Johannes de Britto

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Johannes de Britto, traditional illustration from the 19th century
Execution of St. John de Britto, 1693; (19th century)

Johannes de Britto ( Portuguese : João de Brito ; born March 1, 1647 in Lisbon , † February 4, 1693 in Oriur, India ) was a Portuguese Jesuit , missionary and martyr , who is also known as the "Portuguese Francis Xavier ". He is a saint of the Catholic Church.

Live and act

Britto came from a powerful Portuguese noble family. His father died as the Viceroy of Brazil . He entered the Jesuit order in 1662 and studied at the famous College of Coimbra . In 1673 he traveled to the mission areas of Maduré, in southern India, now Tamil Nadu . In 1683 he returned to Europe as a mission procurator. King Pedro II tried to persuade him to stay, but returned to India with 24 new missionaries in 1690.

The Maduré Mission was a bold attempt to found an Indian Catholic Church that was relatively free from European cultural domination. Therefore, Britto learned the local languages, dressed and lived like a Hindu saint, trying to teach the Catholic faith in categories and terms that were understandable in the cultural context of India. This approach had already been proposed and practiced by Roberto de Nobili and was accompanied by considerable success.

On January 28, 1693 Britto was sentenced to death for his preaching activities by an Indian king, the Setupati of Marava and executed on February 4, 1693.

Adoration

The Jesuit was born on August 21, 1853 by Pope Pius IX. the Blessed explained and on 22 June 1947 by Pope Pius XII. canonized .

literature

Web links

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personal data
SURNAME Britto, Johannes de
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Brito, João de
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Portuguese Jesuit, missionary and martyr
DATE OF BIRTH March 1, 1647
PLACE OF BIRTH Lisbon
DATE OF DEATH February 4, 1693
Place of death Oriur, India