The Irish standard., 1902-08-02
WHAT Is A JESUIT7

WHAT is A JESUIT?
There exists among educated Pro-
testams a great deal of misapprehen-
sion concerning the real character of
the religious orders in the Catholic
Church. 1t is sometimes amusing to
hear the vague and erroneous notions
of intelligent non-Catholics respecting
them. Some of them do not know
what the Philippine friars are,
though the newspapers have some
thing about them every day. 1t is
reported of a prominent politician of
Minnesota who visited the Philippines
on a secret mission during McKinley's
administration that he returned home
laboring under the mistaken impress
sion that the Philippine friars are
members of secret organization
whose aims We're the upholding of
Spanish supremacy in the islands, and
that instead of being regularly or
dained priests of the Church, who
were teaching and preaching the
truths Of Christianity to the natives,
they were simply body Of lay con-
spirators engaged in counteracting the
work Of the Katapunans and kindred
societies, whose object it was to eman-
cipate the Filipinos from Church con-
troll and build 4 republic on the ruins
of the Spanish government.
The politician referred to is now
running for Congress, and if he gets
to Washington he will be recognized
rs an authority on the Philippine
firiars, like Beveridge and other Re-
publican statesmen who spent few
weeks in the Orient and came back
in full possession of all facts relative
to the islands and their heterogeneous
population.
OF all religious orders in the Cath
Olic Church, the Jesuits fare the worst
ut the hands of the Protestants, be-
cause they are the least understood.
For ages the Jesuits have been targets
for abuse and misrepresentation and
the result is that many honest Pro-
tcstants hate and despise them. The
word "Jesuit" has acquired an oppro-
brious meaning among Protestants,
and is used in the sense of "a crafty
person.; can intriguer," in the die
tionary. The word is applied to lay
Catholics as we'll MS to the members
of the Society of Jesus.
1t was only a few days ago that the
writer had occasion to inform a Pro-
testant friend that the Jesults are not
a society Of lay bigots, but that they
are Catholic priests of 6 cat learning
who are masters Of every branch of
human knowledge. He was SIM
prised when lie learned that Archbish-
op Carroll, the friend of Washington,
and Father De Smet, the Indian mis-
sionary, were members of the Jesuit
order.
We find in the June number of
Saint Joscpll's Journal an interesting
article on the Jesuits. from which the
following passages are taken:
At the time of the Reformation edu-
cation was neglected. The Tesuits re-
vivel classic learning. and by the eX-
cellence of their colleges TREY attract
cd to them the elite of the greater
part Of Eurora. These youth they in
turn sent out into the world. educated
in mind and heart. and fit to meet on
common ground and to successfully
oppose the errors of the day. The
great work of tire Society is preach
ing and teaching, and while they have
never impaired primary instruction.
their colleges and universities through
out the world are unsurpassed. 1t
may be said that teaching is their
special function. and in this they act
upon the truism that ''IIe who gains
the youth possesses the future"
\ young man wishing to become a
Jesuit usually enters at the age of
II. After passing 10 years in study
under the searching gaze of superiors,
Ire is ordained priest and admitted
to. the Society. His mind is then ma
trrel. and he knows his mental pow
crs and his limits. The mind of each
movie, is analyzcd to bring out to the
fullest his intellectual faculties. Hence
we find in every department of intel
lcctual work number of Jesuits of
the first rank.
For upwards of 300 years they have
been q thorn in the side of tire enc
mics of the Church. And their sue
cess in opposing every error of the
world has made them it's worst foe.
The world. therefore, has reason to
hate them. Moreover. their founder.
st. 1gnatius Of Loyola. prayed for this
perpetual conflict, for he well knew