St. Francis Xavier - Part 1: Introduction and First Steps

JMJ

Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has been in the icy grips of self-skepticism (doubt) and self-cynicism (disbelief). This extends to the claims of the supernatural, I suppose, because this runs counter to the modernist belief that religion emanates from within humans and therefore miracles didn't really happen.

It is truly a matter of wonder that one man in the short space of ten years (6 May, 1542 - 2 December, 1552) could have visited so many countries, traversed so many seas, preached the Gospel to so many nations, and converted so many infidels. The incomparable apostolic zeal which animated him, and the stupendous miracles which God wrought through him, explain this marvel, which has no equal elsewhere. The list of the principal miracles may be found in the Bull of canonization. St. Francis Xavier is considered the greatest missionary since the time of the Apostles, and the zeal he displayed, the wonderful miracles he performed, and the great number of souls he brought to the light of true Faith, entitle him to this distinction. He was canonized with St. Ignatius in 1622, although on account of the death of Gregory XV, the Bull of canonization was not published until the following year. (Source: Catholic Encyclopedia - Newadvent)

The body of the saint is still enshrined at Goa in the church which formerly belonged to the Society. In 1614 by order of Claudius Acquaviva, General of the Society of Jesus, the right arm was severed at the elbow and conveyed to Rome, where the present altar was erected to receive it in the church of the Gesu.

The fore-arm was brought to Canada on a tour in 2017 and several friends and myself went to the Cathedral to venerate the relic.

Unfortunately, I was unable to find a copy of the Bull of Canonization online, but did find the following reference:

This Bull,*bearing date the sixth of August, in the year 1623, is an Epitome and Panegyrick of the miraculous life of the Saint. It is there said, That the new Apostle of the Indies has spiritually receiv'd the Blessing which God vouchsafed to the Patriarch Abraham, that he was the Father of many Nations; and that he saw his Children in Jesus Christ multiply'd beyond the Stars of Heaven, and the Sands of the Sea. That, for the rest, his Apostleship has had the signs of a Divine Vocation, such as are the gift of Tongues, the gift of Prophecy, the gift of Miracles, with the Evangelical virtues in all perfection.
The Bull reports almost all the Miracles, which we have seen in his Life; particularly, the Resurrections of the Dead; and amongst other miraculous Cures, which were wrought after his decease, it observes those of Gonsal∣vo Fernandz, Mary Diaz, and Emanuel Rodriguez (Source: The Life of St. Francis Xavier)

In addition the wiki article cited the following miracles:

Francis lies on the ground with his arms and legs tied, but the cords break miraculously.
He lifts a sick man who dies after receiving communion but is freed from fever.
He resuscitates a boy who died in a well at Cape Comorin.
He cures miraculously a man full of sores.
He resuscitates three persons: a man who was buried at Coulao; a boy about to be buried at Multao; and a child.
He takes money from his empty pockets and gives it to a Portuguese at Malyapore.
A miraculous cure.
A crab restores his crucifix which had fallen into the sea.
Francis kneels down and on his shoulders there rests a child whom he restores to health.
He cures a mute or unable to speak and paralytic man in Amanguchi.
He cures a deaf Japanese person.
He cures a religious in the college of St. Paul.
Due to the lack of water, he sweetens the seawater during a voyage.
Francis levitates as he distributes communion in the College of St. Paul.

While, in the face of modern medicine, people may feel that cures don't count as miracles. However that was not the case in that time. Also, levitation is definitely not something that can be discounted - especially if noted by a number of witnesses, as I assume occurred in the College of St. Paul.

Next up is the 'Modern Opinions and Controversies'.

P^3