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The Society of Jesus ((ラテン語:Societas Iesu), ''S.J.'', ''SJ'' or ''SI'') is a male religious congregation of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits. The society is engaged in evangelization and apostolic ministry in 112 nations on six continents. Jesuits work in education (founding schools, colleges, universities and seminaries), intellectual research, and cultural pursuits. Jesuits also give retreats, minister in hospitals and parishes, and promote social justice and ecumenical dialogue. Ignatius of Loyola founded the society after being wounded in battle and experiencing a religious conversion. He composed the ''Spiritual Exercises'' to help others follow the teachings of Jesus Christ. In 1534, Ignatius and six other young men, including Francis Xavier and Peter Faber, gathered and professed vows of poverty, chastity, and later obedience, including a special vow of obedience to the Pope in matters of mission direction and assignment. Ignatius's plan of the order's organization was approved by Pope Paul III in 1540 by a bull containing the "Formula of the Institute". Ignatius was a nobleman who had a military background, and the members of the society were supposed to accept orders anywhere in the world, where they might be required to live in extreme conditions. Accordingly, the opening lines of the founding document declared that the Society was founded for "whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God ((スペイン語:"todo el que quiera militar para Dios")),〔 See ''(Fórmula del Instituto )'' on Google Books.〕 to strive especially for the defense and propagation of the faith and for the progress of souls in Christian life and doctrine." Jesuits are thus sometimes referred to colloquially as "God's Soldiers", "God's Marines", or "the Company", references to Ignatius' history as a soldier and the society's commitment to accepting orders anywhere and to endure any conditions. The Society participated in the Counter-Reformation and, later, in the implementation of the Second Vatican Council. The Society of Jesus is consecrated under the patronage of Madonna Della Strada, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and it is led by a Superior General, currently Adolfo Nicolás.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=News on the elections of the new Superior General )〕 The headquarters of the society, its General Curia, is in Rome.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Curia Generalizia of the Society of Jesus )〕 The historic curia of St. Ignatius is now part of the ''Collegio del Gesù'' attached to the Church of the Gesù, the Jesuit Mother Church. In 2013, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the first Jesuit Pope, taking the name Pope Francis. ==Statistics== The Jesuits today form the largest men's single religious order of priests and brothers in the Catholic Church, (although they are surpassed by the Franciscan ''family'' of first orders Order of Friars Minor (OFM), OFM Capuchins, and Conventuals). As of 1 January 2015, Jesuits numbered 16,740: 11,986 clerics regular (priests), 2,733 scholastics (students to become priests), 1,268 brothers (not priests) and 753 novices. In 2012, Mark Raper SJ wrote, "Our numbers have been in decline for the last 40 years – from over 30,000 in the 1960s to fewer than 18,000 today. The steep declines in Europe and North America and consistent decline in Latin America have not been offset by the significant increase in South Asia and a small rise in Africa." The Society is divided into 83 Provinces with 6 Independent Regions and 10 Dependent Regions.〔 On 1 January 2007, members served in 112 nations on six continents with the largest number in India and the USA. Their average age was 57.3 years: 63.4 years for priests, 29.9 years for scholastics, and 65.5 years for brothers. The current Superior General of the Jesuits is Adolfo Nicolás. The Society is characterized by its ministries in the fields of missionary work, human rights, social justice and, most notably, higher education. It operates colleges and universities in various countries around the world and is particularly active in the Philippines and India. In the United States it maintains 28 colleges and universities and 58 high schools. A typical conception of the mission of a Jesuit school will often contain such concepts as proposing Christ as the model of human life, the pursuit of excellence in teaching and learning and lifelong spiritual and intellectual growth. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Society of Jesus」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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