The medieval city of Toledo holds many wonders – The Grand Alcazar, The Plaza of Zocodover and the famous Toledo Cathedral, among many. The skyline of Toledo, with all those monuments on display, is a wonder on its own.

This is why so many visitors would like to experience these views for themselves, either from the Mirador del Valle, immortalized by El Greco or from the top of the Old Bell Tower of The Primate Catholic Cathedral of Saint Mary of Toledo – a 13th century jewel of the Gothic style in Spain and a true wonder. The bells and the old wooden structures supporting them, already justify the steep climb.

But mesh nets and obstructions limit the immense view to a simple glimpse, making it a less than ideal vantage point.

Yet there is another place in Toledo, which offers its own unique history, its own sense of wonder and a great view of the magical cityscape of this ancient city. That is the Iglesia de San Idelfonso, the second largest church in Toledo, a Baroque style monument of the 16th century, and the main church of the Jesuit order.

 

The beautiful white church was almost empty when I came in, with serene music playing in the background. The light, shining through the windows of the dome, concentrates all the illumination on the crossing, next to the high altar.

But I came here mainly for the quintessential view of the city. And so, after taking in my surroundings, I climbed the tower.

 

The view was breathtaking.

This place was special, but not only because of the spectacular view of the city. After the Jesuit order founded this church, it took about 150 years to complete. The Jesuits soon lost it during their expulsion from Spain, and only recovered it in the 20th century. The story of this church, in a way, reflects the story of the Jesuit order.

St. Ignatius of Loyola founded the Societas Iesu as a scholarly religious order in mid-16th century. He insisted on a high level of academic preparation for the clergy and on education in general, as well as toleration for other religions. Being part the Catholic order, Jesuits teach other theology in their institutions as well. In time, the order became a dedicated operator of colleges and universities, and today they run about two hundred colleges and universities around the world. Tanya got her MCSW from the one of them, Fordham University.

Ignatius of Loyola, converted himself from soldier to priest, while struggling with wounds he suffered from a cannonball. Proud of his background, he founded the military discipline in the Jesuit order by declaring that the order is open to “…whoever desires to serve as a soldier of God…“

Remember “The man in the iron mask” by Alexandre Dumas? After Porthos’ death, Aramis’s boat was chased by the King’s frigate. The commandant of frigate requested the Musketeer’s surrender and promised that “all sailors but Monsieur d’Herblay” – the name taken by Aramis for that mission – “shall have their lives spared”. The commandant swore the offer by his rank and his name – “I am the Lieutenant of the King’s frigate, the Pomona, and my name is Louis Constant de Pressingy”. When Aramis heard the name of the commandant, “he made a mysterious and unknown sign, at the sight of which officer turned pale. Without saying a word, Aramis showed him the collet of his ring. The commandant bowed with marks of the most profound respect… Aramis, draped in cold, silent, and haughty majesty, had the air of an emperor giving his hand to be kissed.”

The commandant of the frigate, followed his allegiance to the Jesuit Order first and foremost. No wonder that all around Europe, there was  growing concern that the Jesuits were becoming more powerful than the Kings and The Pope could tolerate, and in 1773 Pope Clement XIV declared: “…so that the name of the Company shall be, and is, for ever extinguished and suppressed.”

It would not last forever, just for the next forty years, but a feeling of distrust between the Vatican and the  Jesuit order would continue…

Jorge Mario Bergoglio became the new Pope – Pope Francis – four years ago. He became the first Jesuit pope since the Society of Jesus was founded. On his Inauguration The Week magazine wrote an article The Jesuits: “God’s marines”, and we would like to quote from it:

The Jesuits are still viewed within the church as the most liberal of the clerical orders, with a rebellious bent. Because of their missionary work, particularly in Latin America, the Jesuits developed strong sympathy for desperately poor people subjugated by colonial or military governments. In 1974, the society decreed that its mission was the “service of faith, of which the promotion of justice is an absolute requirement.” For some priests, this led naturally to a leftist movement called “liberation theology,” which champions a revolutionary class struggle pitting the people against the powerful and wealthy. Some Jesuits actually fought alongside communist guerrillas in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador.

As you can imagine, some reactionary members of the Vatican were irritated once again by the direction of Jesuit order and the Jesuit point of view.

But I am not here to discuss the theological differences of views, but only the different views on the magical city of Toledo, from the perspectives of two different bell towers – the Toledo Cathedral and Jesuit church of Toledo. And, from my perspective, the Jesuit church has a better view.