Understanding the Jesuits

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What are people’s perception of the Jesuits?

In my short time in college, I have met multiple Jesuits who seem to be much more concerned with making sure people “feel good” as opposed to making sure that they, the Jesuits, follow church teaching. Curious to hear the thoughts from others on this.
 
YIRI-U-RIHO said:
In my short time in college, I have met multiple Jesuits…
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Perhaps it says more about college campus ministries than Jesuits per se. At college, have you had occasion to meet priests of other orders, to make comparisons?

But to answer your question, my perception is that they are good and holy.
 
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I only have contact with them on EWTN. There, it seems they are very intellectual, very well trained.
 
I never had any first hand contact with Jesuits. But there is a perception among some inside and outside the Church is that they are the order that has given themselves over the most to modernism and liberation theology. This is unfair, since no religious order has been immune to heterodox clergy (Leonardo Boff was a Franciscan, Gustavo Guiterrez and Timothy Radcliffe are Dominicans, Rembert Weakland is a Benedictine, Roy Bourgeois was a Maryknoll Father), and you get many faithful Jesuits -I love the books and columns of Fr. John Hardon SJ and Fr. James Schall SJ, Ignatius Publications (founded by Fr. Joseph Fessio SJ) is my favorite Catholic book publisher, and Catholic World Report (a Jesuit founded paper owned by Ignatius) is my top Catholic news source.
 
Jesuits have been very active in science and academics (lots of craters on the moon are named after Jesuits; seismology was heavily developed through the Jesuits to help predict and prepare for earthquakes, etc) so they’ve been more heavily exposed to secular liberalism than the average. They were a relatively easy target in the post-WW2 world and the internal rumblings after the 2nd Vatican Council.

They’re not going anywhere through. They’re either the largest or the second largest order depending on how you count it (the other one being the Franciscans).
 
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The prejudice against the Jesuits is that they tend to be pragmatic to the point of being willing to deviate rather liberally from traditional Catholic teachings and practices whenever circumstances “require” it. In other words, to the Jesuits the traditional teachings and practices are a means to an end at best. If these means don’t work in a certain situation, the Jesuits will find another way. Whatever noble goals the Jesuits have in mind, upholding tradition is not one that takes high priority for them.

It would be nice if we could dismiss this prejudice as being incorrect, but alas, as far as I can tell it is unfortunately rather true. I regret having to say that, but that’s just how it is.
 
Most of the Jesuits have been given a lot of braincells and they use them. One Jesuit I know reacts to the words “I have been thinking.” and is 100% more attentive than he was before I said those words. They seem to enjoy having discussions when one if for and the other is against in arguments. I know several jesuits and all of them are faithful to the teachings of the Church. I have even tested them when I have talked to them if they would notice the errors that I said.

My guess is that there are regional areas in the world where they are absolutely super and then other regional areas where there might be some issues that need to be addresses.
 
Members of the Society of Jesus go where others do not go .

They go to the margins , and perhaps beyond .

The Popes encourage the Jesuits to do this .

Pope St Paul VI told the Jesuits : “Wherever in the Church, even in the most difficult and extreme fields, at the crossroads of ideologies, in the social trenches, there has been and there is confrontation between the burning exigencies of man and the perennial message of the Gospel, here also there have been, and there are, Jesuits”

Pope Benedict XVI said to the Jesuits : " As my Predecessors have said to you on various occasions, the Church needs you, relies on you and continues to turn to you with trust, particularly to reach those physical and spiritual places which others do not reach or have difficulty in reaching. "

Maybe some look at the Jesuits working in these areas where others do not reach and frown upon them . " Why does your master eat and drink with . . . . . . ? "

Why ?

Because the Popes have asked them to .
 
I would say there are diffent types of Jesuits. There are good Jesuits who follow the teaching of the church, and there are bad Jesuits who hate church teaching and take it upon themeselves to criticize church teaching.
 
You are correct with your perception. They have strayed far way from orthodox Catholic teaching. I think being a Jesuit nowadays is akin to having your own version of feel good with little fruit Catholicism . Just look at the most promoted ones…Fr.James Martin and the current Papacy and his ad visors
 
I study in a school ran by Jesuits, and I must say that they are very active when it comes to education/academics. Most of the Jesuits I know are into the sciences (our university president is a Physicist; Jesuit brothers I know are Chemists [and they used to work in a corporation]. Another one was an industrial engineer). Honestly never met a Jesuit who never had a previous job. There’s even a legend in our school that says you cannot be a Jesuit unless you had an MA/had years of job experience. Not sure if it’s true. Lol

They are generally nice people who urge us to go beyond (and like what Rob2 user said, go to the margins).
 
Rob2 said:
Members of the Society of Jesus go where others do not go .

They go to the margins , and perhaps beyond .
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In recent decades, Jesuits have gone to “the margins”, but to the same margins lots of others have been going to. I’m not saying the Peace and Justice causes they champion are bad, but they are the same “margins” supported by the media, the public schools and universities.

The outreaches of the local Jesuit high school are fine, but happen to be identical to the public schools outreaches.

The REAL margins today are prolife, religious liberty, sanctity of marriage. With few exceptions, the Jesuits are not there.
 
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JSAD said:
Just look at the most promoted ones…Fr.James Martin and the current Papacy and his ad visors
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Fr Martin has done more for the Roman Catholic Church than just about any other cleric in our generation. He has reached out to a marginalized group of people and has said, ‘God loves you, and the Church loves you.’ He has healed very old and very deep wounds that the Church has caused. He has told people in the church to listen and respect ALL people. He is building bridge after bridge. He is SHOWING the love of Christ through his writing and his life’s work.

In a time when, quite honestly, the RCC is not doing too well in it’s mission to tend to peoples’ hurt souls, here is a priest - a Jesuit - who is doing just that. He is the follower of Christ that we all should be.
 
I’m a Jesuit college alumna and have a lot of admiration for the order and its scholarly tradition. You chose well for school!
 
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🤣

But they make the subject of such great memes!
 
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Fr. Jozef Andrasz was one of St. Faustina Kowalska’s confessors and spiritual advisors. St. Claude de la Colombière was St. Margaret Mary Alacoque’s confessor. Both Priests were Jesuits. St. Faustina promoted the Divine Mercy and St. Margaret Mary promoted the Sacred Heart.
 
That is a very subjective position to hold. The issue that most people have with him us that he never takes a concrete position on anything. The end product of his vision is just ’ dialogue’ instead of repentance and reform. He never speaks clearly or objectively.

The abuse in the church was not caused by orthodox priests . The abuse was perpetuated by homosexual friendly cardinals such as mccarrick
 
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