Pablo Miki, Pedro Bautista Blásquez and 24 companions († 1597)

Biography

In 1587 this emperor issued a decree suppressing the Jesuits from his states. Not only did none of them leave but, six years later, a reinforcement of fifteen Franciscans arrived who had surreptitiously entered the country. Exasperated by this double challenge, Taicosama ordered the arrest of all the missionaries found, as well as their collaborators, and to kill them. Twenty-four were discovered. Firstly, they were paraded - for weeks - from town to town, on carts, to intimidate the people, and so that those who wanted it could insult them. They were then taken to Nagasaki, where they were crucified facing the sea, on a hill. There were among them three Jesuits, six Franciscans and fifteen lay tertiaries of San Francisco. The Jesuits, led by Pablo Miki, were indigenous, as were the tertiaries; Except for one, the Franciscans were Spanish. None of the Jesuits were priests; three of the Franciscans were, among them Pedro Bautista, their superior, the greatest personality of the group, who was considered a saint. He was the last to be crucified.