Racial and ethnic minorities in the Society of Jesus

Abstract

The first Jesuits were committed in theory to admitting all qualified men, regardless of lineage. In practice, however, Jesuit unanimity concerning admissions was fragile. The principle of ignoring lineage in admitting new members to the Society was enshrined in the Constitutions and upheld - with a handful of exceptions - throughout Ignatius' life. Jesuits were among the most vocal and effective opponents of statutes of “purity of blood” ( limpieza de sangre ), which required that candidates for a wide range of civil and ecclesiastical positions throughout the Iberian world prove that they were from Old Christian families. Opposition to limpieza among the first Jesuits was rooted in Ignatius' insistence on inclusiveness and on unity within the Society. It was strengthened by the Jesuits' pastoral ideals and above all by their concern that their mission work in Europe and throughout the Iberian empires proceed free of challenges to the validity of conversion. After the death of Ignatius, however, Jesuit unity was threatened from many quarters. The most sustained threat came from Spain and Portugal in the form of opposition to the admission of Christians of Jewish descent - known as New Christians - to the Society. Throughout the sixteenth century, however, Jesuits debated the admission of a wide range of other minorities.