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Francis Xavier

A Spanish missionary during the period in which the Society of Jesus was founded, and the first missionary to bring Christian teachings to Japan

1506–1552

Francis Xavier, known as Zabieru, Zabie, Zaberiyo, and Shabieru in Japan, was a Spanish missionary, later canonized as a saint. As the first Christian missionary to Japan, he was also known as the “Apostle of the East.” He was born into the Echeverría family of Basque nobles in the Kingdom of Navarre in present-day Spain. He met Ignatius of Loyola while studying at the University of Paris, and he helped to found the Society of Jesus. At the request of John III of Portugal, he left Lisbon in 1541 to spread the faith in India. In 1542 he arrived in Goa and also proselytized in southern India, the Malay Peninsula, and the Moluccas. During this period, he met Yajiro (also known as Anjiro), a man from Kagoshima who was the first Japanese person he had ever met. With Yajiro as his guide, in 1549 Xavier arrived in Kagoshima with Cosme de Torres, Juan Fernández, and other missionaries. He had a meeting with Takahisa Shimazu, the military governor of the region, and stayed about 10 months there. After visiting Hirado and Yamaguchi, Xavier went to Kyoto, but he was not allowed to do missionary work. He returned to Suo, Yamaguchi, and received the protection of Daimyo Yoshitaka Ouchi to continue his missionary work. Xavier was also presented to Daimyo Sorin Otomo in Bungo. In 1551 he sailed from Bungo and headed to Goa, and in the following year he arrived on Shangchuan Island near Guangdong with the aim of proselytizing in China, but he caught a fever and died. His body was shipped to Goa, and his right arm was subsequently sent to Rome. In 1622 he was canonized as a saint, and in 1904 Pope Pius X designated St. Francis Xavier as the patron saint of all missions.

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1617䞖玀、ペヌロッパ。京郜府犏知山垂犏知山城堡内出土。衚はむ゚ズス䌚創始者むグナチりス・ロペラ、裏はフランシスコ・ザビ゚ルを衚す。小型のメダむによく芋られる䞻題で、長厎や平戞でも同様のメダむが発芋されおいる。頭䞊に光があるこずから、ロペラもザビ゚ルも聖人ずしお扱われおいるこずがわかる。

16䞖玀埌期17䞖玀初期、重芁文化財。無原眪の聖母。裏の面には倧倩䜿ミカ゚ルが描かれる。ザビ゚ルはミカ゚ルを日本の守護倩䜿に定めたずされる。

長厎奉行所キリシタン関係資料、重芁文化財。この聖母像は、ザビ゚ル枡来の埌、17䞖玀埌期にむタリアで制䜜され、宝氞5幎1708に屋久島で捕えられた䜜者のむタリア人宣教垫シドッチによっおもたらされた。

明枅時代・17䞖玀の䜜、重芁文化財。癜磁はくじ補。キリスト教が犁じられた日本では、マリア像は入手できなかった。そのため䞭囜で぀くられた癜磁や青磁の芳音像を、マリア像ずしお信仰した。

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