This is just a piece of mid-summer’s foolishness:
1. There have never been female Jesuits. True or False?
2. The word “Jesuit” was initially intended as an insult but the Jesuits adopted it for themselves. True or False?
3. Sao Paulo, Brazil was founded by the Jesuits. True or False?
4. John Wilkes Booth was a Jesuit seminarian. True or False?
5. There was a Jesuit on board the Titanic. True or False?
6. One of President Nixon’s speechwriters was a Jesuit. True or False?
7. The first member of Congress to ask for President Nixon’s impeachment was a Jesuit. True or False?
8. Every Jesuit takes a special vow of obedience to the Pope. True or False?
9. By tradition, the Master of the Dominicans always presides at funerals of Jesuit Superior Generals. True or False?
10. The Jesuits are the single largest Order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church. True or False?
Answer Key: 1. False 2. True 3. True 4. False 5. True 6. True 7. True 8. False 9. True 10. True
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m disgustingly proud of myself for getting all but #9 correct. True or False?
Me, too, Meredith.
Meredith,
There was, er, tension in years past between the Jesuits and Dominicans, as you might recall, (mostly over the nature of Grace), and so, as a way of trying to heal the rift, it was agreed that the head of the Dominicans would do the funeral of the head of the Jesuits and vice-versa.
Paul
A Dominican friend of mine jests that the Master of the Order had to be sure the Jesuit Superior General was actually dead!
Well, I passed (assuming that the pass mark was above 50%) but I can’t honestly say that I “knew” the answers to most of them. Many of my answers were intuitive. I would never have guessed number nine to be correct. What is the reasoning behind the Master of the Domincans presiding over the funeral of the Jesuit Superior General? It’s not something to do with their role in the old inquisition is it
Simon,
See my response to Meredith above.
Paul
I don’t know. I can only say that I landed on this site for the first time because I thought the Jesuits were some kind of secret society and that they were witches. Imagine my surprise!!
Emma,
I don’t know… Maybe the others are a nefarious secret society and they just haven’t told me yet.
Witches? No. Lots of warts (physical, psychological and spiritual)? Definitely!
Paul
When I was looking for a book on the Spiritual Exercises at a local religious bookstore, I found a weird “history” book about the Jesuits. Imagine “The Da Vinci Code” had been intended as journalism, and you get the idea. Apparently, you guys have controlled the Catholic Church for centuries, but you now have a secret plan to overthrow the Pope himself. Also, if I remember right, you’re communist.
I’m watching you . . .
Funny!
I think that book is “The Jesuits and the Betrayal of the Roman Catholic Church”, can’t remember the author, tho I did read it. Also, for me, the confusion first manifested because in public bookstores most Jesuit publishings are in the “Spirituality” section intermingled with other categories considered spiritual……….the Buddhists, Wiccans, and others “channeling” angel magick etc.; whereas, other Christian publications are found in the “Religious” section. Go figure. Something that maybe should be addressed. Then again, you’re more likely to reach people like me if you leave them in the “Spirituality” sections.
Interesting. Like Simon, intuition guided my answers more than knowledge, but I was surprised by No 8 being False.
I thought all Jesuits did take a “special” fourth vow to the Pope to be available for something called “special missions “so I had to look this one up.
Link below provides information
Even more amazing to find that Ignatius has his own wiki site !!
http://en.ignatianwiki.org/Fourth_Vow
Blessings
Phil,
There is the long answer and the short answer. I’m giving you both. Here’s the short answer: There are Jesuit brothers as well as priests and our brothers do not take the Fourth Vow (of Special Obedience to the Pope with regard to missions).
The longer answer applies only to priest members of the Order. Whether or not a priest is called to four vows or three was in the past largely determined by academic achievement. If a Jesuit seminarian was directed into the “short course” in Theology, he knew he wouldn’t be admitted to the Fourth Vow at the end of his studies.
For those in the “long course,” there was an exam – the “Ad Grad” – which took place at the end of Theology. If you got a sufficiently high passing grade, you were admitted to the Fourth Vow.
Men who didn’t receive the Fourth Vow couldn’t, in general, become Superiors and they were, understandably, rather sensitive about their “second class” status and so the number of one’s vows was something that was rarely, if ever, talked about among Jesuits.
Things have become more amorphous and I don’t know of any priest in recent years who has not been given the four vows.
