Brief biography of Ignatius of Loyola. Ignatius of Loyola - biography, information, personal life Which of these universities did Ignatius study at?

31.07.1556

Ignatius de Loyola
Ignacio Lopez de Loyola

Catholic saint

Founder of the Jesuit Order

Prominent figure of the Counter-Reformation

News & Events

09/17/1540 The statute of the Jesuit Order was approved

08/15/1534 The Jesuit Order was founded in Paris

Ignatius de Loyola was born on October 23, 1491 at the Castle of Loyola in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa. At baptism he received the name Inigo. After his conversion, he took the name Ignatius, choosing Saint Ignatius of Antioch as his heavenly patron.

He came from an ancient Basque family. According to undocumented data, he was the youngest of 13 children. At the age of 14, Inigo was left an orphan, and his older brother sent him to Arevallo, to John Velazquez, treasurer of the Castile court. There Inigo served as a page. Having reached adulthood, he entered military service.

In 1521, Inigo de Loyola took part in the defense of Pamplona, which was besieged by French and Navarrese troops under the command of André de Foix. There were many Navarrese living in the city who went over to the enemy’s side, and the city authorities decided to surrender. On May 20, 1521, Andre de Foix entered the city. Iñigo, remaining loyal to his king, retreated to the fortress with a handful of soldiers. The siege began on May 21. The battle ended quite quickly. Over the next ten days he was in Pamplona.

During the battle he was wounded. The shaking during the journey affected his health, and the doctors were forced to perform another very difficult operation, after which he became worse and worse every day. On June 24, the day of St. John the Baptist, the doctors, who no longer believed in his recovery, advised Inigo to confess. On the eve of the day of St. Peter, considered the patron saint of the Loyola family, Inigo was given communion and unction. There was a sudden improvement during the night, and the next day he was out of danger. But the bone did not heal properly, and the operation had to be done again, even longer and more painful than all the previous ones. During the subsequent period of recovery, Inigo asked that they bring him chivalric novels to read. But there were no novels in the castle - only the “Life of Jesus Christ” by the Carthusian Rudolph and one volume of “The Lives of the Saints” were kept in the family library.

In March 1522, Ignatius prepared to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But first I went to Montserrat, a mountainous Benedictine abbey near Barcelona, where the miraculous statue of the Virgin Mary is kept. On the way, he took a vow of chastity. In the city of Igualada, not far from the abbey, he bought a penitent's rags, a staff, a flask and linen shoes with rope soles. On March 21, 1522, he came to Montserrat and spent three days preparing for a full confession. On March 24, he confessed, changed into rags, gave his clothes to a beggar and began the “Night Watch.” All night he stood in the chapel in front of the image of the Blessed Virgin, sometimes kneeling down, but not allowing himself to sit down, and at dawn he handed over his weapons - a sword and a dagger - to the monk who confessed him and asked to be hanged as an offering in the chapel. From now on, he considered himself knighted by the Queen of Heaven.

He lived on alms, observed strict fasting, went to mass in the morning, cared for the sick in the local hospital, and prayed in the cathedral in the evening. He soon fell ill and was sheltered in a Dominican monastery. He spent the winter of 1522, which turned out to be very difficult for him, in Manresa.

He realized that knowledge was necessary for apostolic activity. Therefore, at the age of 33, I began to study Latin in elementary school, together with my children. Jerome Ardevol, a Latin teacher, gave him additional lessons for free, and two years later he announced to his student that he now knew enough to listen to lectures at the university. In May 1526, Ignatius set out on foot for Alcalá.

In Alcalá, as in Barcelona, in addition to his studies at the university, he taught children the catechism and instructed everyone who turned to him for help. In this regard, a denunciation was made against Ignatius, he was arrested, and after 42 days of imprisonment, a sentence was announced, prohibiting him from instructing and preaching under pain of excommunication and eternal expulsion from the kingdom. After three years, the ban could be lifted if a judge or vicar general gives permission. The Archbishop of Toledo recommended that Ignatius not remain in Alcala and continue his studies in Salamanca. However, even in Salamanca, almost immediately after his arrival, Ignatius was invited for an interview at the Dominican monastery and began to be asked about the Spiritual Exercises that he gave in Alcala. The case was referred to the church court. The judges found no heresy in his teaching, and 22 days later he was released. After this, Ignatius decided to leave Spain and went to Paris.

In 1528, when Ignatius arrived in Paris, he was 35 years old. Deciding to begin his education again from scratch and resume the basics of Latin, he entered Montagu's school and remained there until October 1529. Then he entered St. Barbara's School to study philosophy. In 1532, after four years of study, shortly before Christmas, he passed the exam and received an academic degree. In February 1533, Ignatius passed another exam - in grammar, and then, having provided evidence that he had attended a course of commentary on Aristotle, studied arithmetic, geometry and astronomy, after a series of exams and a public debate held in the Church of St. Julian the Poor, received a master's degree. From now on, he had the right to “teach, participate in debates, determine and perform all school and teacher actions... both in Paris and around the world.” All that remained was to pass the doctor's exam. But before this exam, Ignatius also took theology courses from the Dominicans. The doctoral examination took place in 1534, during Lent, Ignatius was awarded a degree and given a doctor's headdress: a black round cap with a square top, decorated with a tassel.

During his years of study in Paris, Ignatius met Peter Favre, Francis Xavier, Diego Lainez, Alfonso Salmeron, Nicolas Bobadilla and Simon Rodriguez. He taught each of them Spiritual Exercises. All of them were united by the desire to create a group dedicated to serving Christ.

