Ignatius of Loyola

The Soldier's Ambition

Íñigo López de Loyola was born in 1491 to a noble Basque family in the castle of Loyola in northern Spain. The youngest of thirteen children, he was raised for court life and military service. By his own later admission, he was "a man given over to vanities of the world, and took special delight in the exercise of arms, with a great and vain desire of winning glory."

He served as a page in the court of Ferdinand and Isabella, then as a gentleman-at-arms. He was known for his temper, his ambition, and his romantic pursuits. Nothing in his early life suggested the mystic he would become.

The injury required multiple surgeries, performed without anesthesia. At one point, when doctors said he would die, Ignatius received last rites. He survived but faced months of painful convalescence—months that would transform him utterly.

The Conversion at Loyola

Bedridden and bored, Ignatius asked for romances—tales of chivalry and courtly love that he had always enjoyed. The castle had none. Instead, they brought him The Life of Christ by Ludolph of Saxony and the Golden Legend, a collection of saints' lives.

As he read, something strange happened. He noticed that when he daydreamed of worldly glory—returning to court, winning a noble lady—he felt initial pleasure that quickly faded into emptiness. But when he imagined imitating the saints—Francis of Assisi, Dominic, the heroes of the Golden Legend—the pleasure not only remained but deepened.

"When he thought of worldly things, he found much delight; but after growing weary and dismissing them, he found that he was dry and unhappy. But when he thought of going barefoot to Jerusalem and of eating nothing but herbs... not only was he consoled when he had these thoughts but even after they had left him he remained happy and joyful."

This observation—that interior movements reveal something about their source—became the foundation of Ignatian discernment. He had discovered, in his sickbed, that God speaks through the movements of the heart, and that these movements can be read, interpreted, and followed.

The Cave at Manresa

After his recovery, Ignatius set out on pilgrimage to Jerusalem. He stopped at the town of Manresa, near the famous monastery of Montserrat, intending to stay a few days. He remained nearly a year.

At Manresa, living in a cave, Ignatius experienced the full range of spiritual states. He practiced extreme penances—fasting, sleeplessness, hours of prayer—that nearly destroyed his health. He was assaulted by violent scruples, unable to believe his confessions were complete, tormented by the fear that he had never truly repented. He contemplated suicide.

But Manresa also brought profound mystical graces. Ignatius received what he called the "Illumination of the Cardoner"—a vision by the river that gave him such understanding that "all the helps he received from God, and all the knowledge he had acquired, even if they were all combined, would not equal what he had received in that single illumination."

The Spiritual Exercises were largely composed at Manresa, born from Ignatius's own journey through darkness into light. They were not theoretical; they were distilled experience.

Jerusalem and the Long Formation

Ignatius eventually reached Jerusalem in 1523, intending to stay permanently and convert Muslims. The Franciscans who guarded the holy sites refused permission—it was too dangerous, and they had enough problems. Reluctantly, Ignatius returned to Europe.

He realized that to serve souls effectively, he needed education. At age thirty-three, the former soldier sat in Barcelona grammar schools with boys, learning Latin. He proceeded to the universities of Alcalá, Salamanca, and finally Paris, where he earned his Master of Arts in 1535.

Throughout these years, Ignatius gave the Spiritual Exercises to others and gathered companions. He was repeatedly investigated by the Inquisition—not for heresy, but because his teaching resembled the suspect alumbrados (illuminists). Each investigation cleared him, but taught him caution and the value of working within Church structures.

The Society of Jesus

In Paris, Ignatius gathered a small group of companions: Francis Xavier, Peter Faber, and others. On August 15, 1534, in a chapel on Montmartre, they vowed poverty, chastity, and pilgrimage to Jerusalem—or, if that proved impossible, to offer themselves to the Pope for whatever mission he chose.

War with the Turks made the Jerusalem pilgrimage impossible. The companions traveled to Rome and offered their services to Pope Paul III. In 1540, the Pope approved their new order: the Society of Jesus.

Ignatius spent his final years in Rome as Superior General, governing the rapidly expanding order through thousands of letters. He never saw his native Basque country again. He died on July 31, 1556, leaving a society of over a thousand members on four continents.

The Heart of Ignatian Spirituality

Ignatius's spiritual vision can be summarized in several key principles:

His Enduring Legacy: The Spiritual Exercises

The Spiritual Exercises are Ignatius's greatest gift to the Church. Originally designed as a four-week retreat, they guide the retreatant through:

The Exercises have been made by millions—popes, saints, ordinary believers. They remain the most requested retreat format in the Catholic Church and have been adapted for use in many Protestant traditions as well.

Frequently Asked Questions