), was the principal founder and first [[Superior General of the Society of Jesus Superior General]] of the [[Society of Jesus]], a [[religious order]] of the [[Roman Catholic Church]] professing direct service to the [[Pope]]. Members of the order, which was established to strengthen the Roman Catholic Church, initially against [[Protestantism]] during the [[Protestant Reformation]] and the subsequent [[Catholic Reformation]], are called Jesuits.

Ignatius of Loyola was [[beatified]] and then [[canonized]] to receive the title of [[Saint]] on [[March 12]], [[1622]]. His [[feast day]] is [[July 31]], celebrated annually. He is the [[patron saint]] of [[Guipúzcoa]] and [[Biscay]] as well as of the Society of Jesus.

== Early life ==
Ignatius was born at the castle of [[Loyola]], near [[Azpeitia]], 16 miles southwest of [[San Sebastián]] in the [[Basque Country Basque province]] of Guipúzcoa, [[Spain]]. The youngest of 13 children, Ignatius was only seven years old when his mother died. In [[1506]], Ignatius became a [[page]] in the service of a relative, Juan Velázquez de Cuéllar, treasurer (''contador mayor'') of the kingdom of [[Castile]].

In 1517, Ignatius took service in the army. Severely wounded at the Battle of Pampeluna ([[May 20]], [[1521]]); he spent months as an invalid in his father's castle.

== Religious aspiration ==
During this period of recuperation he came to read a number of religious texts on the life of [[Jesus]] and the saints. He became fired with an ambition to lead a life of self-denying labor and to emulate the heroic deeds of [[Francis of Assisi]] and other great monastic leaders. He resolved to devote himself to the conversion of non-Christians in the [[Holy Land]].

During this time he drafted his ''Ejercicios espirituales'' ([[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola Spiritual Exercises]]), which describes a series of [[meditation]]s to be undertaken by future Jesuits. These were to exert a strong influence in changing the methods of propaganda in the Church; "the mill into which all Jesuits are cast; they emerge with characters and talents diverse; but the imprint remains ineffaceable" (Cretineau-Joly).

On recovering he visited the Benedictine monastery of [[Montserrat (mountain) Montserrat]] ([[March 25]], [[1522]]), where he hung his military accouterments before an image of [[Mary, the mother of Jesus the Virgin]]. He then went and spent several months in a cave near the town of [[Manresa]], [[Catalonia]] where he practiced the most rigorous [[asceticism]].

He is said to have had visions. The Virgin became the object of his [[Courteous love chivalrous devotion]]. Military imagery played a prominent part in his religious contemplations.

[[Image:Ignatius of Loyola - Project Gutenburg - eText 13206 - Page 263.jpg thumbnail 249px right Engraving of Ignatius, from Wish art's 1900 ''A Short History of Monks and Monasteries'']]

== Studies in Paris ==
In [[1528]] he entered the [[University of Paris]] where he remained over seven years, extending his literary and theological education and disturbing the students by attempting to interest them in the [[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola Spiritual Exercises]].

By 1534 he had six key followers - [[Peter Faber]] (French), [[Francis Xavier]], [[Alfonso Salmeron]], [[Jacob Laines]], and [[Nicholas Bobedilla]] (Spaniards), and [[Simon Rodrigues]] (a Portuguese).

== Foundation of the Society of Jesus ==
On [[August 15]], [[1534]], he and the other six in St. Mary's Church, [[Montmartre]] founded the Society of Jesus - "to enter upon hospital and missionary work in [[Jerusalem]], or to go without questioning wherever the pope might direct". In [[1537]] they traveled to [[Italy]] to seek papal approval for their order. [[Pope Paul III]] gave them a commendation, and permitted them to be ordained priests. They were ordained at [[Venice]] by the bishop of [[Arbe]] ([[June 24]]). They devoted themselves to preaching and charitable work in Italy, the renewed war between the emperor, Venice, the pope and the [[Ottoman Empire]] rendered any journey to Jerusalem inadvisable.

With Faber and Lainez, Ignatius made his way to Rome in October, [[1538]], to have the pope approve the constitution of the new order. A congregation of cardinals reported favorably upon the constitution presented, and Paul III confirmed the order through the bull <I>Regimini militantis</i> ([[September 27]], [[1540]]), but limited the number of its members to sixty. This limitation was removed through the bull <I>Injunctum nobis</i> ([[March 14]], [[1543]]).

== Father General of the Jesuits==
Ignatius was chosen as the first Superior General of his religious order, invested with the title of [[Father General]] by the Jesuits. He sent his companions as missionaries around Europe to create schools, colleges, and seminaries.

In [[1548]] [[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola Spiritual Exercises]] was finally printed, and he was briefly brought before the [[Congregation for the Doctrine of the Fait |Roman Inquisition]], but was released.

Ignatius wrote the Jesuit Constitutions, adopted in [[1554]], which created a monarchical organization and stressed absolute self-abnegation and obedience to Pope and superiors (''perinde ac cadaver'', "[well-disciplined] like a corpse" as Ignatius put it). His main principle became the Jesuit motto: <i>Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam</i> ("for the greater glory of God").

The Jesuits were a major factor in the success of the [[Counter-Reformation]].

During 1553-1555 Ignatius dictated his life's story to his secretary, Father Gon& ccedil; alves da C& acirc; mara. This autobiography is a valuable key for the understanding of his ''Spiritual Exercises''. It was kept in the archives for about 150 years, until the [[Bollandist | Bollandists]] published the text in [[Acta Sanctorum]]. A critical edition exists in Vol. I (1943) of the ''Fontes Narrativi'' of the series ''Monumenta Historica Societatatis Iesu''.

He died in Rome.

Ignatius was canonized to be a Saint, March 12, 1622.

A neighborhood in [[Bilbao]] and the corresponding  [[Metro Bilbao]] station ''San Inazio'' are named after him.

== References and external links ==
* [[Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola]]
* [http://www.ignatiushistory.info The world of Ignatius of Loyola]

V V V

Spiritual Exercises, 233-234

Contemplation to obtain love:

It is good to note first of all that … love consists in mutual communication. That is to say, the lover gives and communicates what he has to the beloved…; in the same way, the beloved to the lover in return …

As a preamble, ask what I want. Here, that will be to ask for interior knowledge of all the good I have received, so that in fully recognizing it, I might love and serve his divine Majesty in everything.

The first point is to remember the kindnesses received: creation, redemption, and particular gifts. Weigh with great love how much God our Lord has done for me, how much he has given me of what he has. Following that, how much the Lord wants to give himself to me as much as he is able, according to his divine plan. Then reflect in my heart and consider what it is right and just that I in turn offer and give to his divine Majesty, all my possessions and myself with them, like someone who, with great love, makes an offering: “Take, Lord, and receive my liberty, my memory, my intelligence and my entire will, all that I have, all that I possess. You gave it to me; to you, Lord, I give it back. Everything is yours; dispose of it according to your will. Give me your love and your grace; that is enough for me.”

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