On the day of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, August 15, 1534, in Montmartre, in the Church of St. Dionysius, all seven of them, during the mass served by Peter Favre, took vows of non-covetousness, chastity and missionary work in the Holy Land. If it was impossible to fulfill the last vow before January 1, 1538, it was decided to go to Rome and place himself at the disposal of the Holy See. But first everyone had to finish their training.

In 1535, Ignatius became seriously ill. He was forced to leave Paris and return to Spain. Feeling better, he went on foot to Venice and arrived there at the end of 1535. Here, while waiting for his comrades, he continued his study of theology. The rest arrived from Paris on January 18, 1537. At this time of year there was no communication between Venice and Palestine, and in anticipation of better days they all decided to work in hospitals. By that time, five more people had joined the society. On June 24, 1537, Ignatius and his comrades were ordained priests.

Since, due to the outbreak of the war between Venice and Turkey, it was impossible to sail to Palestine, the vow made in Montmartre obliged them to go to Rome. In 1537, after an audience, Pope Paul III commissioned Laines and Peter Favre to teach theological subjects at the University of Rome. The people willingly listened to the new preachers, but the cardinals and aristocracy began persecution against them. Ignatius secured a personal meeting with Pope Paul III, and after a conversation that lasted an hour, the Pope decided to support Ignatius and his comrades.

On Christmas Day 1538, in the Church of St. Mary Magna in Rome, Ignatius celebrated his first mass.

In 1539, Ignatius and his comrades faced the question: “what next?” It was decided to officially form a community - a new monastic order. In the same year, Ignatius presented Pope Paul III with the Institutions - a draft of the future Rule, where, in addition to the three standard vows of obedience, chastity and non-covetousness, a fourth was added: the vow of direct obedience to the Holy Father. On September 27, 1540, the charter of the new order - the Society of Jesus - was approved by the papal bull "Regimini militantis ecclesiae".

In Lent 1541, Loyola was elected the first superior general of the order.

During these years, Ignatius was involved in coordinating the activities of the order, created the “Constitution”, and dictated the “Autobiography”. He died on July 31, 1556. He was buried in Rome, in the Church of Il Gesu.

The saint is the most prominent figure in the period in the life of the Catholic Church known as the “Counter-Reformation”, the founder of the Jesuit Order, the author of a widely spread system of spiritual exercises...

Origin and childhood

Ignatius Loyola was born on October 24, 1491 in the castle of Loyola - in the possession of his parents, in the city of Azpeitia, in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country. He came from an ancient and noble, but impoverished family. It is interesting that Ignatius was the 13th child in a family of 14 and the seventh son.

According to the current principle of primogeniture, that is, inheritance of real estate only by the eldest son, in the future Ignatius was left with nothing. At birth he was given the name Inigo de Oñas, the surname Loyola - due to his belonging to the family castle, and he took the name Ignatius (in honor of St. Ignatius of Antioch) later, having experienced a religious conversion. His father is Senor Beltran Ibañez de Oñas, and his mother is Senora Maria Sanchez de Licona, also belonged to a noble family of the Basque Country. It is worth noting that Inigo spent his childhood in the north of Spain, the part of the Iberian Peninsula that was least influenced by the Moors. Here, the Christian faith, since the time of the Goths, has never faded away and has developed fruitfully.

Inigo lost his parents early. In 1506 or 1507 his mother died. His father died even earlier. Since the Loyola family was noble, Inigo, while still a boy, became a page at the court of Ferdinand II of Aragon, husband of Isabella I of Castile, where he ended up through the treasurer of Castile, Juan Velazquez. However, Inigo did not distinguish himself in anything special in this field.

Military service. Defense of Pamplona

As time went. Inigo had already become a knight at Ferdinand's court and his lifestyle was normal for a man of his position. No knightly entertainments were alien to him. In his own words, he enjoyed great success with women, and he had to fight quite often.

In 1521, during the war between Spain and France over the border region of Navarre, Inigo de Loyola became the defender of the city of Pamplona. This defense, which he led, became a turning point in his biography.

There were many Navarrese living in the city who went over to the side of the French, so Inigo decided to surrender the city in order to retreat to the fortress with his troops. This happened on May 20, 1521, and the next day, May 21, the enemy began a siege of the castle in which the Spaniards locked themselves. The French superiority was overwhelming, but the Spanish soldiers, led by Inigo de Loyola, bravely held back their onslaught. At some point, when the siege had lasted long enough, Inigo was seriously wounded. The cannonball flew between his legs, breaking one of them and slightly damaging the other. In the end, the castle was surrendered, but the French acted like knights. Noting Inigo's bravery and courage, they gave him to their doctors, and then took him on a stretcher to Loyola Castle.

Appeal

The severe wound Inigo received required surgery. He underwent this operation in his parents' castle. The treatment took months, filled with unbearable pain and suffering: of course, there was no anesthesia at that time. The operation was unsuccessful, the bone healed incorrectly, and Inigo decides to break his leg a second time. It is difficult to imagine what kind of torment Inigo de Loyola suffered then: after all, in addition to physical suffering, there was also the understanding that from now on he was disabled and unfit for military service. He probably could have endured the most severe physical suffering, but the knowledge that from now on he was helpless should have oppressed him most of all. After all, he is a knight! Conqueror of ladies' hearts and brave warrior! Now all this is entirely in the past.

In the castle of Loyola, amid these trials, he asked for chivalric novels to be delivered to him in order to somehow distract himself from the pain and dispel the boredom generated by inactivity. But there were no novels in the castle, but the Bible and Lives of the Saints were found. Reading these books captivated the wounded warrior and helped him find a way out of a seemingly dead-end life situation. Knightly service, but not to the king, but to Christ - this is what he saw in the images of the saints canonized by the Church. It turns out that in order to serve God, you need courage, bravery, patience, and other knightly virtues...

