1/17/2024 0 Comments Sword of the Samurai instalingTakayama’s time in the Philippines was to be short, however, as he died 44 days after arriving, on Feb. Takayama led the group to the Philippines, where they were able to practice the faith freely. In 1614, Takayama and some 300 other Christians were exiled from Japan. He continued to live in poverty in Japan for a few years longer, but the persecution only continued to worsen. For this Takayama was stripped of his rank and authority. He chose to give up his power rather than denounce his God. According to the Filipino organization the Lord Takayama Jubilee Foundation, Takayama was willing to obey his feudal superiors in all things except when it came to his faith. ![]() It is said that Hideyoshi even crucified Catholic men and women to make an example of them.ĭespite years of loyal service to Japan as a warrior, general, and feudal lord, Takayama was faced with the ultimatum of either renouncing his faith or his feudal power. Hideyoshi called on all Japanese Catholics to abandon the faith or face consequences. Though Takayama’s father had intended to put an end to the Christian’s proselytizing, he ended up being so impressed with the Christian arguments that he converted to the faith along with his son.Īfter years of missionary growth, a brutal persecution against the Catholic faith broke out under the rule of the Japanese chancellor Toyotomi Hideyoshi. When he was 11 years old, Takayama’s father, Takayama Hida-no-Kami, challenged a Christian preacher, a personal follower of St. The Takayama were daimyo: members of the class of ruling feudal lords who held vast estates and were entitled to raise armies. Samurai, general, ruler… saint?īorn in a castle to a noble Japanese Buddhist family in 1552, Takayama was raised to be a warrior and an exemplar of the Japanese spirit and culture. ![]() ![]() To be canonized as the Church’s first samurai saint, the Vatican must approve at least one verified miracle attributed to Takayama’s intercession. In 2016, Pope Francis approved a decree designating Takayama’s death as a martyrdom, and he was officially beatified in February 2017. For his defiance Takayama was exiled from Japan, fleeing with 300 other Christians to the Philippines, where he died in 1615. A renowned Japanese warrior in his day and a man of great learning and culture, Takayama renounced his power and possessions rather than give up his Christian faith.
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