Ignatius Loyola

Ignatius of Loyola (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_language" title="Basque language" >Basque</a>: Ignazio Loiolakoa, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_language" title="Spanish language" >Spanish</a>: Ignacio de Loyola) (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circa" title="Circa" >ca.</a> October 27, 1491<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola#cite_note-RGV-1" >[1]</a> – July 31, 1556) was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_people" title="Spanish people" >Spanish</a> knight from a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_people" title="Basque people" >local Basque</a> noble family, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hermit" title="Hermit" >hermit</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priesthood_(Catholic_Church)" title="Priesthood (Catholic Church)" >priest</a> since 1537, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theology" title="Theology" >theologian</a>, who founded the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Society_of_Jesus" title="Society of Jesus" >Society of Jesus</a> (Jesuits) and, on 19 April 1541, became its first <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superior_General_of_the_Society_of_Jesus" title="Superior General of the Society of Jesus" >Superior General</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola#cite_note-Idig-2" >[2]</a> Ignatius emerged as a religious leader during the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-Reformation" title="Counter-Reformation" >Counter-Reformation</a>. Loyola's devotion to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catholic_Church" title="Catholic Church" >Catholic Church</a> was characterized by absolute obedience to the Pope.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola#cite_note-3" >[3]</a>

After being seriously wounded in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Pampeluna#Pampeluna" title="Battle of Pampeluna" class="mw-redirect" >Battle of Pamplona</a> in 1521, he underwent a spiritual conversion while in recovery. De Vita Christi by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludolph_of_Saxony" title="Ludolph of Saxony" >Ludolph of Saxony</a> purportedly inspired Loyola to abandon his previous military life and devote himself to labour for God, following the example of spiritual leaders such as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francis_of_Assisi" title="Francis of Assisi" >Francis of Assisi</a>. After claiming to experience a vision of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus at the shrine of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_Lady_of_Montserrat" title="Our Lady of Montserrat" class="mw-redirect" >Our Lady of Montserrat</a> in March 1522, he went to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manresa" title="Manresa" >Manresa</a>, where he began praying for seven hours a day, often in a nearby cave, and formulating the fundamentals of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiritual_Exercises_of_Ignatius_of_Loyola" title="Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius of Loyola" >Spiritual Exercises</a>. In September 1523, Loyola reached the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Land" title="Holy Land" >Holy Land</a> to settle there, but was sent back to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Europe" title="Europe" >Europe</a> by the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franciscans" title="Franciscans" class="mw-redirect" >Franciscans</a>.

Between 1524 and 1537, Ignatius studied theology and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin" title="Latin" >Latin</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Alcal%C3%A1" title="University of Alcalá" >University of Alcalá</a> and then in Paris. In 1534, he arrived in the latter city during a period of anti-Protestant turmoil which forced <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Calvin" title="John Calvin" >John Calvin</a> to flee France. Ignatius and a few followers bound themselves by vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. In 1539, they formed the Society of Jesus, approved in 1540 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_III" title="Pope Paul III" >Pope Paul III</a>, as well as his Spiritual Exercises approved in 1548. Loyola also composed the Constitutions of the Society. He died in July 1556, was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beatification" title="Beatification" >beatified</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Paul_V" title="Pope Paul V" >Pope Paul V</a> in 1609, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canonization" title="Canonization" >canonized</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Gregory_XV" title="Pope Gregory XV" >Pope Gregory XV</a> in 1622, and declared patron of all spiritual retreats by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Pius_XI" title="Pope Pius XI" >Pope Pius XI</a> in 1922. Ignatius' feast day is celebrated on July 31. Ignatius is a foremost <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patron_saint" title="Patron saint" >patron saint</a> of soldiers, the Society of Jesus, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basque_Country_(greater_region)" title="Basque Country (greater region)" >Basque Country</a>, and the provinces of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gipuzkoa" title="Gipuzkoa" >Gipuzkoa</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscay" title="Biscay" >Biscay</a>.<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ignatius_of_Loyola#cite_note-4" >[4]</a>