Pilgrimage to Montserrat

Montserrat is a monastery in the center of Catalonia, near Barcelona, belonging to the Order of St. Benedict. Its main shrine is the Black Virgin Mary. This statue of the Mother of God, carved from ebony around the 12th century, has attracted pilgrims throughout the ages. The peculiarity of the monastery is its inaccessible position among the rocks at an altitude of more than 720 meters above sea level.

It is unknown how, having climbed the steep slope on his crippled legs, Ignatius performed a kind of ritual: just as knights serve their chosen lady, so he swore an oath of devotion and service to the Virgin Mary. However, at this moment Ignatius no longer looked much like a knight: he was dressed in rags and looked like a pilgrim or a wandering monk.

While Ignatius was still in the monastery, thoughts began to mature in him, which later formed the basis of his sermons, the famous Ignatian “Spiritual Exercises” and the rules of the Society of Jesus. These were thoughts about how to achieve spiritual perfection, how to serve God, the Church and one’s neighbor.

But it was not enough for Ignatius to understand something for himself alone. Very early on, he discovered the gift of telling other people exactly how to serve, instructing them, showing them “how it should be done.” Subsequently, he would build an entire pedagogical system, and his spiritual children – the Jesuits – would spread it throughout the world.

Ignatius constantly indulged in self-flagellation and self-abasement, observed strict fasting, cared for the sick, confessed very often... He did all this with all his heart, with all passion and ardor.

However, later the founder of the Jesuit Order would come to the conclusion that excessive mortification of the flesh is not only unnecessary, but even harmful: after all, God created in man not only the soul, but also the body, and therefore the body needs good treatment and respect.

In the small village of Manresa, located not far from Montserrat, where Ignatius settled at the end of 1522, he experienced a revelation from above, as a result of which a “great light of understanding” came to him. Now he no longer doubted that God had called him to defend the true faith, the Catholic Church, the Pope, as the visible vicar of God on earth.

Pilgrimage to Jerusalem

At the beginning of 1523, Ignatius went to the Holy Land, which then belonged to the Muslims. Without any theological education, Loyola nevertheless preached to the pilgrims, letting them know that he was in direct contact with God, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary. Some listened to his sermons, but many others began to look at him with suspicion. In the end, he was refused admission to the monastery in the Holy Land where he intended to enter, and he had to return to Spain, where the Holy Inquisition took charge of him.

Inquisition

Loyola himself understood that he needed to receive a theological education. He begins to study Latin at the university of the town of Alcala de Henares, without ceasing to preach and give spiritual advice to everyone who asked him for it. He is soon arrested, but the inquisitorial tribunal did not see heresy in his speeches and deeds and, strongly recommending that he study, released him. Ignatius left Alcala and moved to Salamanca, where he entered the local university, but the Inquisition became interested in him again, and Ignatius decided to go to Paris.

Paris

Ignatius came to Paris on foot on his sore legs. But in order to get to the French capital, he had to overcome the Pyrenees, and then walk hundreds of kilometers more.
At the Sorbonne, Loyola again began studying Latin, and, meanwhile, a circle of like-minded people gathered around him: Ignatius knew how to attract people with the originality of his personality and bright charisma.

The 37-year-old student showed great diligence and perseverance and, ultimately, managed to master the required sciences. To get money for food and education for himself and his comrades, Loyola goes to Flanders and England, where in an amazing way (most likely thanks to the charity of certain wealthy individuals) he gets this money, which provides him and his comrades for several years. In Paris, Loyola continued work on his Spiritual Exercises.

In 1533, he received the title of Master of Theology, and with it the right to teach religion and preach.

By 1534, Ignatius of Loyola’s desire to create a squad of spiritual knights was supported by six of his followers. They were Peter Faber, Francis Xavier, Jacob Lainez, Alfons Salmeron, Nicholas Alfons Bobadilla and Simon Rodriguez.

On August 15, 1534, in the underground chapel of Montmartre, on the site of which the first Parisian bishop, St. Dionysius with his companions, the first companions of Loyola gathered. They took a vow of poverty and charity ( chastity), as well as a vow to visit the Holy Land when their studies are completed. The oath ended with the words - "Ad maiorem Dei gloriam"- “For the greater glory of the Lord.” On the altar of the chapel Ignatius wrote three large letters J.H.S. ( Jesus Hominum Salvator– Jesus the Savior of people). These letters became the motto of future Jesuits. But for now they had to continue their education.

Venice, Rome, founding of the Society of Jesus

In 1537, Loyola and his comrades gathered in Venice in order to go from there to Palestine and engage in missionary service there. While waiting for the opportunity to sail, they worked in hospitals, helped the suffering, and preached. But the war that broke out at sea between the Venetians and the Turks did not allow the plan to come true, and the friends went to Rome. But even before this, on June 24, 1537, Ignatius and his comrades became priests.

In Rome, Loyola and his associates begin to preach and have great success: people really like to listen to their lively, vibrant speeches, which were very different from the style of the dry scholastics. Loyola's popularity increases - his audience with the Pope becomes possible.

At this time, the Reformation movement generated by Martin Luther was in full swing, and the Catholic Church was rapidly losing its position. Meeting with Pope Paul III, Loyola probably proposed a project to create an Order whose main task would be the defense of the Catholic Church, and the Pope was able to appreciate this initiative and the abilities of its author. One way or another, Ignatius of Loyola receives the go-ahead to create the Society of Jesus. It is worth noting that Loyola, who gained great popularity among the people and charmed the Pope, also had many opponents and ill-wishers among the aristocracy and Roman clergy, including prominent cardinals. But this did not prevent the emergence of a new Order.

