Francis Xavier and the First Jesuit Presence in Ceylon, 1543–1553
<p>When Pope Paul III promulgated the Papal Bull, <em>Regiminis Militantis Eccelesiae </em>on September 27, 1540, the movement led by Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556) and his six companions, was recognised officially by the Catholic Church as the Society of Jesus (Jesuits). Among them was the ardent Spaniard, Francis Xavier (1506–1552). Francis Xavier was chosen to evangelise in Asia and also act as the Papal Legate to the East. He, who would be known as “The Apostle of India”, was about to leave Lisbon in 1541, learnt from Martin Affonso de Sousa, the new Governor to India, about the existence of Ceylon, an Island near India.[<a href="https://medium.com/@avishkamario/francis-xavier-and-the-first-jesuit-presence-in-ceylon-1543-1553-bbc87d6b034c#_edn1" rel="noopener ugc nofollow">1]</a> Highly impressed by what he learnt about Ceylon, Xavier wrote a letter to Ignatius of Loyola on March 18, 1541.</p>
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