BIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS XAVIER

BIOGRAPHY OF FRANCIS XAVIER
INTRODUCTION
The sixteenth century that was dominated by the events of the protestant reformation was also marked by a Catholic Reformation, a reformation to counteract the gains of the Protestants, to shore up the crumbling walls of the medieval church, and to expand the church to the distant shores where the name of Christ had never been spoken. This expansion was aimed not only at the new world, where colonial development was making rapid headway, but also toward India and the Far East. The Roman Catholic was anxious for the overseas travel and adventurous missionary monks and friars eagerly volunteered for duty. In this period the Jesuits (the society of Jesus) founded in 1535 became the Counter Reformation’s most active participant, whose founder was Ignatius of Loyola and under his control the little band of dedicated disciples grew into a highly centralized organization. The most famous of these early Jesuit missionaries was Xavier, one of Loyola’s inner circle of six. Francis Xavier is one of the outstanding men of the first half of the 16th century. His major achievement was the consolidate and spread of the Christian faith in India and in the Moluccas and Moro Islands of the Indonesian Archipelago, and also to introduce Christianity to the newly discovered islands of Japan.

EARLY LIFE OF FRANCIS XAVIER
He was born on near Sanguesa, in northern Spain on April 7th, 1506, the youngest of five children, two girls and three boys and was also a Spaniard noble related to the royal family of Navarre and France.
His father was Dr. Juan De Jassu, president of the Royal Council of Navarre and his mother was Maria de Azpilcueta, daughter of the royal chamberlain, Martin de Azpilcueta.
Xavier matriculated at the university of Paris in 1525 and took up residence at the college of Saint-Barbe, which was a stronghold of traditional medieval theology[1]. And, while he remained in Paris, Xavier earned the M.A degree in 1530, taught at Beauvais College from 1530- 1534 and studied theology from 1534- 1536 and left Paris with his missionary companions and made his way to Venice[2].
As a youth he attended the university of Paris, where his interests inclined towards philosophy and theology and it was there that he began spending time with a group of Protestants, dedicated young Christians who were risking their lives for the Gospel in the Catholic stronghold of Paris[3].
There he met Loyola, a man fiercely devoted to the Roman Catholic Church[4] and Xavier wanted nothing to do with Loyola, since he considered him as a bigoted fanatic and therefore he continued his dissipated way of life. Since learning came easy for Francis, instead of studying he spent most of his time gambling and carousing in the numerous Paris taverns. And the determined, iron-willed Loyola would not give up. He urged Xavier to abandon the way of the flesh and to be converted to Christian life. He never allowed an opportunity to pass without quoting an appropriate biblical text to Xavier. Even he was willing to share his money with Xavier and Xavier would gladly accept the assistance offered by Ignatius, whom he esteemed so little[5].
Finally during a late-night conversation concerning Xavier’s plan for the future, following Loyola’s casual mention of the words of Jesus from Matthew’s Gospel- “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his soul?” (Mattheew 16: 26) And it was this time that the Bible seared the heart of Xavier, he repented of his sins, and from that day forth he became a devoted follower of Ignatius Loyola.
It was not long before for Xavier when he turned his back on the Protestants and his tempting lucrative career he might have had in the Catholic Church[6]. Instead Loyola and Xavier, along with five others[7] (who formed the Society of Jesus)[8] in a small chapel in Mantmartre, joined in taking a vow of poverty, celibacy and charity and resolved to go to Jerusalem to convert the Muslim Turks and if this mission proved impossible, they pledged to travel to Rome to place themselves at the personal service of the pope[9] or to wholly to spread the catholic faith[10].
He joined with Loyola to form the Jesuit or the Society of Jesus, and in 1543, upon the request of the Portuguese king, and he carried letters from the pope appointing him as apostolic.
He was sent to India along with another priest, Paul De Camerino, under the Padrado.
The voyage took him 13 months and in this period he ministered to the sick.

MINISTRY OF FRANCIS XAVIER

BACKGROUND

Before Francis arrival, Thomas had established a number of churches and the church of St Thomas was subsequently fostered and ruled by the Patriarchates and the bishop of Syria, Asia Minor and Persia. There are also historical evidences which confidently assert that there were Christian communities along the coast from Karachi to Cape Comorin on the west and hence to Calcutta in the east. It is also said that the Armenian traders kept alive the faith in the churches all through the centuries providing them with priests from time to time. The church at St. Thomas mount is a pointer towards this and also the discoveries of buried ‘Persian’ crosses in Goa and elsewhere.

