| Saint Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila | |
|---|---|
San Laurentius Ruiz de Manila |
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| First Saint and Protomartyr of the Philippines | |
| Born | c. 1600 Binondo, Manila, Philippines |
| Died | 29 September 1637 (age 37-38) Nagasaki, Japan |
| Honored in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | 18 February 1981, Manila by Pope John Paul II |
| Canonized | 18 October 1987, Vatican City, Rome by Pope John Paul II |
| Major shrine | Binondo Church, Binondo, Manila, Philippines |
| Feast | 28 September |
| Attributes | rosary in clasped hands |
| Patronage | Filipino youth, Chinese-Filipinos, the Philippines, Overseas Filipino Workers, people living in poverty, Filipino altar servers |
Saint Lorenzo Ruiz (c. 1600 – September 29, 1637), also known as San Laurentius Ruiz de Manila[1] or San Lorenzo Ruiz de Manila, is the first Filipino saint (protomartyr) venerated in the Roman Catholic Church. He was martyred during persecution of Japanese Christians under the Tokugawa Shogunate in the 17th century for declining to leave Japan and refusal to renounce his Roman Catholic beliefs.
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Lorenzo Ruiz was born in Binondo, Manila, of a Chinese father and a Tagalog mother. His father taught him Chinese while his mother taught him Tagalog. Both of his parents were Roman Catholics.[2][3][4][5]
Ruiz served as an altar boy at the convent of Binondo church. After being educated by the Dominican friars for a few years, Ruiz earned the title of escribano (calligrapher) because of his skillful penmanship. He became a member of the Cofradia del Santissimo Rosario (Confraternity of the Most Holy Rosary). He married and had two sons and a daughter with Rosario, a native. Life for them was generally peaceful, religious and full of contentment.
In 1636, while working as a clerk at the Binondo Church, Ruiz was falsely accused of killing a Spaniard. Due to the allegation, Ruiz sought asylum on board a ship with three Dominican priests: Saint Antonio Gonzalez; Saint Guillermo Courtet; Saint Miguel de Aozaraza, a Japanese priest; Saint Vicente Shiwozuka de la Cruz; and a layman named Saint Lazaro of Kyoto, a leper. Ruiz and his companions left for Okinawa, Japan on June 10, 1636, with the aid of the Dominican fathers and Fr. Giovanni Yago.[2][3][4][5]
The Tokugawa shogunate was persecuting Christians by the time Ruiz had arrived in Japan. The missionaries were arrested and thrown into prison. After two years, they were transferred to Nagasaki to face trial by torture.
On September 27, 1637, Ruiz and his companions were taken to the Nishizaka Hill, where they were tortured by being hung upside down a pit. This form of torture was known as tsurushi (釣殺し) in Japanese or horca y hoya in Spanish. The method was supposed to be extremely painful. Though the victim is bound, one hand is always left free so that victims may be able to signal a recantation of beliefs. In such cases, they would be freed. Ruiz refused to renounce Christianity and died from blood loss and suffocation. His body was cremated and his ashes were thrown into the sea.[2][3][4][5]
According to early records on Filipino Cathecism, Lorenzo declared these words upon his death:
| “ | Ego Catholicus sum et animo prompto paratoque pro Deo mortem obibo. Si mille vitas haberem, cunctas ei offerrem. | ” |
English: "I am a Catholic and wholeheartedly accept death for the Lord; if I have a thousand lives, all of them I will offer to Him."
Tagalog: "Isa akong Katoliko at buong pusong tinatanggap ang kamatayan para sa Panginoon, kung ako man ay may sanlibong buhay, lahat ng iyon ay iaalay ko sa Kaniya."
Lorenzo Ruiz was beatified in Manila on February 18, 1981, by Pope John Paul II during his papal visit to Manila, the first beatification ceremony held outside the Vatican. San Lorenzo Ruiz was canonized by Pope John Paul II in the Vatican City, Rome, on October 18, 1987, making him the first Filipino saint and the first Filipino martyr.[2][3][4][5]
St. Lorenzo Ruiz's image is included among the images by John Nava of 135 saints and blessed from around the world in the Communion of Saints Tapestries which hangs inside the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.[6]
On September 28, 2007, the Catholic Church celebrated the 20th anniversary of Ruiz’ canonization in 1987. Manila Cardinal Archbishop Gaudencio Rosales said: “Kahit saan nandoon ang mga Pilipino, ang katapatan sa Diyos ay dala-dala ng Pinoy (Wherever the Filipinos may be, they bring with them their loyalty to God).”[7]
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