Society of Jesus

The Society of Jesus (Latin: Societas Iesu, S.J. and S.I. or SJ, SI ) is a Roman Catholic Church religious order whose members are called Jesuits, Soldiers of Christ, and Foot soldiers of the Pope, because the founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a knight before becoming a priest.

Society of Jesus

Abbreviation	SJ, Jesuits
Motto	Ad maiorem Dei gloriam
Formation	1540
Type	Roman Catholic religious order
Headquarters	Church of the Gesu (Mother Church), General Curia (administration)
Location	Rome, Italy
Coordinates	41°54′4.9″N 12°27′38.2″E
Superior General	Arturo Sosa
Key people	Ignatius of Loyola—founder
Main organ	General Curia
Staff	19,216[1]
Website	www.sjweb.info

Ignatius Loyola

Jesuits are the largest male religious order of the Roman Catholic Church with 19,216 members (13,491 priests, 3,049 scholastic students, 1,810 brothers and 866 novices).

The Society of Jesus is consecrated under the patronage of the Madonna Della Strada. It is led by a Superior General, currently Arturo Sosa.^[2][3]

The headquarters of the society, its General Curia, is in Rome.^[4]

Within the Catholic Church, there has been a sometimes tense relationship between Jesuits and the Vatican. This is due to questioning of official Church teaching and papal directives, such as those on abortion,^[5][6] birth control,^{[7][8][9][10]} women deacons,^[11] homosexuality, and liberation theology.^[12][13] However, as of 2025, the previous and most recent Pope, Pope Francis, was a Jesuit.