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Name:
Ignatius of Loyola
Dates:
Born: 1491
Died: July 31, 1556
Religious Conversion: May 20, 1520
Society of Jesus founded: September 27, 1540
Canonized: May 22, 1622 by Pope Gregory XV
Biography:
Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556) was a Spanish nobleman who eventually came to found the
Society of Jesus, better known as the Jesuits. Loyola was a zealous and passionate
defender of Church doctrine and his new order became an important aspect of the
Counter-Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church.
Loyola, like many noblemen of his age, dreamed originally of military fame and conquest. Unfortunately, these dreams were shattered along with his leg by a cannonball during a battle between Spanish and French forces. His recovery was very painful and, during this time, he experienced visions of Mary with Jesus as a baby. It was through such a vision that his pain was temporarily relieved and, as a consequence, he promised to dedicate his life to the Church and to being a soldier not in the service of Spain but rather in the service of God.
After he was healthy again, he traveled to a Benedictine monastery where he confessed his sins, gave away his possessions, and took on the clothing of a pilgrim. After a failed attempt to convert Muslims in Jerusalem, he studied theology in Paris. His zeal made him an object of suspicion from a number of quarters and he was even investigated by the Inquisition on three different occasions, but his dedication never wavered.
This dedication slowly attracted a number of followers who were impressed by his ideas. In 1534, all of them took vows of poverty and chastity. Although they originally hoped to minister to the poor in the Holy Lands, this proved impossible and so instead they decided to found a new religious order which would be answerable directly to the pope - the Society of Jesus. Official approval was not granted by Pope Paul III until 1540 when he issued the papal bull Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae.
Also Known As: none
Alternate Spellings: none
Common Misspellings: none
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