200th Anniversary of the Restoration of the Society of Jesus
Expelled from several countries in the second half of the eighteenth century, they had been suppressed in the whole world in 1773.
During the suppression and after the restoration, the Jesuits have shown tremendous resilience, first through surviving in different places, especially in Russia, then reorganizing themselves as of 1814 with surprising dynamics, made of discernment and faith in God.
For the few survivors of the old Society, as for the new companions, it was clear that the Society still had an important role to play. For two centuries, the Jesuits have assumed this role of discoverers, precursors, bridge-builders: from Pierre Teilhard de Chardin to Alberto Hurtado, from Pierre-Jean De Smet to Karl Rahner, from Christophe Munzihirwa to Pedro Arrupe.
On the occasion of the bicentennial, the World Union of Jesuit Alumni rejoices with the 18,000 Jesuits in the world.
Ad multos annos!