Loyola wrote his Charter personally, and in 1540 the Pope approved this Charter. “The Fellowship or Society of Jesus consists of those who, in the name of God, desire to be armed under the banner of the cross and to serve one Lord and High Priest of Rome, His vicar on earth. Those accepted into the Society must take a vow of chastity, poverty, obedience to the General of the Order and obedience to the Pope ruling the Church. The General of the Order is unlimited in his power, but he is obliged to draw up a constitution or charter of the Society with the consent of the majority of the members, and he is given complete freedom in managing the affairs of the Society,” read the bull with which Paul III officially established the “team of Christ’s warriors.”

In 1541, Ignatius Loyola was elected first general of the Society of Jesus. After his election, he served in the kitchen for several days in order to give his brothers an example of humility.

At the same time, resigned submission to the elders in the Order became its characteristic feature. Loyola insisted that the Church needed to give everything, including one's mind. The ideal Jesuit, as Loyola put it, should look upon his elder as Christ himself.
The new Order enjoyed extraordinary popularity: representatives of the most noble families joined it. Almost immediately, members of the Society of Jesus established themselves as brilliant defenders of Catholicism, irresistible to Protestant pastors and preachers, and as fearless missionaries, ready to go to the ends of the earth to bring the Good News of Christ to the pagans.

In 1548, the “Spiritual Exercises” of Ignatius of Loyola were published - his spiritual testament to future generations, the moral and religious doctrine of the Jesuits. Their author immediately stipulates that this book is intended “for the leader, not the practitioner,” that is, these exercises must be done under the strict tutelage of a mentor, so that the practitioner does not fall into error or cause himself spiritual harm. “Under the name of Spiritual Exercises is meant any method of testing the conscience, reflection, contemplation, verbal and mental prayer and other spiritual actions.” The Spiritual Exercises consist of four parts, which are formally called "weeks", but can last more or less than a week. The first “week” - the person doing the exercises indulges in prayerful contemplation and reasoning about sins. On the second, he imagines and experiences “the life of our Lord Jesus Christ up to and including Palm Sunday.” In the “third week” he mentally contemplates “the suffering of Christ our Savior.” On the fourth he sees “Resurrection and Ascension with the addition of three images of prayer.”

Previously, monastic orders, as a rule, received names after their founders. Loyola was the first to break this tradition. The official name of his brotherhood is the “Society of Jesus,” and the word “Jesuit” (like the “Jesuit Order”) came into use after the death of Loyola and is unofficial.
In 1550, Ignatius decided to resign as general of the Order, but all its members opposed this. After much persuasion, Ignatius remained in his post until his death in Rome on July 31, 1556.

After death

In 1622, Ignatius of Loyola was canonized by Pope Gregory XV.

The Jesuit Order gained enormous popularity, devoting itself to science, spiritual education, and missionary activities. Jesuit schools were considered exemplary; many methods of modern pedagogy were first tested in them.

Today the number of Jesuits is 16,378 (2016 data), of which 11,785 are priests. Jesuits work in 112 countries of the world and serve in 1,540 parishes, including in Russia and in our Diocese of Transfiguration. In particular, the current Pope Francis (Jorge Mario Bergoglio) and the Ordinary of the Diocese of Transfiguration, Bishop Joseph Werth, belong to the Jesuit Order.

V. Degtyarev based on materials
Mikhail Myzgin

IGDA/G. Dagli Orti
NE. IGNATIUS OF LOYOLA

LOYOLA, ST. IGNATIUS (1491–1556), Spanish church leader, founder of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit order). Ignatius Loyola was born probably in 1491 at Loyola near Azpeia in Vizcaya. Since childhood, he dreamed of military service, but on May 21, 1521, during the French siege of Pamplona, his leg was broken by a cannonball, which put an end to his military career. Reading the lives of Christ and the saints prompted him to abandon his previous life goals and filled him with an ardent desire to serve God. On March 25, 1522, Ignatius made a pilgrimage to the miraculous image of the Mother of God in Montserrat (near Barcelona), on the way back he stopped in a cave in the mountains near Manresa (in Catalonia), where he indulged in prayers and repentance. Having overcome many vicissitudes of fate, he arrived in Paris in February 1528 to complete his spiritual education. There he united around himself six comrades who took vows of poverty and chastity and intended to go to Jerusalem or, if this turned out to be impossible, to place themselves at the disposal of the pope to serve God. Three years later, Pope Paul III gave permission to ordain them as priests. In continuation of their labors, they created a monastic order, which was approved by Paul III on September 27, 1540. The following year, Ignatius was elected general of the order and remained so until his death on July 31, 1556. Ignatius of Loyola was canonized by Pope Gregory XV on March 12, 1622. Memorial Day Saint July 31st.

Materials from the encyclopedia "The World Around Us" were used.

Other biographical materials:

Read further:

Jesuits are members of a monastic order of the Roman Catholic Church, founded in 1534 by the Spanish nobleman Ignacio Loyola

Monastic orders and heresies (Catholic)

Essays:

Spiritual exercises. - "Symbol". Paris, 1992. No. 26.

Literature:

Antonio Sicari. Portraits of Saints, vol. 3. Milan–M., 1998.