Paul
I also followed intuition but I am very interested in reading more about #1.
Lynda,
I hyper-linked all of the answers so if you click on #1 it will take you to an article on the subject.
Paul
Oops! I should have noticed that.
I knew women (one at least) had been tried as a Jesuit but could not make it in the end
A lot of the other answers I mostly guessed. Fun! Thank you 
Claire,
Click on the answer to #1 and it will take you to an article. It is true that Isabel Roser and her two companions did not survive but Princess Juana of Portugal became a Jesuit and remained so until her death.
Paul
PS: Paul, what is the answer to the obedience to the Pope. Is it just the order? Not even the order? Ignatius made a big point about being obedient (tolerant?) of the Vatican…
Claire,
The Fourth Vow is a vow of special obedience to the Pope with regard to missions. It means that if the Pope directs the Jesuits to do some mission or other, we promise to do out utmost to achieve it. Examples of such a mission are the Pope’s directive that we spread devotion to the Sacred Heart and that we combat atheism. Hmm.
Paul
I did think all Jesuits took the “fourth vow” — but apparently not all. And no. 9 is fascinating — what’s that about?
Robin,
See my response to Phil and to Claire above.
Paul
As the link for answer 8 indicates – it’s a trick question!
Every “full Jesuit” takes the fourth vow. Those who do not are called spiritual and temporal coadjutors.
Bosco,
I don’t agree with you on “full Jesuit.” Every Jesuit Brother I know is a “full Jesuit” in terms of vocation and commitment and they don’t take the 4th Vow. And try telling Spiritual Coadjutors that they’re not fully Jesuit…
Paul
I got about half right but was only certain about half of those (so 2.5?) Like Simon, I will take it though. Now your job here is to explain all of the references. No pressure. (teehee!) I will say that I absolutely knew 1,2 and 8. I think somewhere within knowing all of that is why I identify with it. ha!
Annette,
As I have pointed out to others, you can click on each of the answers to go to articles for more information. I thought I’d done my job of explaining the references.
Paul
Paul,
Have you not yet figured out I am a little slow on the take?? I never connected that they were hyper-linked! haha!! I also identify cause Jesuits are forgiving! and brilliant! and kindhearted!
@ Annette…………don’t feel bad, I didn’t even see that the answers were up there!! Duh…..
Like Lynda, I would love to know more about #1 – where should we look?
I got an 80 — with a fair number of lucky (inspired?) guesses.
Denise,
As I have told others, if you click on the answer to #1 it will take you to an article about women in the Jesuits.
Paul
I understand there were more true and false questions that Paul wanted to share…
11. The new Jesuit leader is elected by a secret ballot. After he is chosen, delegates are not allowed to leave the room until the Pope is informed, in keeping with a centuries-old tradition
12. The oldest Jesuit university in the United States is the University of Notre Dame
13. “Jesuitical” is a term used to describe someone who uses sly reasoning to argue a point of view
14. Iñigo Loiolakoa as a youth was an incredible athlete and insisted that all Jesuit institutions have exceptional athletic programs, particularly basketball
15. The Jesuits were disbanded for 41 years
16. Bill Clinton, under the guidance of Jesuits, never inhaled anything in while studying at Georgetown
17. There are 17 Jesuit saints and 3 Blesseds
18. Thomas Jefferson asked the Jesuits to proofread the Declaration of Independence
19. Four Jesuit universities have captured the Men’s NCAA Division 1Basketball Tournament Championship
20. Bingo was invented by the Jesuits
Answer Key: 11. True 12. False 13. True 14. False 15. True 16. N/A 17. True 18. False 19 True 20. False
Tim,
Priceless.
With regard to #12, when President Obama was invited to speak at Notre Dame a few years ago and many alums and others were furious, the phones at the Jesuit Provincial HQ in Chicago rang off the hook. Time and again, we had to explain that, no, Notre Dame is not a Jesuit university!
Paul
I stand corrected, there are 42 canonized Jesuit saints and 137 other Jesuits who have been declared blessed…
From the New Orleans Province site:
http://norprov.org/spirituality/faq.htm
Tim, thanks for the link to lots of fascinating information.
These were fun (both Paul’s list and Tim’s)! At the risk of provoking an outpouring of Church history I can’t stem, I’ll see if I can stump my about-to-matriculate-at-Georgetown, inveterate-reader-of-Jesuit-history son with these.