The immediate reason for the arrival of Francis Xavier was the conversion of the Paravas. Especially the persecution of the Paravas of the Pearl Fishery coast by Mussalman traders and the indifference and the failure of the Naiks of Madurai to protect this harrased and helpless tribe to seek protection from the Portuguese paved the way to the entry of the Roman Catholic church. Miguel Vase, the vicar general of Goa and the four ‘clerigos’, baptized about 20,000 and the new Christians were not intruded or cared for and in fact they were without a priest for a long time and it seems the Franciscan Friars seems to have send one in the Lent.

As we have seen about the conversion this resulted in creating a sensation in Europe. The pressing request of the good king John of Portugal for missionaries, especially of the new Society of Jesus resulted in Xavier embarking for India. Therefore he landed in Goa in May 1542, and he waited for favorable winds to go southwards. He was also hoping to be joined by his two companions from Portugal, Misser Paul and Francis Mansilhas who had been en route and Xavier did not wait for them any longer.

MINISTRY IN CAPE MISSION

It was in the month of October he reached the mission, i.e. in the Cape itself and also certain that he landed at a port considerably far from Unicorn. He also brought with him some parava boys as interpreters, who were preparing for priest hood at Goa. And he walked with them along the coast towards Unicorn staying a few days in each village, baptizing the children and promising a speedy return. This was a preliminary survey of the field[11].

To the problem of communication with Indian Christians, usually they preferred to teach Portuguese to a few favored ones and use them as interpreters rather than learning the local language themselves. But Xavier did not like this, therefore he set himself to learn Tamil (the ‘lingua Malabarica’ of His letters) and he spent four months at Tuticorin at this task, where he began to byheart things and also understood the language b experience, and still he did not master the language as he was satisfied with the minimum requires to deal with the fisher folk. Xavier with the help of his clerical companions and others had the important prayers, the creed and the commandments translated into Tamil. Then the copies were made on Palmyra leafs to be distributed to the Christian villages.

Later the Dutch dominated the region and tried their best to force the Paravas to leave the Catholic Church; the irrefutable argument was the appeal to the miracles of Xavier. “Raise the dead to life as did out by father Francis and then we shall join your church” was their reply to it and about one year Francis went lonely traveling from village to village for the spiritual welfare of the people, but it was too difficult for him without any helpers and the expected help did not come from Goa, therefore he decided to visit Goa for help. Therefore in December 1543 he went back, taking with him not only his original three companions but also some new recruits for the seminary. Then he returned in 1544 and brought with him not only Francis Mansilhas, but also some other helpers such as John De Lizans (a Spanish Priest), John D’ Ortiaza (a soldier) and a few Indian priests among whom John Coelho is mentioned often.

His second period in Cape Comorin was dedicated mostly to organize the churches and consolidating the faith of the people. The mission was conveniently divided among the ---------------, he himself taking in charge of the village from the Cape to the Manapad. But he was in constant touch with all their missionaries and their charges, visiting them, writing to them directly and connecting them and most of these letters are lost.

Gradually some Churches were erected in every village, catechism in organized, even schools opened for the people. Xavier was evolving every method of teaching illiterate people effectively so that the prayers and tenants as well as the Ten Commandments of the Church would remain fixed in their minds and hearts. The prevalent evil of drink had to be dealt with severely , and the prunes to quarrel cubed. Secret attachments to the old idols had to be eradicated and the people led slowly but surely to the practice of Christian virtues.

MINISTRY AMONG THE ARASARS: -
In June 1544 there was an invasion of the Badaga army in an effort to chastise the Christians of the Cape and to reassert the sovereignty of Madurai over that part of the peninsula. The army then turned towards the kingdom of Travancore itself. The Christians felt persecution the at the Raja felt he could not stem the tide of the Madurai army with his own forces. Perhaps he appealed to Xavier to get the help of the Portuguese.