Christianity. Encyclopedic Dictionary, vol. 1–3. M., 1993–1995

Jan Hus. Martin Luther. John Calvin. Torquemada. Loyola: Biographical Sketches. M., 1995

Rozhkov V. Essays on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. M., 1998

Origin and childhood.
Ignatius Loyola was born on October 24, 1491 in the castle of Loyola - in the possession of his parents, in the city of Azpeitia, in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque country. He came from an ancient and noble family, but impoverished. It is interesting that Ignatius was the 13th child in a family of 14 and the seventh son in a row. According to the current principle of primogeniture, that is, inheritance of real estate only by the eldest son, in the future Ignatius was left with nothing. At birth he was given the name Inigo de Oñas, the surname Loyola - due to his belonging to the family castle, and he later took the name Ignatius. His father is Senor Beltran Ibañez de Oñas, his mother is Senora Maria Sanchez de Licona, also belonged to a noble family from the Basque country. It is worth noting that he spent his childhood in the north of Spain, the part of the Iberian Peninsula least exposed to the influence of the Moors. Here the Christian faith has lived and developed since the time of the Goths.
He lost his parents early. His mother died in 1506 or 1507, and his father had also died earlier.
Since his family was noble, Inigo became a page as a child; he came to the court through the treasurer of Castile, Juan Velazquez. He begins his service at the court of Ferdinand II of Aragon, husband of Isabella I of Castile. And here his service proceeded without any special differences.

Military service. Defense of Pamplona.
Time passed, Inigo already became a knight at the court of Ferdinand and also lived an ordinary life for a man of his position. All knightly entertainments were not alien to him. As he himself said, he had great success with women. And he also fought quite a lot.
By 1521 he becomes the defender of Pamplona. There is a war going on between France and Spain over Navarre, a border region. And so the defense of Pamplona, led by Inigo de Loyola, becomes a turning point in his life. There were many Navarrese living in the city who went over to the side of the French, so Inigo decided to surrender the city, and he and his troops retreated to the fortress. This happened on May 20, 1521, and the next day, May 21, the enemy began a siege of the castle in which the Spaniards locked themselves. The French superiority was overwhelming, but the Spanish soldiers, led by Inigo de Loyola, bravely held back the French onslaught. At some point, when the siege had lasted long enough, Inigo was seriously wounded. The shell flew between his legs, breaking one of them and slightly crippling the other. In the end, the castle was surrendered, but the French acted in a chivalrous spirit. Noting Inigo's bravery and courage, they gave him to their doctors, and then carried him on a stretcher to Loyola Castle.

Introduction to religion.
The severe wound Inigo received required surgery. Already in his parents' castle he undergoes this operation. All this takes months, filled with unbearable pain and suffering, no anesthesia, the medicine is very weak. The operation was unsuccessful, the bone healed incorrectly and Inigo decides to break his leg again. It is difficult to imagine what kind of torment Inigo de Loyola endured then; in addition to physical suffering, it was also the understanding that he was now a cripple. He probably could have endured any kind of physical suffering, but the realization that he was now helpless should have affected him the most. After all, he is a knight! Conqueror of ladies' hearts and brave warrior! Now all this will never be returned.
In Loyola Castle, during these sufferings, he asked to bring him chivalric novels, to read, to distract himself, to relieve boredom. But they were not there, but there was the Bible and the Lives of the Saints. Reading these books seriously captivated him. And he definitely finds a way out of this seemingly dead-end life situation. Knightly service, but not to the king, but to Christ - he sees this in the examples of saints canonized by the church. In this ministry, his courage, his bravery, and his charisma will be useful.

Pilgrimage to Montserrat.
Montserrat is a monastery in the center of Catalonia, near Barcelona, belonging to the Order of Saint Benedict. Its main shrine is the Black Virgin Mary. This statue of the Mother of God, carved from ebony around the 12th century, has attracted pilgrims throughout the centuries. The peculiarity of the monastery is its inaccessible position in the rocks at an altitude of more than 720 meters above sea level.
It is unknown how, having climbed into this monastery on his crippled legs, he performs a kind of ritual, and like knights serve the chosen lady of the heart, he takes an oath of knightly service to the Virgin Mary. He no longer looks like the knight we imagine him to be, but like a wandering monk, a traveler, in rags.
While he was there, thoughts began to ripen in him, which would later form the basis of his sermons, and later form the charter of the Society of Jesus. These are thoughts about how to achieve spiritual perfection, how to serve God and the like. He also wanted to tell everyone exactly how to serve. He doesn’t just serve himself and serve there, no, he teaches others, instructs, shows “how it should be done.” Subsequently, he would develop an entire pedagogical system, adherents of which still exist all over the world to this day.
Ignatius was constantly engaged in self-flagellation and self-abasement, observed strict fasting, cared for the sick, feared sins, and confessed. He did all this sincerely, of course, there was a large share of fanaticism in him, which originated in the suffering at Loyola Castle.
In the small village of Manresa, located near Montserrat, where Ignatius lived at the end of 1522, he had a vision and received “the great light of understanding.” Now he no longer doubts that he must defend the true faith, the Catholic Church, the Pope, as the direct representative of God on earth.

Pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
At the beginning of 1523, Ignatius goes to the Holy Land, a place where there are so many infidels - Muslims. At the same time, he is uneducated, but along the way he says that he communicates with God, Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary personally. All this arouses suspicion among others. In Jerusalem, his desire to stay in a monastery on the holy land is denied. He returns to Spain. Meanwhile, his strange behavior attracted the attention of the Inquisition.

