The Society of Jesus, (Latin: Societas Iesu, abbreviated as S.J. and S.I.) is a Christian religious order of the Roman Catholic Church at the service of the universal Church. Its members are known as Jesuits, and have colloquially been called "Soldiers of Christ", first, and "Foot soldiers of the Pope", second, partly because the Society's founder, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a knight before becoming a priest.
Today, Jesuits number 20,170 (with 14,147 priests), and compose the largest male religious order in the Roman Catholic Church (the Franciscan family of OFMs, Capuchins, and Conventuals has approximately 31,899 members, of whom 20,786 are priests; however, the "family" consists of multiple orders).
Jesuit priests and brothers are engaged in ministries in 112 nations on six continents. No work, if it has an evangelical perspective, is closed to them, but they are best known in the fields of education (schools, colleges, universities, seminaries, theological faculties), intellectual research and cultural pursuits. They are also known in missionary work and direct evangelization, social justice and human rights activities, interreligious dialogue and other 'frontier' ministry.
They are present even in countries where there are few Roman Catholics or where Christianity is altogether banned. [citation needed]
The Society of Jesus is consecrated under the patronage of Madonna Della Strada, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and is led by a Superior General, currently Peter Hans Kolvenbach. The headquarters of the Society, called General Curia, is in Rome.
