Ad maiorem Dei gloriam

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Society of Jesus

History of the Jesuits Regimini militantis Suppresion Jesuit Hierarchy Superior General Peter Hans Kolvenbach Ignatian Spirituality Spiritual Exercises Ad maiorem Dei gloriam Magis Discernment Famous Jesuits St. Ignatius of Loyola St. Francis Xavier Blessed Peter Faber St. Aloysius Gonzaga St. Robert Bellarmine

A.M.D.G. engraving in choir loft of St. Ignatius Church, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts

Ad maiorem Dei gloriam or ad majorem Dei gloriam (when an "i" functions as a consonant in Latin, it is often represented with a "j"), also known by the abbreviation AMDG, is the motto of the Society of Jesus, commonly referred to as the Jesuits. The society is a religious order within the auspices of the Roman Catholic Church. In Latin, the motto means "For the greater glory of God" and is believed to have been coined by the founder of the religious order, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, as a cornerstone of the society's philosophy.

This phrase is the motto of many Jesuit educational institutions, including eight of the twenty-eight members of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities, and many high schools worldwide. In Georgetown University's Gaston Hall, the phrase is followed by "in que hominum salutem," making the full phrase state "for the greater glory of God in the salvation of humanity."^[1]

Many Jesuit schools ask students to write the phrase at the tops of their papers, to remind them that even their schoolwork is "For the Greater Glory of God."

A.M.D.G. was frequently included in the signatures of the late Pope John Paul II^[2] and Johann Sebastian Bach.^[3]

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Billingsley, Hillary. "O’Donovan Praises ‘Passion of Ideas’ in Speech", The Hoya, 2001-03-23. Retrieved on 2007-03-14.
2. ^ Catholic.net: Man of the Year: John Paul II; Retrieved on December 18, 2006.
3. ^ PCUSA.org: A.M.D.G. - Michael L. Lindvall, The Brick Presbyterian Church in the City of New York (A sermon on the subject of this motto.); Retrieved on December 18, 2006.

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