St. Pedro Bautista and Companions
Not many of us may pay attention to the memorial of St. Paul Miki and Companions every February 6. But it would be a surprise for many us that these martyrs were condemned for being “men . . . from the Philippines under the guise of ambassadors.” Indeed there were six men who for some years lived and worked in the Philippines.
Padre Pedro Bautista was born in Avila, Spain, in 1542. He joined the Franciscans and became a famous preacher in Toledo, Spain. He arrived in the Philippines in 1584 and worked in Manila and Laguna. In 1586, he was elected superior of the Franciscans; his frequent pastoral visits brought him to Laguna, Bulacan, Quezon, Sorsogon, and Camarines. After his term, he was made superior of the convent in Manila, where he developed a reputation for his prayerfulness and kindness. He later resigned from being the superior but continued as preacher. He was also sensitive to and actively involved in the burning issues of the day. He advocated justice, charity, and freedom for the innocent. He fearlessly criticized government officials who were abusive to the natives.
In Manila, Padre Pedro met Gonzalo Garcia, a half Portuguese and half Indian who lived and worked for many years in Japan. He later joined the Franciscan Order in 1587. His knowledge of the Japanese language would prove to be useful for their later mission to Japan. It was also in Manila that Padre Pedro met three other Spanish Franciscans Padre Francisco Blanco, Fra Martin dela Ascension, and Fra Francisco de San Miguel. In 1590, Felipe de Jesus, a Mexican joined the Franciscans. He had once been a Franciscan in Mexico but left after only a year. He came to the Philippines as a merchant.
In 1590, news came that there were no more missionaries in Japan after the expulsion and persecution of the Jesuits in 1587. Padre Pedro wrote to the king of Spain asking him to convince the Pope to allow missionaries to go to Japan. The opportunity came in 1592 when the Japanese military dictator Hideyoshi threatened to invade the Philippines, and Padre Pedro was chosen to negotiate for peace. He brought with him Fra Gonzalo Garcia and Fra Francisco de San Miguel. They set sail for Japan on May 30, 1593, and arrived at the end of June. He succeeded in winning a peace treaty and even obtained permission to spread Christianity without interference. Padre Francisco and Fra Martin later joined them in Japan.
The Franciscans set about founding several convents, building or rebuilding churches and hospitals, and converting hundreds of pagans to Christianity. They were helped by Japanese converts, who would later be martyred with them: Paul Suzuki, Thomas Dangi, and Gabriel, catechists; Francis and Michael Kozaki, carpenters; his son Thomas Kozaki; Paul Ibaraki, a brewer; his younger brother Leo Karasumaru; their nephew 12-year-old Louis Ibaraki; Cosmas Takeya, a sword maker; John Kinuya, a silk weaver; 13-year-old Anthony; Joachim Sakakibara, their cook; another Francis, a physician and preacher; and Bonaventure.
On Oct. 20, 1596, a Spanish galleon bound for Mexico was blown by a storm to the shores of Japan. On board was Fra Felipe who was supposed to go to Mexico for his priestly ordination. The captain of the ship was foolish enough to praise the Spanish king and to say that the missionaries had been sent to prepare for the conquest of Japan. Enraged, Hideyoshi ordered his soldier to imprison the Franciscan missionaries and their helpers, which they did in December 1596. A certain Matthias, a fall guy, and and Peter Sukejiro were added to the group as well as the Jesuit Paul Miki, James Kisai, and John of Goto.
On Jan. 3, 1597, they were all led out of their prison to the public square at Miyako (now Kyoto) where they were informed that they were to be crucified, and as a mark of dishonor, a portion of their left ear was cut off. Then they were driven through the city, where the crowds were given free hand to ill-treat and insult them. The next day, they commenced their death march to Nagasaki, a journey that lasted four weeks. They arrived at Nagasaki on the morning of Feb. 5. The crosses had been prepared on a hill outside of town. The martyrs were immediately taken there, and each one was bound to his cross. With loud voices, they thanked God for the grace of being permitted to die like Christ their Lord, and they praised Him with psalms and hymns. As the martyrs hung crucified, executioners pierced the body of each one with two spears. Padre Pedro was the last to be executed. Witnesses reported that Padre Pedro was motionless, ecstatic, and absorbed in prayer while his companions were being executed. Their bodies were left on the cross for months to frighten other Christians. In 1598, an envoy from the Philippines was authorized by Hideyoshi to gather the last remains of the martyrs and their crosses. But the place soon became a place of pilgrimage and became known as Martyrs Hill.
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, September 14, 1627, Pope Urban VIII declared the Franciscan martyrs blessed. The Jesuits were later beatified in 1629. They were canonized in June 1862 by Blessed Pope Pius IX.
Even though most of the martyrs were Franciscans (six Franciscan friars and seventeen collaborators), it was Paul Miki, the Japanese Jesuit, who has chosen as the leading figure to highlight that he is the first Japanese saint. But perhaps it would be better for us here in the Philippines to have this memorial as St. Pedro Bautista and Companions. Hopefully from now on, now that we know, we will have a renewed appreciation of significance of the memorial every February 6. In Quezon City, the Santuario de San Pedro Bautista stands on the foundations of the church and convent built by St. Pedro Bautista.
