IGNATIUS LOYOLA AND COUNTER-REFORMATION

IGNATIUS LOYOLA AND COUNTER-REFORMATION

 Counter-reformation was marked with a spiritual, moral, and intellectual revival in the catholic church in the 16^th and 17^th centuries. During this period, numerous religious orders began to spring up. Among the famous orders that were well known, the society of Jesus had the most significant share. The community of Jesus was also known as Jesuits, and it was founded by St. Ignatius Loyola, who was approved by Pope Paul 3 in 1540.  St. Ignatius Loyola was the key figure behind the counter-reformation of the society of Jesus through the administration of vows, leading in the renewal of missionary activities, and also political influence.

St. Loyola guided the Jesuits in an additional vow that was not practiced by other believers around the world. Loyola came up with a special vow that emphasized respecting church leadership.  Through vigorous campaigns, the society of Jesus leads in intellectual activities in the catholic church. The society organized church seminars and also founded schools and universities (Hillerbrand 367-675). Missionary activities were also renewed during Loyola’s tenure. Missionaries were extended outside Europe and mainly targeted Asia. Other devoted members of the church were commissioned in the various Jesuit fellowship were organized in almost all parts of the world.  Jesuit missionaries were placed in all countries with the main objective of spreading news of compassion to all people.

The counter-Reformation had political impacts and thus faced blocks and hindrances. Missionaries sent in England faced difficulties in spreading the good news of the ministry since the queen of England was against Catholicism. Amidst the resistance, the ministry opened branches in the country and reached many people who converted. St. Loyola played a key role in improving the social life of the catholic follower. He introduced 33 colleges. This was a breakthrough in the church ministry since it was achieved after a short period of time.  Loyola had different priorities while establishing the schools, but the highest was devoutness. Through education, Loyola believed that learned children who will benefit from the system would play a significant role in counter-reformation.

The classes that were established uphold educational techniques that Ignatius had experienced in Paris. In the Jesuits church doctrine, it emphasized the need for teachers to enlighten students on good behaviors, evangelizing, and promoting Christian living. These teachings played a key role in the counter-reformation of Catholicism.

Ignatius Loyola, in the fight for counter-reformation, took a vow of poverty. In the group of six companions, they vowed to imitate the life of Jesus Christ’s disciples. The vow set them ready to travel in any part of the world to win souls. The companion worked with the poorest in the society, the sick, addicts, widows, orphans, and those with spiritual hunger. The Jesuits were strong in faith since they shared news of the gospel in town centers and other public places. Ignatius commissioned his friends with different messages for various parts of the world (Howells 422). Francis Xavier was sent to India, Sri-Lanka, Borneo, Japan, and China. Ignatius’s message to Francis was to go and set the world ablaze with the world of God, thereby transforming lives. Diego Lainez and Alfonso Salmeron were commissioned to the council of Trent as expert theologians. They were learned scholars who instilled biblical knowledge to the teachers of the law. Reformers in German who were criticizing the catholic faith were commissioned under Peter Canisius. Loyola spent days in rags confessing and scourging himself while helping the sick. Xavier is considered one of the greatest Loyola’s missionaries. Xavier converted 800,000 people to the catholic faith.

In 1523, Loyola wanted to convert the Moors, and thus he went to the Holy land to preach to them. Loyola’s approach was not acceptable to Franciscans, and he was chased away. While in Italy, he joined institutions of learning, where he persuaded theology and Latin. Vast theological knowledge that Loyola had acquired throughout his life helped him after being ordained as a priest in 1537. Loyola was convinced of his capabilities in converting masses and therefore started his church. The Jesuit movement that Loyola started had highly disciplined disciples, and they followed his spiritual exercises and constitution. The system of education in the ministry was comprised of self-examination. After years of learning the teachings of the movement, one was finally considered prepared to carry out Loyola’s works of compassion in the world. Until his death in 1556, Loyola had converted 1000 followers to Jesuit and organized them into eleven units. These units were subdivided with nine of them in Europe, one in Brazil and the remaining ones in the Far East.

In his pursuit of counter-reformation, Loyola established a constitution that was adhered to by all Jesuit followers.  The constitutions required followers to shun some of the traditional activities. The activities banished by the constitution comprised of invocation of the godly house, bodily punishment, and regretful attire and ensured purity among the believers. The constitutions also insisted on followers sacrificing their lives for the ministry. According to Loyola, followers were supposed to abandon the worldly things and put their faith in the Lord’s magnificence and saving of lives. Loyola had a different opinion on women’s leadership in the ministry. He thought that ladies were better when governed by a man. He, therefore, banished a female branch in the ministry.

According to Ngetich, Jesuit ministry was the first Roman Catholic religious order to send their missionaries beyond the Mediterranean.  When Jesuit orders settled in the commissioned areas, they shaped the ministry for a long time and reached out to many souls.In Africa, the society grew fast. The expansion of the ministry was due to the form in which the ministry was being administered. It involved preaching, teaching, and catechism. University in towns was later developed where residence could follow these teachings while undergoing other courses. There were 669 colleges and 24 Universities started by the ministry as of 1749 (Ngetich 104-115).

Loyola’s last years in life were busied with his works and further expansion of the ministry. Jesuits’ leaders insisted on maintaining him in the superior position even after he wanted to retire. Before Loyola died, he had been sent thousands of letters. This was the highest number of letters a single person had ever received in the 16^th century. Throughout his life, Loyola had been a radical leader in ensuring the continuation of the ministry. He was a key player behind counter-reformation, and his efforts were remarkable with the number of souls he won back to the catholic ministry using the Jesuit order. The success of the Catholicism Rome is attributed to him. St. Ignatius Loyola passed away in 1656 after fulfilling his purpose in the world of reaching out to nations.

Works Cited

Hillerbrand, Hans J., ed. Historical dictionary of the Reformation and Counter-Reformation. Routledge, 2013.

Howells, Edward. “Spanish Mysticism and Religious Renewal.” The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Christian Mysticism (2013): 422.

Ngetich, Elias Kiptoo. “Catholic counter-reformation: a history of the Jesuits’ mission to Ethiopia 1557-1635.” Studia Historiae ecclesiasticae 42.2 (2016): 104-115.