Francis Xavier
Francisco de Xavier ( also Francisco de Gassu y Javier, Francisco de Jassu y Azpilcueta; born April 7, 1506 Castillo de Javier at Sanguesa, Spain, † December 3, 1552 on the island Shangchuan Dao at Canton in China), in German-speaking known as the Saint Francis Xavier was one of the pioneers of Christian mission in Asia and co-founder of the society of Jesus.
Church History circumstances of the time
Franz Xaver's lifetime were in Europe in the late Martin Luther Reformation. The Catholic Church had to criticism due to neglect of the ministry through their popes, worldliness, lack of theological education of the clergy and obscure financial policy ( indulgences ) put up. Protestant movements had enormous popularity.
The Church reacted to the developments with the Council of Trent (1545-1563), which triggered an internal renewal of the Church. The Jesuits newly founded ( Societas Jesu, SJ ) supported this reform movement within the church. The main objective of the order was and is the spread, strengthening and defense of the Catholic faith, including through missionary work.
With the bull Romanus Pontifex the Portuguese was transferred the patronage for the evangelization of Asia. In return them the trade monopoly was granted for this space. After 1498 Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to India, operated by the Portuguese first only commercial transactions. As an envoy of the Pope were arrested in Goa, they threatened the Portuguese King John III. order to open the East for all Catholic Europeans. Finally, the king pushed the missionary and sent Jesuits in the new colonies. This more intensive Christian mission began in India to the Luis Frois also contributed strongly.
These white spots on the map of Catholic missionaries attempted to close. It was necessary to convey the gospel to the Gentiles and to save their souls from damnation. They were supported in this by offering concessions, the colonial administration for newly baptized Christians ( food donations for the poor, lucrative positions at the Portuguese for the middle class and military support for rulers ), which in turn with the involvement of missionary work in their area of responsibility and a non - economic legitimacy for their work trying to create.
Life
Francis Xavier (now Javier at Pamplona ) on the castle Xavier was born in the northeastern Spanish province of Navarra. He studied from 1525 in Paris at the Sorbonne and lived in the Collège Sainte-Barbe. Francis Xavier and Peter Faber were among the first who joined in 1533 Ignatius of Loyola founded the Jesuits and later with him and three others. A priest Francis Xavier was ordained in 1537 in Venice. In 1539, he worked in Rome with Ignatius together the first draft of the Jesuit Order of the Statute.
The Portuguese King John III. asked in 1539 by Pope Paul III. missionaries for the Portuguese possessions in the East Indies. After his appointment as Apostolic Nuncio for the whole Asia Francis Xavier broke 1541 from Lisbon to India and landed on 6 May 1542 in Goa. For three years he worked with great success in Goa, at the Perlfischern and Travancore in the South Indian region.
Since Indians often were baptized out of opportunism, the problem arose that these soon returned to their old faith or alongside adhered to their ancient rituals. To preserve the purity of doctrine, Franz Xaver asked in 1545 the King of Portugal to send the Inquisition to India.
From 1545 Francis Xavier evangelized on the Indo-Chinese peninsula of Malacca and on several islands discovered by the Portuguese Moluccas in Indonesia today.
In Malacca he met in 1547 a Japanese man whose reports convinced him to bring Japan (Nippon ) the Christian faith. After control of religious affairs in Goa, which served as a kind of basis for his missionary work, he went in 1549 to the ship's trip to Nippon. On August 15, 1549, he reached the port of Kagoshima on the island of Kyushu was the first Christian missionary in Japan. About three years spent Franz Xaver with tasks of the mission in Japan. He founded in Yamaguchi, the first Christian community. Against the Japanese Emperor Go - Nara, he was not admitted in Kyoto in 1551. Once a group was used by the Jesuits as his successor, he tried to announce next in Ming dynasty Imperial China the gospel.
For this purpose, it should not come: foreigners was then the admission for the Middle Kingdom. At the age of 46 years he died on the Chinese mainland, offshore island Shangchuan Dao in the Bay of Canton (now Guangzhou). Franz Xaver found in 1554 in Velha Goa ( near Panjim, Goa, India) in the Basílica do Bom Jesus his final resting place. His right forearm was transferred as a relic in 1615 to Rome. In the mother church of the Jesuit order of the Gesù is the mummified arm.
By Pope Paul V, the Jesuit on October 25, 1619 was beatified and Gregory XV. canonized on March 12, 1622.
Letters
The letters of Francis Xavier left a great impression in Europe. They were 1545 printed and woke in many a new enthusiasm for the mission. The following short extract from a letter from the early days of his ministry in India (15 January 1544) gives a glimpse of what Franz Xaver drive:
"How many conversions remain to work yet due to lack of helpers who take care of the holy work, in these countries! It grabs me, how often, the urge to rush into the universities of Europe, crying with a loud voice, like one who is not in his right mind; especially in Paris, I wanted it can all hear, whose knowledge is greater than the desire to take advantage of that good use; before the assembled Sorbonne I wanted it to them to call out as many souls from the path of salvation agreements through their fault, how many souls are lost by their indifference! If they would reconsider with the same zeal that they turn to the studies, including those accountable that is, our Lord, one day ask God of them, [ ... ] - how many of them would be shocked! They would take the means to their salvation, they would hold spiritual exercises, these exercises chosen to leave them in the interior remains of their souls recognize the holy will of God and to understand it in depth. And they would henceforth indulge in this divine will more readily than their own inclinations, saying, "Lord! Behold, here I am. What do you want me to do? Send me wherever you want, and if it's good, even to India! "
Importance
Franz Xaver is not only the founder of the Jesuit mission, but also a pioneer of contemporary Catholic Mission: At the beginning of each mission activity was for him the inculturation - the knowledge and understanding of the people, language, religions and rites. To obtain new Christians adaptation of external forms to the customs and habits of the people was expedient. A comprehensive organization of missionary activity, regular reports, the construction of schools and the inclusion of local auxiliary volunteers should be key to the success of the mission work. Later generations summarized the adaptation to pagan customs to as syncretism and this successful sort of proselytizing was forbidden.
Remembrance
Feast day of the saint is December 3. This Memorial Day applies to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church.
Francis Xavier 's Roman Catholic Church, patron saint of India, patron of all missionaries and missions as well as the passengers. He is called to protect against storm and plague. His assistance is implored for a good hour of death.
In the Roman Catholic Church Masses are called in honor of St. Francis Xavier in his role as patron against storms as " Xaveriamt ".
Iconography
Francis Xavier is represented in the Jesuit cassock with the iconographic attributes Holy Cross in hand, preaching or the baptisms.
His statue is seen in Padrão dos Descobrimentos in Lisbon.
Eponym
Francis Xavier is named both as a first name, in German, Franz Xaver, and in the naming of many places such as San Javier, São Francisco Xavier.
The Canadian Saint Francis Xavier University was named after him, as the Saint Francis Xavier Club or numerous church buildings. Even schools bear his name.
After his election as Pope on 13 March 2013, the Argentine Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio gave the name Francis. Contrary to initial presumptions Bergoglio but did not refer to the choice of name to Francis Xavier, which would quite nearby because of its Jesuit origin, but only to the St. Francis.
All children of Augustus III. (Poland) and his wife Maria Josepha of Austria ( 1699-1757 ) called with nickname ' Francis Xavier ' or ' Franziska Xaveria '.