Paul III gives Loyola and his disciples poermission to form a new religious order, careful to demand that they would offer their allegiance only to the pope. Thus, the Order of the Society of Jesus or The Jesuit order was born. 

The Jesuit order grew rapidly duing the first few years of its existence. This was largely due to the order’s dynamic nature. They devoted themselves to preaching, hearing confessions, teaching and performing missionary work. Preaching and hearing allowed them to strengthen individual tied to the Catholic church while the focus on teaching helped to strengthen Cahotlic theology while the missionary aspect worked to convert Protestants to the old faith. 

Soon teaching became one of th emost important activities of the order. They organised schools all over Europe which soon gained a reputation for being academically superior to other institutions. Jesuit teachers were highly educated and motivated with an excellent understanding in theology and the Bible. They were also charimstatic speakers who were soon able to meet and effectively debate leading Protestant preachers. 

Interestingly many of the brightest minds in Europe were educated in Jesuit schools including men like Descartes and Voltaire.

Jesuits were also responsible for carrying Catholicism to new forntienrs like Japan, Brazil and Africa. Jesuits also successfully countered the Reformation in places like South Germany, Poland and other Eastern European countries. They did more than win converts however; they created militant Catholic activists. They also inserted themselves as personal confessors to the powerful Catholic rulers, creating and strengthening the alliance between church and state that was necessary to combat state sponsored Protestant churches.