IV CENTENARY OF THE GREAT PERSECUTION IN JAPAN 1622
By- Fray Javis Sy
Today’s entry of the Roman Martyrology reads:
At Nagasaki, in Japan, Blessed Sebastian Kimura, of the Society of Jesus, Francisco Morales, of the Order of Preachers, priests, and fifty companion martyrs, of whom were priests, religious, married couples, young men, catechists, widows, and children. All of them died for Christ martyred with cruel tortures on a hill before a multitude (of onlookers).
This year 2022 marks the fourth centenary of the so-called “great persecution in Japan of 1622” wherein a group of 52 martyrs representing various religious families and local believers was summarily executed for their faith.
The sad event known as the “Great Persecution” was due to the fact that the Japanese authorities would like to inflict the most violent punishment on all the missionaries as well as catechists and Christians who had been helping the work of evangelization which had been harshly prohibited. At the same time, it was to bring terror to all Christians not to harbor, hide and provide to all the proscribed missionaries.
A total of fifty-two Christians, lay and religious were to be executed on the infamous Nizhizaka Hill on the outskirts of Nagasaki.
The religious missionaries who came from the prison of Omura had been suffering for months in the most inhuman conditions. They joined the prisoners in Nagasaki who welcomed one another with jubilation.
The religious: Dominicans, Franciscans, Jesuits as well as their catechists, collaborators, tertiaries, and “Santo Rosario” confraternity members were led to the place of execution, and all of them, were enticed to be set free as long as they apostatize, but all kept firm in their resolve to die for Christ, except for three who retracted when they were already on the pyre.
Twenty-five were burned alive and the rest were decapitated.
From the Order of Preachers we have the following:
(50) B. FRANCISCO MORALES SEDEÑO (1567-1622),
friar and priest
(51) B. ANGELO FERRER ORSUCCI (1573-1622) friar and priest.
(52) B. ALONSO DE MENA NAVARRETE (1568-1622) friar and priest.
(53) B. JOSÉ NEGRO MAROTO DE SAN JACINTO “SALVANÉS” (1580-1622). Friar and Priest
(54) B. JACINTO ORFANELL PRADES (1578-1622)Friar and Priest
Two Japanese lay brothers:
(55) B. B. IOANNES NAGATA MAGOSHICHIRŌ (Dominic of the Holy Rosary) (1601-1622)
(56) B. ALEXIUS SANBASHI SABURŌ (1601-1622)
One Japanese clerical brother:
(57) B. THOMAS OF THE HOLY ROSARY (1602-1622)
