Gaspar Coelho
Encyclopedia
Gaspar Coelho was a Portuguese
Jesuit missionary
. He replaced Francisco Cabral
as the Superior and Vice-Provincial of the Jesuit mission in Japan
during the late 16th century.
Coelho became infamous among Jesuits and Japanese Christians alike for catalyzing the disfavor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
against the Jesuit mission in Japan.
Just as local daimyo
s encouraged the Jesuits to participate in the silver trade, so too did Japanese leaders encourage or expect their participation in politics. Just as European feudalism
and religious zealotry had given birth to a number of military orders such as the Knights Templar
or the Knights of Malta
, so too did a number of Buddhist monastic orders focus on martial arts
and participate in warfare. Hideyoshi, who was familiar with fighting these orders, not only saw the Jesuits as a path to economic wealth but potentially a source of military power as well.
Hideyoshi asked Coelho to secure him two Portuguese ships; if he could use these in an invasion of the mainland, he promised, he would "build churches the length and breadth of China
and Korea
." Coelho not only agreed to the deal, but also suggested that the Society could acquire more troops from Portuguese India
. It was a dangerous bluff meant to curry greater political support, but it was devoid of any real truth.
Hideyoshi ordered that an edict be drawn up:
Coelho protested that the Great Ship was not due to leave Macau
for another six months, and thus it was impossible to obey the edict. Hideyoshi accepted this, but issued a further set of commands banning Japanese Jesuits from the country as well. In the meantime, Coelho had realized the severity of the situation and tried to extricate himself. He tried to persuade several friendly daimyo to rise up against Hideyoshi with offers of weapons and financial help. When they flatly refused him, he began to write letters to the other missions. Coelho petitioned the Philippine
mission and the Superior in Macau to send two or three hundred troops in support. None of these took him seriously and one even wrote back reprimanding him.
This caused a stir within the ranks of the Jesuit fathers, and it is only through sheer luck that Hideyoshi himself did not find out about Coelho's scheming. The vice-provincial died of natural causes shortly thereafter, just before a furious Valignano
returned to Japan to try and repair the damage, as it was clear that Coelho’s poor judgment had given the opposition the occasion they were looking for to stir up animosity against the Jesuit presence in the country.
This series of events was seen as leading to the Christian persecutions in Japan
.
There is also a Gaspar Ueda Hikojiro who was affiliated to Hospedero del P. Navarrete and was stated as being of nationality "Japonés (Nagasaki)" Takaboko (Small Island in Nagasaki) and beheaded "Decapitado" 1617.10.1. He was among the 205 martyrs beatified
by Pius IX in 1867.**
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
Jesuit missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
. He replaced Francisco Cabral
Francisco Cabral
Francisco Cabral was a Portuguese Jesuit missionary in Japan.In 1554 he entered the Society of Jesus, and after his studies went to Japan, where he laboured strenuously to propagate the Christian religion...
as the Superior and Vice-Provincial of the Jesuit mission in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
during the late 16th century.
Coelho became infamous among Jesuits and Japanese Christians alike for catalyzing the disfavor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
against the Jesuit mission in Japan.
Conflicts with Hideyoshi
As Superior of the mission, Coelho was the most visible leader of the Christian contingent in Japan and he was frequently consulted by Hideyoshi on matters of political significance.Just as local daimyo
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
s encouraged the Jesuits to participate in the silver trade, so too did Japanese leaders encourage or expect their participation in politics. Just as European feudalism
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
and religious zealotry had given birth to a number of military orders such as the Knights Templar
Knights Templar
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon , commonly known as the Knights Templar, the Order of the Temple or simply as Templars, were among the most famous of the Western Christian military orders...
or the Knights of Malta
Knights Hospitaller
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
, so too did a number of Buddhist monastic orders focus on martial arts
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
and participate in warfare. Hideyoshi, who was familiar with fighting these orders, not only saw the Jesuits as a path to economic wealth but potentially a source of military power as well.
Hideyoshi asked Coelho to secure him two Portuguese ships; if he could use these in an invasion of the mainland, he promised, he would "build churches the length and breadth of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
." Coelho not only agreed to the deal, but also suggested that the Society could acquire more troops from Portuguese India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. It was a dangerous bluff meant to curry greater political support, but it was devoid of any real truth.
Consequences
Hideyoshi's response was quick and severe. After consulting with some of his Buddhist advisors, he had Coelho roused in the middle of the night and asked a series of questions concerning the intentions of the mission. Coelho responded as best he could, but the next morning Hideyoshi was livid. The great daimyo informed his court that the Jesuits were spreading propaganda against the state and that their mission jeopardized the future of Japan. He may have seen the Jesuits as a potential military threat.Hideyoshi ordered that an edict be drawn up:
- “Japan is a country of the Kami and for the padres to come hither and preach a devilish law, is a most reprehensible thing. For the padres to come to Japan and convert people to their creed, destroying Buddhist and Shinto temples to this end, is a hitherto unseen and unheard of thing . . . I am resolved that the padres should not stay on Japanese soil. I therefore order that having settled their affairs within twenty days, they must return to their own country . . . If the Great Ship comes to trade, this is something quite different, the Portuguese can carry on their commerce unmolested.”
Coelho protested that the Great Ship was not due to leave Macau
Macau
Macau , also spelled Macao , is, along with Hong Kong, one of the two special administrative regions of the People's Republic of China...
for another six months, and thus it was impossible to obey the edict. Hideyoshi accepted this, but issued a further set of commands banning Japanese Jesuits from the country as well. In the meantime, Coelho had realized the severity of the situation and tried to extricate himself. He tried to persuade several friendly daimyo to rise up against Hideyoshi with offers of weapons and financial help. When they flatly refused him, he began to write letters to the other missions. Coelho petitioned the Philippine
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
mission and the Superior in Macau to send two or three hundred troops in support. None of these took him seriously and one even wrote back reprimanding him.
This caused a stir within the ranks of the Jesuit fathers, and it is only through sheer luck that Hideyoshi himself did not find out about Coelho's scheming. The vice-provincial died of natural causes shortly thereafter, just before a furious Valignano
Alessandro Valignano
Alessandro Valignano, , was a Jesuit missionary born in Chieti, back then part of the Kingdom of Naples, who helped supervise the introduction of Catholicism to the Far East, and especially to Japan....
returned to Japan to try and repair the damage, as it was clear that Coelho’s poor judgment had given the opposition the occasion they were looking for to stir up animosity against the Jesuit presence in the country.
This series of events was seen as leading to the Christian persecutions in Japan
Kakure Kirishitan
is a modern term for a member of the Japanese Catholic Church that went underground after the Shimabara Rebellion in the 1630s.-History:Kakure Kirishitans are called the "hidden" Christians because they continued to practice Christianity in secret. They worshipped in secret rooms in private homes...
.
There is also a Gaspar Ueda Hikojiro who was affiliated to Hospedero del P. Navarrete and was stated as being of nationality "Japonés (Nagasaki)" Takaboko (Small Island in Nagasaki) and beheaded "Decapitado" 1617.10.1. He was among the 205 martyrs beatified
by Pius IX in 1867.**
External links
- Prohibition of Christian religion by Hideyoshi and 26 martyrs by the Daughters of St. Paul convent; Tokyo, Japan
- http://www1.bbiq.jp/martyrs/index.html. http://www1.bbiq.jp/martyrs/Es205Mart.html