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Saint Felipe de Jesús OFM | |
|---|---|
 A statue of Philip of Jesus at theMuseo de Virreinato, Tepotzotlán | |
| Martyr | |
| Born | 1572 Mexico City,Viceroyalty of New Spain (nowMexico) |
| Died | February 5, 1597 (aged 24–25) Nagasaki,Japan |
| Cause of death | Asphyxia |
| Venerated in | Roman Catholic Church |
| Beatified | September 14, 1627 byPope Urban VIII |
| Canonized | June 8, 1862 byPope Pius IX |
| Feast | February 5 |
| Attributes | spear, palm branch, cross |
| Patronage | Mexico City;Colima (city);Nagasaki;Santa Cruz del Quiché;Ozatlán;El Viso del Alcor |
Philip of Jesus, OFM (Spanish:Felipe de Jesús; 1572 – 1597) was a SpanishFranciscan missionary who became one of theTwenty-six Martyrs of Japan. He is the firstMexican Catholic saint and is the patron saint ofMexico City.[1]
Felipe de las Casas Ruiz was born inMexico City in 1572. His parents had recently emigrated from Spain. Though unusually frivolous as a boy, he joined the ReformedFranciscans of the Province of St. Didacus, founded in Mexico byPeter Baptista, with whom he sufferedmartyrdom later. After some months in the Order, Philip grew tired of religious life, and left the Franciscans. He took up a mercantile career, and went to thePhilippines, another Spanish colony, where he led a life of pleasure.[2] Later he desired to re-enter the Franciscans and was again admitted atManila in 1590.[3]
After some years it was determined that he was ready forordination and sent to Mexico for this, since theepiscopalsee of Manila was vacant at that time, and thus nobishop was available locally to ordain him. He sailed on theSan Felipe on 12 July 1596, but a storm drove the vessel upon the coast of Japan.[4]
The governor of the province confiscated the ship and imprisoned its crew and passengers, among whom were Franciscanfriar, Juan de Zamorra, as well as three other friars, twoAugustinians and aDominican. The discovery of soldiers, cannon and ammunition on the ship led to the suspicion that it was intended for the conquest of Japan, and that the missionaries were merely to prepare the way for the soldiers. This was also said, falsely and unwarrantably, by one of the crew, and it enraged the JapaneseTaikō,Toyotomi Hideyoshi, generally calledTaicosama by Europeans. In consequence, he commanded on December 8, 1596, the arrest of the Franciscans in thefriary atMiako, nowKyoto, whither Philip had gone.[3]
The friars were all kept prisoners in the friary until December 30, when they were transferred to the city prison. There were six Franciscan friars, seventeen Japanese Franciscantertiaries and the JapaneseJesuitPaul Miki, with his two native servants. The ears of the prisoners werecropped on January 3, 1597, and they were paraded through the streets ofKyoto; on January 21 they were taken toOsaka, and thence toNagasaki, which they reached on February 5, 1597. They were taken to a mountain near Nagasaki city, "Mount of the Martyrs", bound upon crosses, after which they were pierced with spears.[3]
The bones of Philip were brought to Mexico City in 1598.
Philip was beatified in 1627 by Urban VIII, and, with his companions, canonized 8 June, 1862, by Pius IX. He is the patron saint of Mexico City, the capital of Mexico as well as its largest city.
In 1949 a Mexican filmPhilip of Jesus portrayed his life and death. It was directed byJulio Bracho with the actorErnesto Alonso playing Philip.
This article incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). "St. Philip of Jesus".Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company.| International | |
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