The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1911-05-13
THE TWENTY-SIX JAPANESE
MARTYRS.

Christians martyred in Japan are as
follows: In 1882, only thirty-three
years from the time ST. Francis Xavier
landed in the country, there were two
hundred thousand Christians in Japan
and two hundred and fifty chapeIs.
The Christians were in such good
standing that they sent an embassy
to Pope Gregory XIV, their represen-
tatives being three Japanese princes.
The marvellous extension of the faith
in Japan, unfortunately, did not con-
tinue in the same proportion.
The BONES or Buddhist works, view
ing with alarm the weakening of their
influence over the people and the con-
sequent lessening of their own wealth,
began to stir up the animosity of their
pagan adherents against the profess
sors of the new doctrine, and finally
Hideyoshi, the naughty ruler, drove
away the missionaries and destroyed
the Catholic chapels. At first he con-
tented himself with the confiscation of
the property of the native Christians,
but ten years later an unfortunate
event occurred. In July, 1896, Span.
ish merchant ship, the st. Philip, ap-
peared off the coast of Tosa province
This vessel was promptly seized by
the officials of Hideyoshi. The captain,
indignant at such treatment, and with
no other design than to impress the
Japanese, who had thus deprived him
OF his liberty, threatened them with
punishment at the hands of the King
of Spain and pointed out to them on
a map of the world the vast posses.
sions of his royal master.
Surprised at the extent of this mag
nificent domain the Japanese question.
ed him as to the method wherein this
great kingdom had been established
"By the extension of the faith and
the puissance of Spanish arms" re
piled the Castilian. "Our missionaries
prepared the way for us. They convert
ed the people to Christianity; after
that it was easy enough to render
these natives subject to our authority
These foolish words were reported
to Hideyoshi, who decided to make q
terrible example of certain prominent
Christians. A list was at once made
out. It consisted of twenty-foul
names. Nine of the Christians thus
marked for death were missionary
priests, and the remaining fifteen were
| 1aymen; to these were afterwards
added two others, making twenty-si1
in all who were apprehended and sen
fenced to die as the result of the vai1
boasting and bravado of seafarine
Spaniard 1t was ordered that the con
demned should be executed at Maya
saki.
The prisoners heroically offered the
joiced that they had been chosen te
give testimony to Him with theil
blood. Their serenity, courage an6
steadfastness astonished even the pa
gans who witnessed their glorious end
On the 9Th of February, 1897, these
Quoted to the summit of Tateyama
of Nagasaki, and were there crucifed
After they had hung in agony FOL
some time upon the awful crosses thi
executioner going from one to an
other, plunged his lance into the hear
of each martyr, as was done after thu
crucifxion of our Lord. The joints O
the limbs were then broken
While the appalling tragedy wal
being completed and when all the mar
tyrs were thought to have expired, tn,
Eexecutioner was suddenly stricken
with terror by a voice that cried GU
from one of the crosses:
i Laudaute pueri, Domini!" (t'Prais
the Lord, all We children!")
i It was the voice of Anthony, a littl
native boy, thirteen years of age, VIII,
had been accustomed to serve Mas
for the missionaries and had been re
warded for his open profession o
Christianity by the, grace of sharinI
] their martyrdon
< A few moments later that brave
sweet voice was silenced, but the spiri
of the young martyr had passed from
earth to join the blessed who foreve