Inquisition.
He understands that he needs to get an education. Ignatius studies Latin at the University of Alcala de Henares. And at the same time, he constantly preaches and communicates with everyone who asks for it. And the Inquisition arrests him, but, not seeing heresy in his actions and speeches, releases him. Ignatius, so as not to tempt fate, leaves Alcala and goes to Salamanca. In Salamanca he again has relations with the punitive church body. As a result, he decides to go to Paris.

Paris.
It is worth noting that he walked to Paris on his crippled legs. And for this, by the way, you need to cross the Pyrenees. Ignatius’s self-flagellation does not stop. He begins studying Latin again, and at the same time something like a circle rallies around him. He attracts attention with his extraordinary behavior. Finally, he received the title of Master of Theology - he can already preach.

In Paris, people such as Francis Xavier, Jacob Lainez, Pierre Emile Lazare Favre, Alfonso Salmeron and others rallied around Ignatius, who later became one of the founders of the Society of Jesus. And after a long conversation, something happens that will bring them even closer together. On August 15, 1534, they gathered in a church in Montmartre and took vows to go to Palestine on a missionary mission, and also took vows of chastity and poverty. But for now they all had to continue their education.

Venice, Rome, founding of the Society of Jesus.
In 1537, Loyola's associates gathered in Venice in order to go from there to Palestine and devote themselves to ministry there. While they were waiting for the opportunity to sail, they worked in hospitals, helped the suffering, and preached. But the war that broke out in the waters of the Mediterranean Sea did not allow them to sail to the Holy Land. I had to go to Rome. By this time, Ignatius Loyola had already been ordained as a priest. In Rome, Loyola and his comrades begin to preach and have great success, people really like to listen to their speeches. Loyola's popularity increases - an audience with the pope becomes possible.

At this time, the struggle between the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation was in full swing. Luther's ideas are becoming increasingly popular. The Catholic Church is rapidly losing its position. At a meeting with Pope Paul III, Loyola apparently expressed ideas about creating an order, one of the main ideas of which would be the defense of the Catholic Church. In such a difficult time, it was akin to “manna from heaven” for Pope Paul III. Ignatius of Loyola receives the go-ahead to found the Society of Jesus. It is worth noting that Loyola, who had some popularity among the people and charmed the pope, had many opponents and ill-wishers among the aristocracy and even the top cardinals. But this did not prevent the creation of his order.

Loyola wrote the charter of the order personally, and in 1540 this charter was approved by the pope. The main tenets of the order are chastity, obedience, poverty and devoted service to God and the church, uncomplaining submission to this church and its head, the pope. The strict hierarchy of the order did not tolerate any objections to members of society higher in this hierarchy. The order became militant - it defended the church from all attacks on its power.

In 1541, Ignatius Loyola was elected first general of the Society of Jesus. After his election, Loyola served in the kitchen for several days - the elements of self-abasement in him did not disappear.

Uncomplaining submission to the elders in the order became its characteristic and main feature. Loyola said that the church needs to give everything, including your mind. The ideal Jesuit, as Loyola put it, should look upon his elder as Christ himself. Despite the fact that the Jesuit Order was voluntary, there were many who wanted to join it.

Loyola devoted the next part of his life to coordinating the order and writing his works. And in 1550, he decided to resign as general of the Jesuit Order, which everyone opposed. After much persuasion, he remained in his place. So he died in this position. It happened on July 31, 1556 in Rome, where he was buried in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Life after death.
In 1622, Ignatius of Loyola was officially canonized by Pope Gregory XV.
Loyola's works became widely popular, especially the famous "Exercitia spiritvalia" - "Spiritual Exercises".
The Jesuit Order gained enormous popularity, later becoming more of a political organization than the Society of Jesus. Jesuit schools were widely used. Jesuit missionaries penetrated into many countries of the world, where they successfully preached their ideas. Subsequently, Jesuits all over the world had a huge influence on the course of history - they took part in so many things that it’s impossible to list them all. But all this had little to do with Loyola. In the minds of Loyola, he remained “the foot soldier of the Pope.”

Born around 1491 at Loyola Castle in the Basque province of Guipuzcoa. At baptism he received the name Inigo (Basque: Inigo). After his conversion, he took the name Ignatius (Spanish: Ignacio), choosing Saint Ignatius of Antioch as his heavenly patron. Perhaps he served as the prototype for Don Quixote in the novel of the same name by Miguel de Cervantes. Memorial Day July 31st.

Early years (1491(?)-1521)

He came from an ancient Spanish family. According to undocumented data, he was the youngest of 13 children. At the age of 14, Inigo was left an orphan, and his older brother sent him to Arevallo, to John Velazquez, treasurer of the Castile court. There Inigo served as a page. Having reached adulthood, he entered military service. Subsequently, talking about his youth to Fr. To Gonzales de Camara, he described himself at that time in the following words: “Attentive to my appearance, greedy for success with women, bold in my courtship, picky in matters of honor, afraid of nothing, cheaply valuing the life of myself and others, I indulged in luxury... »

1521 Defense of Pamplona

In 1521, Inigo de Loyola took part in the defense of Pamplona, which was besieged by French and Navarrese troops under the command of Andre de Foix. There were many Navarrese living in the city who went over to the enemy’s side, and the city authorities decided to surrender. On May 20, 1521, Andre de Foix entered the city. Inigo, who remained loyal to his king, retreated to the fortress with a handful of soldiers. The siege began on May 21. “The attack had already lasted for quite some time, when I was hit by a shell that slipped between my legs and wounded one and broke the other,” he said many years later. Gonzales de Camara. After this, the battle ended quite quickly. Over the next ten days he was in Pamplona. The French respected his courage, Inigo was treated by French doctors, and then he was carried on a stretcher to his father's castle, Loyola.

