The Legacy of the Society of Jesus

Pope Paul III and Approval of Society of Jesus
There was much discussion and considerable opposition on the part of the Pope's advisors (favorable were Cardinals Contarini ... ... , Pole ... ... , Archinta ... ... and vice-chancellor to the Pope, Alessandro Farnese ... ... ... ) that lasted for several months, concerning final approval of this new religious group, but on September 27, 1540 the Papal Bull "Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae" was promulgated in the palace of San Marco ... ... by Pope Paul III. It would be limited to a membership of sixty in number but it did have the canonical approval as a religious order. The Society of Jesus was established .
Ignatius at his desk in Rome
Ignatius continued to work on the Consitutions for the new religious order, an ongoing task that lasted the rest of his life. It was entitled: Summa Instituti which began with the words: “Whoever will serve as a soldier in our society, we wish to be characterized by the name of Jesus...and to devote one self to our Lord alone and to his Vicar upon earth.”
Our Lady of Della Strada
The Church of Santa Maria degli Astalli was given to the new order and in the house next to it, Ignatius directed this “least” Society. The church itself contained Ignatius’ favorite painting of Our Lady of the Wayside (Maria della Strada) reflecting his longstanding devotion to the Blesed Mother - a painting now in the Gesu Church, Rome.
Marguerite of Austria, benefactress
With the help of many benefactors, such as Marguerite of Austria, wife of Octavio Farnese, the nephew of Pope Paul III, and Eleanor Osorio, wife of the Spanish ambassador, Ignatius founded in Rome or came under his influence, numerous religious houses, including St. Martha’s House of Penitents(H), a house of shelter for women(I), a Boy’s (E) and Girl’s orphanage (F), plus a house of Moors and Jews who were interested in becoming converts to Catholicism (G). Subsequently, the following institutions were formed, including the German College (K), the Roman College (eventually becoming the Gregorian) (B), the English College (L), the Marionite College (N), a novitiate for young Jesuits and Roman seminary (M) and the Gesu (A).
St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome
On April 22, 1541, six of the original ten founders of the Society went out to the Church of St. Paul Outside the Walls, to make their final profession of vows, recalling Montmartre in 1534, and restating their availability in service to the Lord and his Vicar on earth. Already responding to their apostolic calling was Peter Favre in Germany, Francis Xavier on the high seas to India, Simao Rodrigues in Portugal and Nicolas Bobadilla in Calabria.
Pope Paul III approves the Spiritual Exercises
As another important task, Ignatius continued to revise his now famous book of Spiritual Exercises which was approved July 31, 1548, with the blessing of Pope Paul III. Ignatius spoke of this work “with the object of helping many in their struggle for perfection” and coming to know God’s will in their life. It was and remains a book that changed the world.
Ignatius preaching before congregation
During these years in Rome, Ignatius continued his usual pastoral concerns among the churches and remained a tireless preacher and teacher of Christian doctrine, romanticized by this later painting of Peter Paul Reubens.
Ignatius wrote no less than 6,641 letters ...
... to every part of the world where the Church was active including princes, noble ladies, simple folk and generous benefactors.
Juana of Austria, sister of Philip II of Spain
One such correspondent was Catherine, wife of King John III of Portugal who had nine children, and who was once the “lady of Ignatius’ heart” in his youthful days upon visiting her at the Convent of Santa Clara in Tordesillas. Their oldest son John and heir to the throne, married Juana of Austria, sister of the later King Philip II of Spain. John died two years later after the wedding in 1554, leaving Juan a widow. She wanted to become a Jesuit, although the Pope had forbidden such a Jesuit organization. Out of respsect for her royal position, and after much maneuvering upon the part of Ignatius and his advisers, she eventually and secretly became a Jesuit with siimple vows, a secret held bound by all parties under a false name. Juana also became regent of Spain in the absence of Philip II on his many travels.
Council of Trent session
The original companions of Ignatius continued to distinguish themselves as men of humane letters, grounded in philosophy and sacred scripture, truly “finding God in all things” in the assignments given them. Diego Laynez and Alphonse Salmeron represented the Society as theologians at the Council of Trent which finally gathered in the northern Italy in 1547-47 and then resumed again in 1550. Diego Laynez eventually became the second General of the Society after the death of Ignatius in 1556.
Portrait of Michelangelo
Ignatius commissioned the building of the Gesu Church in the center of Rome asking Michelangelo to be architect, however he declined because of his present duties as master architect for the Basilica of St. Peter. He did however attend the ground breaking ceremony in 1547. The only known portrait of Michelangelo himself, he permitted to be painted, was done by Jacopo del Conti, a well known artist and friend of Ignatius.
Ignatius receives Francis Borgia into the Society
Another great event during these early years was the welcoming of Francis Borgia, duke of Gandia into the Society, as a great expression of this new religious order and its credibility among the people. This took place in the jubilee year of 1550, when Pope Paul III granted again his solemn blessing on the Society and lifted the limitation of its members to sixty. Francis Borgia later became the third General until his death in 1572.
Maps of Jesuit Houses by the year 1556
During 16 years of his administration, Ignatius had established some 20 institutions in Italy and 19 elsewhere with three administrative regions of Spain, Portugal and the Indies. By 1550, it expanded to a total of 13 provinces with a membership by the year of 1556 close to one thousand members. These served in schools, parishes, foreign missions and the universities of Salamanca, Alcala de Henares, Coimbra, and Louvain and free education was offered on different levels especially in Italy at Bologna, Florence, Naples, Perugia, Gubba, Modena, Monreale, Syracuse, Catania, Genoa, Siena, Palermo and Messina.