Journey Around the World

Martín Ignacio de Loyola began his Viaje alrededor del mundo (Journey Around the World) on June 13, 1581 in the direction of Mexico, along with thirty-one other Franciscan missionaries who finally arrived in the Philippines in 1582. From the Philippines he went to China to evangelize but suffered several attacks that almost cost him his life. At that time Martín was helped by Arias González de Miranda, Macao’s senior captain. On December 31, 1583 Martin arrived in Malacca from where he returned to the Iberian Peninsula by the so-called Portuguese Route.
He arrived in Europe in 1584 and contacted the Council of the Indies to discuss the problems of the Franciscan missions in the Far East. He met with the Father General of the Franciscans and obtained from Pope Gregory XIII the Bull of China’s custodian. In 1585 he left with twenty missionaries from the port of Lisbon to the East on the Portuguese Route and upon his arrival in Malacca he tried to enter China. After two failed attempts decided to denounce before the king Felipe II the difficulties of the missions in China. For this, he left the port of Macao to New Spain on July 12, 1588 on the frigate Our Lady of Hope under Pedro de Unamuno. On November 22 of that same year he arrived at the port of Acapulco, from there he continued his trip and arrived in Spain the following year.
Martín Ignacio de Loyola reviews in his book the culture of Japan and was one of the pioneers in establishing deals there. So in 1594 he left again for South America, being appointed the bishop of Paraguay on November 19, 1601. Soon he convened the Synod of Asunción or Rioplatense, the first synod to be held in Paraguay, for the good teaching of Christian doctrine to the natives. This synod supposed remarkable improvements in the situation of the natives and determined that the evangelization was in the Guaraní language.

(Description has been translated into English, Book edition is in Spanish)