1521-1522 Loyola Castle

It soon became clear that the shaking during the journey affected his health, and the doctors were forced to perform another very difficult operation, after which he became worse and worse every day. On June 24, the day of St. John the Baptist, the doctors, who no longer believed in his recovery, advised Inigo to confess. On the eve of the day of St. Peter, considered the patron saint of the Loyola family, Inigo received communion and unction. There was a sudden improvement during the night, and the next day he was out of danger. But the bone did not heal properly, and the operation had to be done again, even longer and more painful than all the previous ones. During the subsequent period of recovery, Inigo asked that they bring him chivalric novels to read. But there were no novels in the castle - only the “Life of Jesus Christ” by the Carthusian Rudolph and one volume of “The Lives of the Saints” were kept in the family library.

I had to read what was there. And in these books he discovered heroism: “this heroism is different from mine, and it is higher than mine. Am I really not capable of it? Inigo noticed - and was amazed - that after reading a few pages from the Lives of the Saints, an incomprehensible peace took possession of his soul, while dreams of fame and love left him feeling empty. “Two opposing spirits are at work within me. The first one confuses me: it is from the devil. The second one pacifies me: it is from God.” He sends a servant to Burgos to bring the Carthusian charter, and carefully studies this document.

1522 Pilgrimage to Montserrat

In March 1522, Ignatius prepared to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. But first I went to Montserrat (Spanish: Montserrat) - a mountainous Benedictine abbey near Barcelona, where the miraculous statue of the Madonna is kept. On the way, he took a vow of chastity. In the city of Igualda, not far from the abbey, he bought a penitent's rags, a staff, a flask and linen shoes with rope soles. On March 21, 1522, he came to Montserrat and spent three days preparing for a full confession. On March 24 (the day before the Annunciation) he confessed, changed into rags, gave his clothes to a beggar and began the “Night Watch” (“The Night Watch,” which precedes knighting, consists of ablution, confession, communion, blessing and presentation of the sword). All night he stood in the chapel in front of the image of the Blessed Virgin, sometimes kneeling down, but not allowing himself to sit down, and at dawn he handed over his weapons - a sword and a dagger - to the monk who confessed him and asked to be hanged as an offering in the chapel. From now on, he considered himself knighted by the Queen of Heaven.

1522-1523 Manresa. Epiphany on Cardonera

At sunrise he descended from Montserrat and stopped in the small town of Manresa. There he found a secluded grotto on the banks of the Cardoner River, near the Roman aqueduct, and decided to spend several days in prayer in this secluded place. He lived on alms, observed strict fasting, went to mass in the morning, cared for the sick in the local hospital, and prayed in the cathedral in the evening. He soon fell ill and was sheltered in a Dominican monastery. Here he experienced a spiritual crisis: at first, doubts arose that at confession in Montserrat he really repented of all his previous sins, and he again tried to remember all the sins he had committed in his life. The more he remembered, the more insignificant and unworthy he seemed to himself. Confession didn't help. There was a temptation to commit suicide. At some point, Ignatius thought about where these doubts come from and what effect they produce in his soul, and then he consciously decided not to confess any more past sins: “I realized,” he said later, “that such confession contains action.” evil spirit." Soon after this, when Ignatius was walking along the bank of the Cardoner River to a distant church, he stopped, peering into the water. “The eyes of my mind began to open. It was not a vision, but I was given the understanding of many things, both spiritual and those relating to faith, as well as human sciences, and with such great clarity... Suffice it to say that I received a great light of understanding, so that, if you add up all the help , throughout my life I received from God, and all the knowledge I acquired, it seems to me that this would be less than what I received in this single case. It seemed to me that I had become a different person... All this lasted at most three minutes.” He spent the winter of 1522, which turned out to be very difficult for him, in Manresa.

1523 Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

On February 28, 1523, Ignatius headed to Barcelona from there to sail to Italy and make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. While waiting for the ship, he led the same life as in Manresa: he prayed, looked after the suffering in hospitals, and collected alms. On March 23, 1523, he sailed for Italy and five days later arrived in Genoa, and from there he went to Rome. Having received the blessing of Pope Adrian IV, he set out on foot for Venice and set sail early on the morning of June 15th. On September 1, the ship reached the Holy Land, where the pilgrims were met by the Franciscans, who then led them around Jerusalem, Bethlehem and Jordan for two weeks. Ignatius made a request to the abbot of the Franciscans: “Father, I would like to spend the rest of my days in your monastery.” The abbot agreed, but the Franciscan provincial refused the request, and Ignatius returned to Barcelona again.

1526-1528 Years of study. Problems with the Inquisition. Barcelona, Alcala, Salamanca

1528-1534 Years of study. Paris

In 1528, when Ignatius arrived in Paris, he was 35 years old. Deciding to begin his education again from scratch and resume the basics of Latin, he entered Montagu's school and remained there until October 1529. He then entered St. Barbara's to study philosophy. In 1532, after four years of study, shortly before Christmas, he passed the exam and received an academic degree. In February 1533, Ignatius passed another examination - in grammar, and then, having provided evidence that he had attended a course of commentary on Aristotle, studied arithmetic, geometry and astronomy, after a series of examinations and a public debate held in the Church of St. Julian the Poor , received a master's degree. From now on, he had the right to “teach, participate in debates, determine and perform all school and teacher actions... both in Paris and around the world.” All that remained was to pass the doctor's exam. But before this exam, Ignatius also took theology courses from the Dominicans. The doctoral examination took place in 1534, during Lent, Ignatius was awarded a degree and given a doctor's headdress: a black round cap with a square top, decorated with a tassel.

