Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-04-10

order in 1888. Domestic political troubles
drove him to the United States in 1S45 and
he finished his studies in St. Louis, where
he was ordained a priest. For several
wears be was missionary in the diocese Of
Green Bav, Wis, and then returning to
Europe his great abilities raised him to the
highest Office in the order of which he was
member and as the old tradition Justly
ranks it one of the most influential in the
whole Church. His American experience
was of very signal service in the success of
his administration. Now his successor is to
be chosen, probably in May.
The Company or Society of Jesus at
present consists of 1892 members, divided
into 5,751 priests, 3,713 scholastics and 3, ,50S
laY brothers. They make five groups which
are themselves subdivided into q provinces.
The Italian group s composed OF the prov
inces OF Rome 397 members; Naples, 312;
Sicily, 247. Turin, 453; Venice, 355, maxi ng
a total of /, 764
The Engl Speaking Jesuits.
The seven English speaking provinces are
England, 6S5; ireland. 267; Maryland-New
York, 564; Missouri, 403; Canada, 240; New
Orleans 1876, and Zambesi, making 2, ,30S in
all, Ali these provinces have certain mis-
sions in foreign countries.
The stage and novel crvpto-Je Jesuit living
outside the regular houses OF the order and
engaged, "in disguise, in secular pursuits,
is nonsense Equally absurd is talk about
"iemale Jesuits' There. never was a
woman in the order or in any way affiliated
with it. The Jesuit, on entering the order,
passes two years in novitiate, devoting all
that time to spiritual exercises He then
takes the three simple VOWS of poverty,
chastity and obedience. AT the end Of this
term there is period of five years of study
in the languages, rhetoric, philosophy and
physical science. After a satisfactory ex-
animation the young scholastic is sent out
to teach for five or six years in the colleges
of the society.
He next devotes four years to the study
of theology and he is then ordained priest
if his examination is satisfactory. A Sec
ond novitiate is then entered into, lasting
about year, in which the time is given to
preaching, meditation and prayer and the
cultivation of the different virtues.
When all the time Of probation is
passed the candidate takes a fourth
VOW, by which he binds himself to
go unreservedly as missionary wherever
the Pope wishes to send him. Such Jes-
uits are called the 'professed fathers" 1t
is from this class that the General, the pro-
yinciaI professors of theology and superiors
of the various houses of the order are
taken.
An Office That Lasts Lifetime.
There are two other classes of members
the spiritual coadjutors," who make up
the bulk of the members who teach or do
pastoral work, and the temporal coad-
iutors." or lay brothers, to whom the man.
usI and minor duties are assigned All
wear the same dress and follow the same ex-
terror manner of life. The General holds
the Office for life. All the officers under
him are chosen every three years. They
are named by the General to save trouble
and intrigue among the members. The rules
governing the society are very detailed,
the Constitution of the Society,"" and
were drawn up by Ignatius Loyola himself.
The General is the head of the Society of
Jesus, but while investing him with clearly
defined and supreme authority Ignatius
multiplies precautions to prevent the power
from degenerating into despotism. On the