Jesuits

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Jesuits (officially Society of Jesus) Members of a Roman Catholic religious order for men, founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1534. They played a significant role in the Counter-Reformation. The Jesuits were active missionaries. They antagonized many European rulers because they gave allegiance only to their general in Rome and to the pope. In 1773 Pope Clement XIV abolished the order, under pressure from the Kings of France, Spain, and Portugal, but it continued to exist in Russia. The order was re-established in 1814, and remains an influential international religious organization.

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