August 15, 1534 Vows at Montmartre

During his years of study in Paris, Ignatius met Peter Lefebvre, Francis Xavier, Jacob Lainez, Salmeron, Bobadilla and Simon Rodriguez. He taught each of them Spiritual Exercises. All of them were united by the desire to create a group dedicated to serving Christ.

On August 15, 1534, on the day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, in Montmartre, in the Church of St. Dionysius, all seven of them, during the mass served by Peter Lefebvre, took vows of non-covetousness, chastity and missionary work in the Holy Land. If it was impossible to fulfill the last vow before January 1, 1538, it was decided to go to Rome and place himself at the disposal of the Holy See. But first everyone had to finish their training.

1535-1537 Venice. Ordination

In 1535, Ignatius became seriously ill. He was forced to leave Paris and return to Spain. Feeling better, he went on foot to Venice and arrived there at the end of 1535. Here, while waiting for his comrades, he continued his study of theology. The rest arrived from Paris on January 18, 1537. At this time of year there was no communication between Venice and Palestine, and in anticipation of better days they all decided to work in hospitals. By that time, five more people had joined the society. June 24, 1537 Were Ignatius and his companions ordained? to priests.

1537-1541. Rome. Founding of the Society of Jesus (Jesuit Order)

Since, due to the outbreak of the war between Venice and Turkey, it was impossible to sail to Palestine, the vow made in Montmartre obliged them to go to Rome. In 1537, after an audience, Pope Paul III commissioned Lainez and Peter Lefebvre to teach theological subjects at the University of Rome. The people willingly listened to the new preachers, but the cardinals and aristocracy began persecution against them. Ignatius secured a personal meeting with Pope Paul III, and after a conversation that lasted an hour, the Pope decided to support Ignatius and his comrades.

On Christmas Day 1538, in the Church of St. Mary Magna in Rome, Ignatius celebrated his first mass.

In 1539, Ignatius and his comrades were faced with the question: what next? It was decided to officially form a community - a new monastic order. In the same year, Ignatius presented Pope Paul III with the Institutions - a draft of the future Rule, where, in addition to the three standard vows of obedience, chastity and non-covetousness, a fourth was added: the vow of direct obedience to the Holy Father. On September 27, 1540, the charter of the new order - the Society of Jesus - was approved by the papal bull "Regimini militantis ecclesiae".

During Lent 1541, Ignatius Loyola was elected the first superior general of the order (abbreviated as “general”).

1541-1556 Rome

1622 Canonization

"Spiritual Exercises"

The “Spiritual Exercises” (“Exercitia Spiritualia”) of Saint Ignatius, approved by Pope Paul III on July 31, 1548, are a combination of examination of conscience, meditation, contemplation, verbal and mental prayer. The exercises are divided into four stages - weeks (the name “week” is quite arbitrary; depending on the success of the exerciser, each week can be shortened or increased). The first week is a cleansing week (vita purgativa). During this period, a person remembers the sins committed in the history of the world and by himself, in his personal life, making efforts to “achieve primary conversion”: to leave the state of sin and find grace. The second week is enlightening (vita illuminativa), it is devoted to prayerful reflection on the earthly life of Jesus: from His Nativity to the end of His public ministry. The second week is seen as preparation for a decision, an answer to the call to follow Christ, for a certain life choice. The third week is union with Christ in His suffering and death on the cross. Thus, the practitioner dies with Christ in order to be resurrected with Him. Fourth week - Resurrection and Ascension. The spiritual fruit of all weeks lies in the highest contemplation for the sake of finding love (contemplatio ad amorem), which makes it possible to love everything in God, and God in everything.

Favorite Prayer of Ignatius of Loyola

Anima Christi, sanctifica me. Corpus Christi, save me. Sanguis Christi, inebria me. Aqua lateris Christi, lava me. Passio Christi. comfort me. Oh bone lesu, exaudi me. Infra tua vulnera absconde me. Ne permittas me separari a te. Ab hoste maligno defende me. In hora mortis meae voca me. Et iube me venire ad te, ut cum Sanctis tuis laudem te in saecula saeculorum. Amen.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, give me drink.
Water of the side of Christ, wash me,
Passion of Christ, strengthen me.
O good Jesus, hear me:
Hide me in Your wounds.
Don't let me separate from You.
Protect me from the evil one.
At the hour of my death, call me,
And command me to come to You,
So that with Your saints
praise You
forever and ever.
Amen.

Bibliography

Hugo Rahner SJ Ignatius of Loyola and the historical formation of his spirituality. - Moscow: Institute of Philosophy, Theology and History.
St. Ignatius of Loyola Spiritual Exercises. Spiritual diary. - Moscow: Institute of Philosophy, Theology and History.
St. Ignatius of Loyola A pilgrim's story about his life, or Autobiography. - Moscow: College of Philosophy, Theology and History of St. Thomas Aquinas in Moscow, 2002. (translation by A. N. Koval)
Michel Leroy The Myth of the Jesuits: From Beranger to Michelet - Moscow: Languages of Slavic Culture, 2001.
Heinrich Böhmer Jesuits / Jesuits. Boehmer G.; Inquisition. Lee G. Ch. - St. Petersburg: LLC Publishing House POLYGON, 1999.
Ignatius of Loyola and Don Quixote / Bicilli P. M. The place of the Renaissance in the history of culture. - St. Petersburg: Mithril, 1996. - XIV, 256 p.
Biographical library of F. Pavlenkov. ZhZL in 3 volumes ISBN 5-224-03120-6

Ignatius de Loyola Ignacio Lopez de Loyola