UPSC Prelims 2021 Q39: St. Francis Xavier, Jesuits & Goa — Explained
Consider the following statements:
1. St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.
2. St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.
3. The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
- 1 and 2 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statement-wise explanation
- 1: correct — On 15 August 1534, Francis Xavier was one of seven companions who took vows with Ignatius of Loyola in a chapel at Montmartre, Paris. This is treated as the founding of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), and Pope Paul III formally approved the order in 1540. Xavier is counted among the order's co-founders.
- 2: incorrect — Xavier did not die in Goa. He died in December 1552 on Shangchuan (Sancian) Island off the south China coast, while waiting to enter mainland China. His body was later brought to Goa, and his relics now lie in the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa. Because the statement says he died in Goa, it is wrong as a whole.
- 3: correct — The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is held in Goa every year, normally on 3 December, the date of his death. It takes place at the Basilica of Bom Jesus in Old Goa after a nine-day novena. The Goa government issues advisories and greetings for it each year. Separately, his relics are put on public view in an Exposition about once every ten years.
How to eliminate
Statement 2 joins two claims, and the trap is in its first half. Many aspirants know Xavier's body lies in Goa and assume he died there. In fact he died near China, and his remains were moved to Goa afterwards. When one statement packs two facts together, test each one separately, because one false part makes the whole statement false. Option logic helps here. Xavier as a Jesuit co-founder (Statement 1) is textbook knowledge, which removes the option that leaves out 1. The annual feast in Goa (Statement 3) is common general knowledge, which leaves two options: '1 and 3 only' and '1, 2 and 3'. Your choice between them depends only on Statement 2. The fact to remember is that Xavier died on Shangchuan Island, China, in 1552, and his body was taken to Goa and enshrined at Bom Jesus.
Know more
The Jesuits and St. Francis Xavier in India
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic order founded by Ignatius of Loyola and six companions, including Francis Xavier. They took vows at Montmartre, Paris, in 1534, and Pope Paul III approved the order in 1540. The Jesuits became the main missionary order in Portuguese Asia, working under the Padroado, the Portuguese Crown's patronage of the Church in the East.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1506 | Xavier born in Navarre (Spain) |
| 1534 | Montmartre vows with Ignatius of Loyola |
| 1540 | Papal approval of the Society of Jesus |
| 1542 | Arrives in Goa (6 May) |
| 1549 | Reaches Japan |
| 1552 | Dies on Shangchuan Island, China (December) |
| 1622 | Canonised by Pope Gregory XV |
Jesuit footprints in India that UPSC links to this topic
- Printing: Jesuit missionaries brought India's first printing press to Goa, usually dated to 1556.
- Mughal court: At Akbar's invitation, the first Jesuit mission (Rodolfo Acquaviva and Antonio Monserrate) reached Fatehpur Sikri around 1580. They took part in the debates at the Ibadat Khana.
- Heritage: The Basilica of Bom Jesus (built 1594–1605) holds Xavier's tomb. The tomb was commissioned in 1665 by Grand Duke Ferdinand II of Tuscany and made in Florence by Giovanni Battista Foggini. Bom Jesus is the key monument of the UNESCO World Heritage property Churches and Convents of Goa (inscribed 1986), which UNESCO describes as illustrating the evangelisation of Asia.
Feast vs Exposition: The Feast is yearly, on 3 December. The Exposition, a public viewing of the relics, comes only about once a decade. Do not mix up the two.
NCERT Concepts to Revise
- Society of Jesus: Statement 1 is about who founded the Society of Jesus, the order whose members are called Jesuits.
- UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India: Xavier's relics lie in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, part of Goa's UNESCO World Heritage churches, which ties into Statements 2 and 3.