Saint Ignatius Quotes
Man was created to praise, reverence, and serve God our Lord and in this way to save his soul. The other things on Earth were created for man's use, to help him reach the end for which he was created.
Ignatius of Loyola. The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Translated by Louis J. Puhl, Newman Press, 1951, p. 12.
Philip II, by this statement, and his subsequent behavior, made a major step forward in France for the separation of church and state. Previously, French kings played a major part in the selection of the bishops and other high clerics of the realm. Phillip ceased that type of interference. He did however, close down a religious commune for misbehavior, but that was at the request of both the church and civil authorities. See {617074} . The religious authorities at the time were delighted with this form of separation of church and state, but they were adamant that their church should be able to influence the monarchy and laws of the realm. In contrast today, the Chinese government does not allow any religion to interfere with the operation of the government, but insists that the Dali Lama and the Bishops of the Catholic church can only be appointed with their approval. Separation of church and state is a two way phenomenon.
Ignatius of Loyola, venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Basque Catholic priest and theologian, who together with Peter Faber and Francis Xavier founded the religious order called the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) and became its first Superior General at Paris in 1541. The Jesuit order is dedicated to teaching and missionary work. Its members are bound by a special (fourth) vow of obedience to the sovereign pontiff to be ready to fulfill special papal missions. The society played an important role during the Counter-Reformation.