Now Xavier himself was in Camuthurey among the Kadayars when news reached him of the plight of the Christians of the Cape. They had as usual taken refuge on the rock lying off the Cape, then Xavier quickly organized a boat for relief that carried provisions and even drinking water which was sear on the rocks and proceeded by seed to Succor them, but adverse mind drove him back. He must have them abandoned the project to try an overland route. Thus there was no time to get help from the Portuguese as the Badage army was fast approaching Koltar, just nine miles from the capital. Though we do not know about the certainty but it seems he met the captain of the army and talked him out of his quest for a fight by threatening him.


MISSIONARY METHODS

1) “Baptize first and then Teach”, but he was sure that they knew Jesus well, and he also took follow step, and the desire to embrace Christianity.
2) He always went on the streets with a bell in his hands, so that he would attract the children towards him.
3) He was a very busy minded and a planning person that he spent the morning with the youngsters (mostly boys), and he drilled them with Catechism and this resulted in making them effective Catholic Actionists. Later they became the secret agents in ferreting out abuses and bring out hidden idols to which their parents were still devoted and also they were the instruments in working out miracle when he was unable to attend. Afternoon he met with the woman folk and in the evening with the men.
4) He devoted the Saturdays to the teaching of the fairer sex, and on the Sundays he used to drill them in memorizing as the people were too illiterates and unformed for intellectual exercises.
5) He was very careful to give short explanations of the mysteries of Faith, i.e. the Life of Christ with stories and examples.

SOME CRITICISMS AGAINST XAVIER
Xavier not attempting to understand the oriental religionist[12].
Xavier for invoking help of the Inquisition [13].
Xavier for approving the persecution of the Nestorians[14].
For using the government of Goa as a means of proselytizing[15].

MINISTRY IN COCHIN, QUILON, MYLAPORE: -

When we consider Cochin a was next to Goa the biggest strongholds of Portuguese in India. A sizable colony of Portuguese was already there with a number of priests to look after their spiritual life. Already there had been some conversions both from non-Christians and from the ranks of St. Thomas Christians and for Xavier Cochin were not a mission field and only a major port to or from Goa. In this way he visited the town not les than eleven times. He was never idle, nor was he given rest and leisure, however well he might have some brief stopovers at Cochin to preach, attend the sick and to use his spiritual power especially among the loose living Portuguese. He was not conversant with the Malayalam language, a d nor is there any record of conversions through his ministry. There are letters that portrays of his occasional visit to Cannanore, Cranganore and Quilon and they are considered as outside his mission as his contacts were incidental. But it is noted that he chose Quilon to find a college and residence, the former for the boys of the Cape Mission, and the latter for the society. It was in this place that the first printing press in India was set up and thee first book in an Indian language was printed, which is about the Christian Doctrine written by Fr.Andriquey in Tamil. (Now a copy of it seen in America).
When we see the places like Nagapattinam and Mylapore, they were fortified by the Portuguese, where Xavier had occasion to call and Xavier spend many days in fasting and prayer at the sacred towns before finally deciding to divert his labor from India to the far-east and it was fro this place that he left on his voyage to Malacca and the spice Islands. He again passed through Mylapore in the middle of 1549 on is second voyage eastward that took him as far as Japan[16].

