Aremarkable man has passed from the scene. The Society of Jesus got its start nearly five hundred years ago and soon grew to become the most influential (and feared) religious order in post-Reformation Europe. Francis was the first Jesuit elected to the chair of St. Peter—a historic milestone that defined his tenure as chief pastor of the Catholic Church.
Historians will look back and weigh the specific achievements and failures of his twelve years as pope. But the tone, tenor, and tendency of his leadership of the Church reflected the distinctive personality of the Society of Jesus, colored by his own fiery temperament.
Read Full Article »