The Jesuits, or Society of Jesus, founded by Saint Ignatius of Loyola in 1540, rapidly became one of the most influential religious orders in the Catholic Church. Known for their commitment to education, missionary work, and loyalty to the Pope, the Jesuits soon established a profound presence throughout Europe and beyond. In Portugal, as in other parts of the world, the Society of Jesus played a significant role in religious, educational, and political spheres. However, by the mid-18th century, their influence would come under attack, culminating in their suppression and expulsion from the country.
The story of the Jesuits in Portugal is a complex tale of religious devotion, political intrigue, and social upheaval. This article explores the factors that led to the suppression of the Jesuits, their expulsion from Portugal in 1759, and the broader consequences of their removal for Portuguese society.
1. The Rise of the Jesuits in Portugal
A. The Jesuits' Mission in Portugal
The Jesuits arrived in Portugal in 1540, soon after their order was officially recognized by the Pope. They initially established their presence in Lisbon, and from there, they quickly spread throughout the country, establishing schools, colleges, and seminaries. The Jesuit education system was revolutionary, emphasizing a rigorous curriculum that combined humanistic studies with theological instruction. Many of Portugal’s nobility and elite sent their children to Jesuit schools, ensuring the order's influence in the realms of education and society.
In addition to their educational work, the Jesuits were deeply involved in missionary activities, both in Portugal and its overseas colonies. They played a significant role in the evangelization of indigenous peoples in Africa, Asia, and South America, especially in Brazil, Goa (India), and Mozambique. Their missionary zeal made them a key player in the Catholic Church’s efforts to expand its influence globally.
B. Political Influence and Royal Patronage
By the 17th century, the Jesuits had become a powerful force in Portuguese society, not only in religious and educational matters but also in politics. Their close ties with the monarchy, particularly with the House of Braganza, which ruled Portugal after 1640, allowed them to gain significant influence at the royal court. Jesuit missionaries also provided valuable services to the Portuguese colonial empire, gaining the favor of the royal family and the nobility.
The Jesuits’ relationship with the Portuguese monarchy was one of mutual benefit: the Jesuits enjoyed royal protection and privileges, while the monarchy benefited from their support and the loyalty of the order’s vast network. The Jesuits were granted numerous estates, had access to vast resources, and were exempt from certain taxes, making them immensely wealthy and influential.
However, this increasing power and wealth would eventually lead to tensions with various political and social factions, both within Portugal and abroad.
2. The Growing Controversy: Jesuits and Their Critics
A. Increasing Power and Wealth
As the Jesuits flourished, their immense wealth and influence started to attract criticism. Many in Portugal, particularly among the secular clergy and the nobility, resented the privileges granted to the Jesuits and their growing economic and social power. The Jesuits’ control over educational institutions, which were seen as shaping the minds of Portugal’s elite, led to growing animosity from other factions within society.
At the same time, the Jesuits’ role in colonialism, especially their involvement in trade and land ownership in Portuguese colonies, became a point of contention. The fact that the order had established its own vast estates and economic networks, independent of royal oversight, gave rise to suspicions of greed and corruption.
B. International Tensions and the Growing Hostility
Beyond Portugal, the Jesuits were facing increasing hostility from several European monarchies. The order’s global influence, combined with its loyalty to the Pope, put it at odds with emerging nationalist movements and rival political factions, particularly in France, Spain, and Portugal. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, the Jesuits became the target of criticism from various rulers, who feared that the order’s power was undermining their authority.
In France, King Louis XV was the first to take direct action against the Jesuits, expelling them from the country in 1764. In Spain, King Charles III followed suit in 1767, using the order’s alleged involvement in conspiracies and its political influence as justifications for its expulsion. These events set the stage for the suppression of the Jesuits in Portugal.
