Secret Instructions of the Jesuits

This edition of the Secret Instructions of the Jesuits includes both the original Latin text and the translation of its chapters into English.

The chapters include various methods by which the Society of Jesus are to gain influence. The manual covers all manner of aspects; recruiting men for the order, how to acquire wealth for the order, and gaining rank and influence in the wider Catholic church. Known also as the Monita Secreta, the document was purported to have originated from the office of Claudio Acquaviva, who was the Fifth Superior General of the Society of Jesus.

With time and analysis, modern scholars generally agree that the Secret Instructions are a forgery. However, the exacting detail with which they are written led settles to assume the text was authored by Jerome Zahorowski, a disgruntled former Jesuit expelled from the order for misconduct in 1613. Over the centuries, various translations and editions appeared, which kept the Instructions in public view.

In opposition to their content, encyclopedist John Gerard pointed out that many private notes and letters between Jesuits have found their way into the public domain; their contents directly contradict the Secret Instructions.