MINISTRY IN JAPAN
In July 1547, while at Malacca, Xavier met a Japanese named Anjiro.This man had committed a murder in his native land and had fled from the authorities on a Portuguese ship that lay at anchor in the bay off his home town of Kagoshima, and for a monetary consideration, the captain brought him at Malacca. On the way the Portuguese sailors told Anjiro about the Christian faith,especially about Heaven and Hell, the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life. The young Japanese was filled with the desire to embrace Christianity and receive forgiveness for his crime. At Malacca he met Xavier and was baptized[17].
As he talked with Anjiro and learned about Japan, Xavier became moe and more consumed with the idea of introducing Christianity into Anjiro’s native land. After returning to Goa and receiving and orienting a newely arrived detachment of Jesuit missionaries, Xavier made plans to go to Japan. Finally after learning as much as he could of the Japanese langualge from Anjiro, Xavier and two Jesuits set out for Japan in April 1549, accompanied by Anjiro[18].
They landed at Kagoshima in southern Japan on August 15th, 1549. Xavier and Jesuit companions spent the first year in improving the knowledge of the language and translation a short Catechism and the Apostle’s creed into Japanese. Xavier as his usual habit, memorized several dozen sermons in the native language to use as he went about preaching among people. As Anjiro had already warned Xavier that the Japanese would be won over by reason only, similarly, with that in mind, Xavier greatly desired to secure an audience wit the ruler of Japan, in which he could persuade him by means of argumentation to embrace Christianity and thereby to win with one blow the whole island for the Christian faith[19].
In the meantime he was welcomed by the local prince (Daimyo), obtained special permission to peach, and began slowly to build a Christian community in Kagoshima. The Buddhist monks, however sensing that Christianity was a powerful new rival religion, began to make trouble for Xavier and his friends. Therefore leaving behind a congregation of about 100 converts; Xavier decided to penetrate to the center of Japan in order to spread the faith and especially the supreme ruler of the island, which would affect the conversion of the entire population[20].
Preaching at Hirado, Hakata, Yamaguchi, and Sakai, he finally arrived at Kyoto, the imperial capital in January 1551. There, he was disappointed to learn that real political power at that time rested not with the Mikado (emperor) or with the shogun (military leaders) but with the various regional daimyos. Frustrated in his plan for mass conversion of Japanese by this turn of events, Xavier returned to Kagoshima. There, he altered his method of approach to the Japanese. Realizing that they had little regards for humility but understood only pride and arrogance, and they would not abandon their old religions unless, “reasoned into the kingdom of God”, Xavier changed his tactics. Abandoning the appearance of apostolic poverty, he now put on better clothing and engaged in public debates with the Buddhist monks, eventually winning more than 2,000 Japanese to the Christian faith. Leaving the other, Jesuit priest in charge of the mission, Xavier returned to Malacca after twenty-seven months in Japan[21].
Xavier left Japan with one overpowering impression. In his debates with the Buddhist monks, they often presented an argument that perplexed that Jesuit missionary. They declared that the Christian God could not possibly be the true god of the universe because the Chinese knew nothing of it. This line of reasoning seldom failed in its effect on this, Xavier realized that the Japanese were deeply influenced in all their opinions and judgments by the example of China. After all Japan had in fact taken over its religion, its writing, and almost all its spiritual culture from China; that if the Chinese could be won, the Japanese would follow. Therefore in Japan he spent considerable time expounding the compatibility of the existence of evil with God’s omnipotence and the necessity of the incarnation[22].

RECOGNITION OF XAVIER
Francis Xavier is an Anglican and a Catholic saint. He was beatified by Paul V on October 25, 1619, and was canonized by Gregory XV on March 12, 1622, at the same time as Ignatius Loyola. In 1839, Theodore James Ryken founded the Xaverian Brothers, or Congregation of St. Francis Xavier (CFX). Currently, over twenty colleges or high schools in the United States are Xaverian Brothers Sponsored Schools (XBSS). He is also the patron saint of Australia, Borneo, China, East Indies, Goa, Japan, New Zealand[23].

Many churches all over the world have been named in honor of Xavier. One notable church is the Basilica of St. Francis Xavier in Dyersville, Iowa. It is one of only 52 minor basilicas in the United States, and the only one outside a metropolitan area. There is also a top Canadian university named in his honor in Antigonish, Nova Scotia called, “St. Francis Xavier University”[24].











EVALUATION
Francis Xavier left his mark on Christian history in atleast three ways: as a prime exemplar of the Ignatian ideal, as one of the greatest missionaries in the history of faith, and as an inspiration for modern catholic missions. The Ignatian ideal was to serve the Roman Catholic with complete devotion and unquestioning obedience, revivifying it’s teaching and devotional practices. In particular, Xavier preached the word smoothly rather than boldly, he adopted his methods to suit the situation, utilizing holy craftiness to accomplish pious ends. For example, while the other priests of Goa lived in splendid houses, he, the papal nuncio, took up residence in a modest little room in the local hospital. There he came to contact from all classes and became acquainted with them in an environment in which they were most prepared to listen to spiritual counsel, and through his simple dress, sympathizing nature, gentle and homely words became one among them, at the same time he had every opportunity to obtain accurate information about the life, character, interests, and peculiarities of the people whom he wished to minister. Therefore in India he had won the poor and humble lower castes by impressing them with his humility and by appearing as one of them in his torn cassock and shabby cowl. But in Japan humility was no virtue and poverty was despised, so Xavier put on the most magnificent apparel he could obtain and went about with an imposing retinue. Most importantly he drew upon his splendid university education inorder to cope with the Japanese insistence that he explain reasonably the Christian faith before they would accept it
Francis Xavier was called by many names such as, “Second Apostle of India”, “ Apostle of the Indies”------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- was very busy spending the days on his feet and the nights on his knees. His life of discipline and mortification were simply heroic. He lived utterly for his people and was ready to give up his life for their welfare. It was this shining holiness of his that captivated the hearts of all, especially the children, so that in spite of the handicaps of insufficient knowledge of Tamil and want of transportation and speedy communication, he was so successful in his ministry. To say in a comparatively short period of ten years he had run like a giant through vast areas, strengthening existing churches, founding new ones, converting multitudes and he was forty six years of age when God called His faithful servant to his reward on the dawn of the first of December in the year of the Lord 1554, on the island of Sanchian off the mainland of China.

