The Illuminati (/əˌlu:mɪˈnɑ:ti/; plural of Latin illuminatus, 'enlightened') is a name given to several groups, the name usually refers to the Bavarian Illuminati, an Enlightenment-era secret society founded on 1 May 1776 in Bavaria, The society's stated goals were to oppose superstition, obscurantism, religious influence over public life, and abuses of state power. "The order of the day," they wrote in their general statutes, "is to put an end to the machinations of the purveyors of injustice, to control them without dominating them. The Illuminati along with Freemasonry and other secret societies were outlawed through edict by Charles Theodore, Elector of Bavaria, with the encouragement of the Catholic Church, in 1784, 1785, 1787 and 1790. During subsequent years, the group was generally vilified by conservative and religious critics who claimed that the Illuminati continued underground. In subsequent use, "Illuminati" has been used when referring to various organizations which are alleged to be a continuation of the original Bavarian Illuminati. These organizations have often been accused of conspiring to control world affairs, by masterminding events and planting agents in governments and corporations, in order to gain political power, influence and to establish a New World Order.