Newly elected Pope Francis, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio (Reuters)
Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio is the first Jesuit to lead the Roman
Catholic Church in its 2,000-year history. The largest religious
order of men in the Church and the largest single order of
Catholic priests, the Societas Jesu (Society of Jesus, as it is
formally known) was founded in 1540 by the Basque military
nobleman Ignazio Loyala, who later became a saint. Just like
today, the Catholic Church was in crisis between the Protestant
schism who preached against the corruption in the Curia and
factions pushing towards a humbler, reformed Church. Officially
recognised by Pius II, the Jesuits quickly became one of the
most important factions in the Catholic Church, extending their
aggressive influence from Europe to South America. They were the
shock troops in the Church's resistance to the Protestant
reformation and among the first missionaries to start schools,
colleges and seminaries in every continent from India to the
Andes. The Black Pope - FOLLOW