Any group that rises quickly in power and influence, becomes close to the ones in power, becomes powerful in their own right, amass large amounts of money, and becomes quite popular will be an object of suspicion and rumors. It makes sense. Others watch and wonder how they could be so lucky. Obviously it had to be something unscrupulous, right? People whisper. They create truths that aren’t there. Then truth and fiction become inseparable.
The Jesuits were founded in the early period of the Renaissance and quickly rose in number and power. It did not take long before they became the object of wrath and rumors. The Jesuits became one of the earliest rumored secret societies in history.
The Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus was founded by Saint Ignatius Loyola in 1540. It was originally called “The Company of Jesus” with the intention to educate and send out missionaries throughout the known world. The order grew quickly and spread throughout Europe.
As the order grew, so did their popularity with the papacy. It did not take long before jealousy raised its ugly green head. Many vied for the ear of the papacy and the approval of the reigning Pope. As the Jesuits were in that position, they became the object of hate and persecution.