3. The Suppression of the Jesuits in Portugal: The Role of Pombal
A. The Rise of Marquis of Pombal
The most critical factor in the suppression of the Jesuits in Portugal was the rise of Sebastião José de Carvalho e Melo, better known as the Marquis of Pombal. Appointed as Prime Minister in 1750 by King Joseph I of Portugal, Pombal was a reform-minded statesman who sought to modernize Portugal and strengthen the power of the monarchy. He was influenced by Enlightenment ideas, particularly those that emphasized rationalism, secularism, and the need for a stronger central government.
Pombal viewed the Jesuits as a powerful and potentially subversive force in Portuguese society. He saw their influence as a challenge to royal authority and believed their loyalty to the Pope made them a threat to the sovereignty of the Portuguese crown. His personal disdain for the order, coupled with the growing resentment of the Jesuits among other factions in Portuguese society, led him to take decisive action.
B. The Expulsion Decree of 1759
In 1759, Pombal’s government issued a decree that expelled the Jesuits from Portugal. The expulsion was part of a broader plan to weaken the power of the church and assert the authority of the monarchy. Pombal accused the Jesuits of political intrigue, conspiracy, and corruption, although these claims were often exaggerated or fabricated to justify the government’s actions.
The expulsion order was sweeping: all Jesuits were to be removed from Portugal, their properties were confiscated, and their institutions, including schools and colleges, were shut down. The Jesuits were also expelled from the Portuguese colonies, including Brazil and Goa, where they had considerable influence.
C. The Arrests and Imprisonment of Jesuit Leaders
The expulsion was carried out with harsh measures. Many Jesuit priests were arrested and imprisoned, and several Jesuit leaders were put on trial. The most prominent of these was the Jesuit Superior General, Ignácio de Azevedo, who was arrested and sent to the infamous prison of the Tower of São Julião in Lisbon. After the expulsion from Portugal, many Jesuits were forced to live in exile in Spain, France, and other European countries, where they continued to face persecution.
The suppression of the Jesuits was not only a political maneuver but also a religious one. Pombal sought to diminish the power of the Catholic Church, especially in terms of its education and its influence on Portuguese society. The Jesuits’ role as spiritual and intellectual leaders was systematically dismantled, and the crown took control over the country’s educational system, replacing the Jesuits with secular institutions.
4. The Aftermath of the Jesuit Suppression
A. Impact on Portuguese Society
The suppression of the Jesuits had profound and lasting effects on Portuguese society. The order’s expulsion marked a turning point in the relationship between the church and the state. The monarchy emerged as the dominant power in Portugal, with its authority unchecked by religious influences. The government’s secular policies led to increased efforts to modernize the country, but the suppression also resulted in a loss of educational and spiritual guidance for many people.
The Jesuits’ expulsion also had repercussions in the Portuguese colonies. In Brazil, the Jesuits had played a crucial role in the evangelization of the indigenous population and the administration of vast estates. Their removal left a power vacuum that affected the organization of colonial society and relations between the crown and the church.
B. The Revocation of the Expulsion Order
The suppression of the Jesuits would not last indefinitely. In 1773, Pope Clement XIV issued a decree that officially suppressed the Society of Jesus across Catholic Europe. However, this papal decree was not fully implemented in Portugal until the early 19th century, when, during the period of French occupation and the Napoleonic Wars, the Jesuits were allowed to return to Portugal. Their re-establishment, however, was slow, and it was only in the 20th century that the Jesuit order regained its former strength and influence in the country.
5. The Legacy of the Suppression of the Jesuits in Portugal
The suppression of the Jesuits in Portugal is a chapter in the nation’s history that exemplifies the complex intersection of religion, politics, and social dynamics. The expulsion of the Jesuits in 1759 was not merely a religious or political act; it was a manifestation of the Enlightenment’s growing influence, as well as the ongoing struggle for power between the monarchy, the church, and other secular forces. The Jesuits’ expulsion reshaped Portugal’s educational system, its colonial administration, and its relationship with the Catholic Church, leaving a legacy that would resonate for generations.
While the Jesuits were eventually allowed to return, the trauma of their suppression and the political upheaval it caused would leave a deep mark on Portuguese society, reflecting the tensions between tradition and modernization, faith and reason, and the monarchy’s authority and the church’s power.