CONCLUSION

The Chinese merchant who was to have taken Xavier to Canton failed to arrive as promised on November 19th and two days later Xavier fell ill. The next day he was taken to Diogo Pereira’s ship one of the two still in the harbor of Sancian. Since the tossing of the ship annoyed Xavier’s distress he was taken back to the island. There he was placed in a straw hut that was erected by Pereira. His conditioned worsened, during the night of December 2nd and 3rd, Antonio, the Chinese convert who had accompanied Xavier to Sancian as his interpreter could see that his last hour had come. He placed a candle in Xavier’s hand and, as he wrote, watched as “with the name of Jesus on his lips, he returned his soul in the hands of the creator and Lord with great calm and tranquility”. His dying words were: In te, Domine, speravi, non confundar in aeternum , which means (“In you, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be confounded).

On November 21, he fainted after celebrating a mass. He died on the island on December 2, 1552, at age 46, without having reached Mainland China. He was first buried on Shangchuan Dao’s beach. His intact body was taken from the island in February 1553. It was temporarily buried in St. Paul's church in Malacca on March 22, 1553. An open grave in the church now marks the place of Xavier's burial. Pereira came back from Goa, removed the corpse shortly after April 15, 1553, and moved it to his house. On December 11, 1553, Xavier's body was shipped to Goa. The body, having resisted extensive decay, is now in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Goa, where it was placed into a silver casket on December 2, 1637. The silver casket is lowered for public viewing only during the public exposition which occurs for a duration of 6 weeks every 10 years, the most recent of which took place in 2004. There is a debate as to how the body could have remained incorrupt for so long. Some say that Francis Xavier was mummified, while others argue that the incorruptible body is evidence of a miracle.


[1] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press), 234.
[2] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press), 235.
[3] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), 59.
[4] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), 60.
[5] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 234- 35.
[6] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), 60.
[7] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 235.
[8] http://elvis.rowan.edu/~kilroy/JEK/12/03.html, viewed on 25/09/2005.
[9] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 235.
[10] Ruth A. Tucker, From Jerusalem to Irian Jaya, (Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), 60.

[11] A.M George Jegatheesan, “St. Francis Xavier”, from, The St.Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India, edited by George Menachery, Vol-1, (Madras: B.N.K Press Private Limited, 1982), 16- 20.
[12] F.L Cross, The Oxford of the Christian Church, (Yugoslavia: Oxford University Press, 1983), 531.
[13] F.L Cross, The Oxford of the Christian Church, (Yugoslavia: Oxford University Press, 1983), 531.
[14] F.L Cross, The Oxford of the Christian Church, (Yugoslavia: Oxford University Press, 1983), 531.
[15] F.L Cross, The Oxford of the Christian Church, (Yugoslavia: Oxford University Press, 1983), 532.
[16] J.M Villarvarayan, “The Mission and Life of Francis Xavier in South India” from, The St. Thomas Christian Encyclopedia of India edited by George Menachry, (Madras: B.N.K Press, 1973), 67-68.
[17] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 237.
[18] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 236.
[19] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 236.
[20] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 236.
[21] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 237.
[22] John D. Woodbridge, Great leaders of the Christian Church, (Chicago: Moody Press) 239.
[23] http://francis-xavier.biography.ms/, viewed on 25/09/2005.
[24] http://francis-xavier.biography.ms/, viewed on 25/09/2005.