Peter Baptist and Companions
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Saint Peter Baptist | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Died | 5 February 1597 |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholicism |
| Beatified | 14 September 1627 by Urban VIII |
| Canonized | 8 June 1862 by Pope Pius IX |
| Feast | |
 Saints Portal |
|
Saints Peter Baptist(a) and his Twenty-Five Companions were Roman Catholic missionary martyrs at Nagasaki, 5 February 1597.
[edit] Hagiography
In 1593 while negotiations were pending between the Emperor of Japan and the Spanish Governor of the Philippine Islands, the latter sent Peter Baptist and several other Franciscans as his ambassadors to Japan. They were well received by the emperor, and were able to establish convents, schools and hospitals, and effect many conversions.
When on 20 October 1596 the Spanish vessel of war, the "San Felipe" was stranded on the isle of Tosa, it became, according to Japanese custom, the property of the Emperor Go-Yōzei. The captain was foolish enough to extol the power of the king, and said that the missionaries had been sent to prepare for the conquest of the country. The emperor became furious, and on 9 December 1596, ordered the missionaries to be imprisoned. On 5 February 1597, six friars from the First Order of St. Francis (Peter Baptist, Martin of the Ascension and Francis Blanco, priests; Philip of Jesus, a Mexican cleric; Gonsalvo Garzia and Francis of St. Michael, laybrothers), three Japanese Jesuits (Paul Miki, John Goto and James Kisai) and seventeen native Franciscan Tertiaries were crucified.
They were beatified on 14 September 1627 by pope Urban VIII, and canonized on 8 June, 1862 by Pius IX.
[edit] Source
- This article incorporates text from the public-domain Catholic Encyclopedia of 1913. [1]
