Status Updates From Saint Francis Xavier (1506-...

It's early December in 1552, and the great heart beats its last. A common end to an extraordinary man.

On the doorstep to eternity now, in April, 1552, when Francis has returned to Goa for the last time and discovered that he is now provincial of the third Jesuit province of India and everything east of it. He quickly sets the Indian Jesuits in order and prepares to leave on a mission to Canton and China.

Christmas time, 1551, and Father Francis returns from Japan to look after his Malaysian and Indian churches.

Moving within Japan, frustrated by local religious authorities, Father Francis makes for Hirado.

Japan achieved, Father Francis learns swiftly about the local culture and religion, which the author himself seems to be more interested in than anything in Indian or Indonesia.

The Jesuit Order now numerous and growing, Father Francis is famous throughout the Latin Church, and he now turns his attention to faraway Japan, his new destination.

Japan appears on the horizon and Father Francisco befriends the Japanese Anjiro.

Francis goes out to Malacca and then Amboina, preparing to head north, to the Moluccas and Morotai. Nothing can tie him down! Nothing!

And Francis, having entrusted his Tamil Christians to the new Jesuit recruits, prepares to move further East, to Malacca. His energy is always astounding.

I've never quite realised this before, but Francis Xavier was a clever diplomat and a masterful pacifist, having to put up with much aggression from politicians and businessmen.

This biography is written with such a dry species of sarcasm towards the Church of the sixteenth century that I'm surprised to see that the author is a Jesuit, although writing in the 1940s. I don't suppose Jesuits today have much reverence either towards S. Francis' methods or for his attitude to the paganism in south India.

Francis leaves Goa for Cape Comorin, the year of our Lord 1542.

Early history done, the Saint has been ordained, now for the early history of the Jesuits.