Though the Catholics make up barely 0.4% of the Japanese population, perhaps, Japan has the second largest number of martyrs after the Roman Empire. The persecution in the Roman Empire lasted about 280 years, while the persecution in Japan lasted about 270 years.
The martyrdom of the twenty-six faithful in Nagasaki on
February 5, 1597, was just the beginning of the evolving and intensifying
persecution in Japan, which lasted until February 24, 1873. The 26 martyrs, whose
lives are memorized and honored in the Roman Catholic Church on February 5 in Japan
and 6 in the US, are rather the tip of iceberg of the entire martyrs in Japan.
Imagine, you are arrested suddenly, just because you
are Christian. Then, a portion of your left ear being cut off and bound with
other arrestees.
If that is all you would get for having faith, you
would be “lucky” to be alive, according to the worldly standard. But, for the
heroic 26, they preferred to die for Christ rather than being kept alive. This is not that they did not value their
lives but that they took these words of Christ to their hearts:
Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and
follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses
his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain
the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his
life? (Matthew 16:24-26).
It was when Toyotomi Hideyoshi was the ruler of Japan,
as Regent, in place of the Emperor. He issued the decree to expel foreign
missionary priests from Japan in 1587. But, it was not fully enforced. Then, on
October 19, 1596, a Spanish galleon, sailing from Manila to Acapulco, experienced
shipwreck because of a storm. The damaged ship was washed to the coast of
Kochi, Japan. The administration of Toyotomi Hideyoshi confiscated everything
found in the wrecked ship. But this angered the galleon’s crew. The
administration found weapons in the ship, besides the ship was fully armed. And
an angry sailor made a statement to threat Japan as the Spanish armada would
conquer Japan. This angered Regent Toyotomi Hideyoshi and convinced that
foreign missionary priests were collaborators of conquistadors. From that time
on, Christianity had become an imminent threat to Japan’s national security.
Then, on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception (December 8), 1596,
Toyotomi Hideyoshi ordered to arrest Franciscans , whom he had been suspicious,
and anyone who had close associations with them, in Kyoto. And one of the
passengers of the galleon, San Felipe de Jesus, a Mexican Franciscan
seminarian, was also arrested, to join his fellow Franciscans, who had been in
Kyoto and arrested. These Franciscans were: San Pedro Bautista, San Gonzalo
Garcia, San Francisco de San Miguel, San Francisco Blanco, and San Martin de la
Ascension.
More and more were added to this group of Franciscans
for execution because of their association with them. However, there were also
those who volunteered to be added, even though they were not on the list to be
arrested. And one of such willing one to come forward to be martyred with
Franciscans was San Ludovico Ibaraki, 12-year-old Japanese boy, who was
recently baptized. But, his faith was already extraordinary.
When Ludovico came forward to be arrested and to be
added to the growing group of the arrestees, complaining why he was not
originally listed on the officer’s arrest list.
Ludovico had a good reason to join the group of those
who were to be executed. It was because he wanted to see Christ in heaven
together with his father, San Pablo Ibaraki, his paternal uncle, San Leo
Karasumaru, and his mentor, San Pedro Bautista, a Spanish Franciscan priest. In
fact, Ludovico, and his father, Pablo, and his uncle, Leo, were all Japanese
Franciscan tertiaries, assisting Padre Pedro Bautista and his Franciscan
associates, in Kyoto.
Ludovico was well-known for his vivacious personality
and had a natural gift to comfort and to cheer people around him. And this 12-year-old
newly baptized boy volunteered in the hospital established by Padre Pedro
Bautista. Ludovico always looked up to Padre Pedro, and he took care of
Ludovico as if he were his son.
To the growing group of the martyrs-to-be, in addition
to six Franciscans, three Japanese Jesuits seminarians, San Pablo Miki, San
Diego Kisai, and San Juan Goto, were added.
Bring bundled, these arrested six foreign Franciscans,
seventeen Japanese Franciscan tertiaries, and three Japanese Jesuits, were put
on public display, upon having portion of their ears cut off and being bound.
Then, leaving Kyoto on January 3, 1597, they were forced to walk all the way to
Nagasaki, about 600 miles, except for some short sea routes on a boat. Piercingly
cold winds and snow were brutal to them. And their journey to Nagasaki was
pretty much a public display. They walked at least 20 miles a day, resulting
aches and pains in muscles and joints. But one of these 26 neither complained
nor tried to escape. Rather, they kept their spirit up, chanting Te Deum,
to keep praising God. And it was San Ludovico, who brought a good cheer to
everyone, and everyone appreciated this youngest martyr to be for his naturally
jovial nature.
As the twenty-six came near to Nagasaki, an officer took
pity on Ludovico and told to adjure his faith so that he would adopt him as his
son and make him a great samurai. Then, Ludovico consulted his mentor, Padre
Pedro. And this Franciscan priest told Ludovico to follow the officer’s order,
as long as it does not require to renounce faith. So, Ludovico politely declined
the officer’s offer. But he also encouraged the officer to join him and the
rest of the martyrs to be better reward in heaven. The officer was astonished
by this 12-year-old’s faith and realized that he could not do anything, though
he told Ludovico that he could “rescue” him by his authority for a better
future. But, Ludovico’s response proved that the officer had no authority over Ludovico.
Finally, the twenty-six arrived at the execution site
on the hill of Nishizaka in Nagasaki. Then, Ludovico showed his excitement and
asked, “Which one is my cross?” Those
who had witnessed said that little Ludovico, the youngest among the twenty-six
martyrs looked angelic on his cross as a spear thrusted into his heart, crying
out, “Paraiso! Paraiso! Paraiso!”
As reflected in the First Reading (Galatians 2:19-20), these martyrs lived in steadfast faith and died to the law, being crucified with Christ. Because of this, they no longer live in their old being but it is Christ who has been living in them ever since. And this is eternal life, promised by Christ (e.g. John 5:25; 10:10; 1 John 2:25).
The Gospel Reading (Matthew 28:16-20) reminds that the
martyrdom of the twenty six in Nagasaki has been a powerful way to bring more
people to Christ, contrary to the persecutor’s thinking of the execution to
discourage people from believing in Christ.
As they marched to martyrdom, from Kyoto to Nagasaki, many
had their faith invigorated. Even those who did not believe were deeply touched
by their faith. Though, the number of Christians per se did not grow much as the
persecution continued with increasing intensity, the faith of the believers was
more refined and strengthened, making them ready to follow their path of
martyrdom. And it is better to have a few believers with unshakable faith
rather than having thousands of lukewarm believers with weak faith. What matter
more than quantity is quality of faith. And martyrdom gives the most powerful
witness to strengthen the faith of the believers and to bring nonbelievers toward
Christ.
In particular, the martyrdom of the six Franciscans,
with San Pedro Bautista, as their leader, makes a very powerful witness, to set
fire on hearts of the believers and gravitate nonbelievers whose hearts are
open for conversion. They came to Japan to make this witness, which, in Greek,
means martyr (μαρτυρία (marturia)).
If you are afraid to die for your faith in Christ, for
Christ, your faith can be strengthened by getting to know these martyrs, like
San Ludovico Ibaraki and San Pedro Bautista. Remember, if you wish to save your
life but resist to lose it, you cannot call yourself Christian. But if you deny
yourself – if you detach yourself from your ego, then, you can be like these
twenty-six martyrs in Japan, for attaining internal peace and being able to
joyfully praising God, even amidst suffering, trial, tribulation, and
persecution. And this is the bottom line of Christian faith.
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