The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present TimeCampbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
History
The Jesuits, 1534-1921: A History of the Society of Jesus from Its Foundation to the Present Time
Campbell, Thomas J. (Thomas Joseph)
Jesuits -- History
When Pius V was elected Pope, there was a general fear that he would
suppress the Society; but the Pontiff set all doubts at rest when, on
his way to be crowned at St. John Lateran, he called Borgia to his side
and embraced him. He also made Salmerón and Toletus his official
preachers, and gave the Jesuits the work of translating the "Catechism"
of the Council of Trent and of publishing a new edition of the Bible. He
was, however, about to revoke the Society's exemption from the office of
choir; but Borgia induced him to change his mind on that point, and even
obtained a perpetual exemption from the public recitation of the Office,
as well as the revocation of the restriction of the priesthood to the
professed of the Society. Moreover, when there was danger of a Turkish
invasion, Borgia was sent with the Pope's nephew to Spain and France to
organize a league in defence of Christendom, while Toletus accompanied
another cardinal to Germany.
Philip II had asked for missionaries to evangelize Peru, and hence at
the end of March, 1568, Portillo and seven Jesuits landed at Callao, and
proceeding to Lima established a church and college there on a
magnificent scale. It was easy to do so, however, for the Spanish
colonists were rolling in wealth. At the same time, the Indians and
negroes were not neglected. In 1569 twelve new missionaries arrived, and
one of them, Alonzo de Barzana, to the amazement of every one, preached
in the language of the Incas as soon as he came ashore. He had been
studying it every moment of the long journey from Spain. In 1574 a
college was established at Cuzco, in an old palace of the Incas, and
another in the city of La Paz.
At this stage of the work the first domestic trouble in the New World
presented itself. Portillo, the provincial, was admitting undesirable
candidates into the Society, and placing the professed in parishes, thus
flinging them into the midst of the civil and ecclesiastical turmoil
which then prevailed. In spite of his abilities, however, he was
promptly recalled to Spain. It is very gratifying to learn that outside
the domestic precincts, no one ever knew the reason of this drastic
measure. Freedom from parochial obligations left the Fathers time for
their normal work, and they forthwith established schools in almost
every city and town of Peru. The training school on Lake Titicaca,
especially, was a very wise and far-seeing enterprise, for there the
missionaries could devote themselves exclusively to the study of the
native language and to historical, literary and scientific studies. The
result was that some of the most eminent men of the period issued from
that educational centre. It is said that the printing-press they brought
over from Europe was the first one to be set up in that part of the New
World. Titicaca flourished as late as 1767, but at that time Charles III
expelled the Jesuits from Peru and Titicaca ceased to be.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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