José de Anchieta

José de Anchieta (* March 19, 1534 in San Cristóbal de La Laguna ( Tenerife ), † June 9, 1597 in Iriritiba (now Anchieta ) ) was Spanish missionary, Jesuit linguist and is revered in the Catholic Church as a saint.

Life

After he finished his studies in Coimbra Portugal, Anchieta joined at the age of 17 years at the Jesuit order. As a novice he damaged by excessive asceticism and his health suffered since then under back pain. In order to relieve his suffering, he was sent to Brazil.

The " Apostle of Brazil " came in 1553 as a Jesuit to Bahia (Brazil ) and worked as a missionary, as a writer, poet and linguist. 1563 he traveled with Manuel da Nóbrega to peace negotiations between the Portuguese and the tribe of Tamoyo. Anchieta was taken hostage. During his hostage, he wrote a poem in honor of the Virgin Mary, whose more than 5,000 lines he learned by heart.

Anchieta is considered together with Manuel da Nóbrega as one of the founding fathers of the city of São Paulo.

Lacking in the New World of Clerics in line functions, Anchieta, who was ordained in June 1566 Bahia priest, was appointed Superior of the College of São Paulo a year later. 1577 he was appointed Provincial.

Due to his poor health he found it increasingly difficult to fill his office, which sometimes involved arduous journeys through the only little explored Brazil with him. Anchieta asked for his release from the Office of the Provincial. Until his death he was head of the mission station of Espirito Santo. 1597 died José de Anchieta in Retiriba (São Paulo), where he was taken, as his health continued to deteriorate.

Through his research, he learned language as one of the first white men to some indigenous tribes on the lower Amazon and common on the east coast of Brazil Tupi language. 1595 was Anchieta a grammar and a dictionary of this language out. In this way, the Tupi language for general traffic ( lingua geral ) of the colony could be.

Afterlife in Brazil

Anchieta considered a national saint of Brazil. Numerous churches and public institutions are named after him; " José Anchieta " is a common first name. El Beato Padre José de Anchieta was one of the patrons of World Youth Day 2013.

Causes of Saints

Pope John Paul II blessed him in 1980 ( Remembrance Day: June 9 ). At the celebration of the beatification in São Paulo, among other things, Cardinal Paulo Evaristo Arns attended, a mass was composed with rhythms and lyrics of the Tupi -Guarani Indians and performed one of his plays, with 120 actors.

Pope Francis has to speak the request of the Brazilian Bishops Conference ( Conferência Nacional dos Bispos do Brasil, cnbb ), José de Anchieta holy, approved. He was canonized on 3 April 2014. He is, according to Peter of Betancurt, the second saint who was born in the Canary Islands.

Critical voices to José de Anchieta

The Mirror quoted - without mentioning the source - the José de Anchieta ascribed sentence: " sword and iron rod are the best means of preaching ," last published in: Joseph Anchieta: Cartas, Informações, Fragmentos Historical e Sermões. Rio de Janeiro in 1933 ( in the original: "para este genero de não há gentes melhor do que pregação espada e vara de ferro ").

Works

• Arte de Grammatica da lingua corn vsada na costa do Brasil pelo padre Joseph de Anchieta da Companhia de IESV. Com Licença do Ordinario é do Preposito geral da Companhia de IESV. Coimbra in 1595.
• Monumenta Anchietana. Obras completas do Pe. José de Anchieta, 11 volumes, São Paulo from 1975 to 1993.