The medallion presented here depicts Pope Clement XIV’s decision to suppress the Jesuits in 1772, which lasted for forty years and caused his name to be forever associated with this decision issued in a brief rather than a papal bull. The suppression lasted for forty years.

The medallion was not produced by the Vatican but by someone who favored the suppression. The reverse side of the medallion shows Saint Peter and Jesus kicking the Jesuits out.

Pope Clement XIV’s biography gives a more detailed account of the pope’s role in, and the reasons for, the suppression.  It can be found on Papal History/Clement XIV.

The medallion is a rather humorous portrayal of this very serious decision.