Jesuit Missionaries in Brazil
Within a few decades after the Portuguese landed in Brazil, King John III of Portugal asked Pope Paul III to help evangelize the new colonial territories. A group of Jesuits headed by Manuel de Nóbrega was tasked to carry the Christian faith to Brazil.
The Jesuits were a Catholic society founded by Ignatius of Loyola. The Jesuits were committed to the teachings of Jesus Christ, but operated with military-like discipline – emphasizing education, evangelism, and missionary work. By the mid-16th century, more than 1,000 Jesuits had entered the foreign mission fields of Europe, Asia, Africa, and the New World.
In 1549, the first Jesuits arrived in Brazil. Nóbrega and his team immediately set out to learn the language of the Tupi natives, which set them apart from the other Portuguese living here. They also established schools to educate the locals and teach them the Christian faith. This won the respect of the native peoples, who really liked the story-telling style of the Jesuits.
The Jesuits also established libraries throughout the country. Over the centuries, the library system in Brazil became the largest in the Americas, with the early Jesuit collections acting as the foundation.
Within a few years, another group of Jesuit missionaries arrived in Brazil. José de Anchieta was among them. Anchieta was a man of deep humility and prayer, but he was also trained in medicine and used his skills to serve the natives. This made them more open to Christianity, because they believed that only those who possessed the power to heal could truly communicate with the spirits. Through men like Anchieta, the Jesuits were viewed as healers, which gave them a platform to share the Gospel as well.
Anchieta became Nóbrega’s right-hand man. Together, they built the first “aldeia” – a large settlement where Christian Tupi lived, farmed, and gave their children to be educated by the Jesuits. The first settlement, Aldeia de Piratininga, is known today as Sao Paulo, the largest city in Brazil.
The rules for living in the aldeias were designed to make it difficult for the natives to maintain their traditional cultures. Cannibalism, polygamy, and tribal medicine were forbidden. Instead, the residents were required to settle into stable lives, where clothing was required and Christian principles governed social life.
Jesuit Missionaries in Brazil
Randall acts as the lead writer for ColdWater’s Drive Thru History® TV series and Drive Thru History® “Adventures” curriculum.
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