Jesuit Order

Timeline

1. c. 1522–1539Paris and Manresa · Île-de-FranceAfter his conversion, Ignatius of Loyola wrote the Spiritual Exercises and, with companions such as Francis Xavier in Paris, formed the precursor group of the 'Society of Jesus,' establishing spiritual exercises, educational service, and the papal mission as core organizational principles.
2. 1540–1556Rome · LazioPope Paul III formally approved the Jesuits with the bull Regimini militantis Ecclesiae, and Ignatius became the first superior general. The Constitutions emphasized absolute obedience, the authority of superiors, and the apostolic mission, laying the institutional foundation for the papacy's most reliable mobile force during the Counter-Reformation.
3. 1551–1560Trent and cities across Europe · Trentino-Alto AdigeAround the second and third periods of the Council of Trent, Jesuits deeply engaged in canonical debates and catechesis, establishing colleges in Rome, Germany, Iberia, and elsewhere, translating conciliar canons into local pastoral practice in coordination with the promotion of the Roman Catechism.
4. 1542–1700Mission provinces in Asia, the Americas, and Africa · AfricaJesuits combined mission, linguistics, and cartography, penetrating Japan, China, India, Brazil, and other regions under Portuguese and Spanish colonial frameworks, forming an intercontinental intelligence and scholarly network that became a core vehicle of Catholic expansion in early modern globalization.