Loyola and the Educational System of the JesuitsHughes, Thomas
History
Loyola and the Educational System of the Jesuits
Hughes, Thomas
Education -- History; Ignatius, of Loyola, Saint, 1491-1556; Jesuits
In Rome, the 20 colleges attending the classes of the Roman College
numbered, in 1584, 2108 students. Father Argento, in his apology to
the States at Klausenburg, in 1607, mentions that the schools in
Transylvania were frequented by the flower of the nobility; and, in
his "History of the Affairs in Poland," dedicated to Sigismund III, he
attests that from 8000 to 10,000 youths, chiefly of the nobility and
gentry, frequented the gymnasia of the Order in Poland. At Rouen, in
France, there were regularly 2000. At La Flèche there were 1700 during
a century; 300 being boarders, the other 1400 finding accommodation
in the village, but always remaining under the supervision of the
faculty. Throughout the seventeenth century, the numbers at the
College of Louis-le-Grand, in Paris, varied between 2000, 1827, and
3000; including, in the latter number, 550 boarders. In 1627, only a
few years after the restoration of the Society by Henri IV, the one
Province of Paris had, in its 14 colleges, 13,195 students; which
would give an average of nearly 1000 to a college. Cologne almost
began with 800 students,--its roll in 1558. Dilingen in 1607 had 760;
in its _convictus_, 110 of the boarders were Religious, besides other
Ecclesiastics; the next year, out of 250 _convictores_ or boarders,
118 were Religious of various Orders, the secular Priesthood being
represented among the students generally. At Utrecht, during the first
century of the Order's existence, there were 1000 scholars; at Antwerp
and Brussels each, 600; in most of the Belgian colleges, 300. As to
Spain and Italy, which first saw the Society rise in their midst, and
expand with immense vigor all over them, I consider it superfluous to
dwell particularly upon them.
In many of the capitals and important centres throughout Europe, there
were separate colleges for nobles. Elsewhere the nobility were mixed
with the rest; thus 400 nobles and more were attending the Jesuit
schools in Paris. It was studiously aimed at by the Order to eliminate,
in matters of education, all distinguishing marks or privileges. Thus
Father Buys endeavors, in 1610, to reduce the practice at Dilingen to
the custom of the other colleges in the upper German Province.[50]
Most of the Papal Seminaries founded by Gregory XIII, at Vienna,
Dilingen, Fulda, Prague, Gratz, Olmütz, Wilna, as well as in Japan and
other countries, were put under the direction of the Society; as Pius
IV did with his Roman Seminary; and St. Charles Borromeo with that of
Milan.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account