This book tells how the Spanish knight Ignatius of Loyola suddenly indulged in asceticism, began to preach, and even the persecution of the Inquisition did not cool his ardor. Having united like-minded people around himself, he achieved the creation of the Jesuit Order - one of the most powerful organizations in the history of the Catholic Church - and became its first general. There was not a single country that the Jesuits would not try to conquer. Enterprising as traders and brave as soldiers, they fought tirelessly for human souls. They knew no remorse: they lied, were hypocrites, resorted to violence if they considered it useful for their cause - and at the same time showed examples of selflessness and philanthropy, brought enlightenment to the remote corners of the earth and made scientific discoveries in the things they created. universities. But the Jesuits failed to achieve their main goal - the eradication of Protestantism, and the influence of the order gradually faded away... Heinrich Böhmer (1869-1927) - professor at the Universities of Bonn, Marburg and Leipzig.