I was given the impression by some experts and posters (not by you) on other Q&A forums that, among the various religious orders, the Jesuits are perceived as being less than optimal as candidates for papal succession and other areas of ministerial service. This pains me greatly, since my entire childhood and young adulthood (right through college) has seen some of the most excellent religious instruction from Jesuits anyone could hope to receive, something I will forever be grateful for, and I wondered how it could be that the order could be viewed in such poor light. Would you happen to know why this is so?

W.S.--

I do not know when you went to school, but a lot has happened in Jesuit education in the U.S. in the last 50 or so years, so much so that one famous alumnus of a prestigious Jesuit university is planning to sue his alma mater in Church courts (source). In other areas of Jesuit life, fidelity to the pope and the Church has been problematic for some members of the Society over the last few decades (source).

That said, it is unfair to paint the Society with a broad black brush. The Society was founded by a saint and its spirituality has formed many saints over the centuries since its inception. There remain many worthy Jesuits (e.g., Fr. Mitch Pacwa of EWTN, Fr. Joseph Fessio of Ignatius Press, etc.). And, as far as papal succession goes, stories from the last conclave indicated that Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, S.J., of Buenos Aires was one of the leading contenders.

Michelle Arnold
Catholic Answers

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