From “Apostle of Japan” to “Apostle of All the Christian World”: The Iconography of St. Francis Xavier and the Global Catholic Church

In the years leading up to Francis Xavier’s canonization, hagiographers emphasized the unprecedented nature of his mission to Asia by giving him various appellations that specifically identified the places where he had spread the Gospel during his ministry, such as “the first Apostle to Japan.” However, the 1623 canonization bull introduced new titles for Xavier, including the “Apostle of the Indies,” implying both East and West, as well as the “Apostle to the New People” and “the Apostle of All the Christian World.” This more universalizing view of Xavier would have a strong influence on the development of his iconography in the visual arts. This paper will examine one manifestation of this constructed image of Xavier as a global saint, focusing on early modern paintings, prints, and sculptures of Xavier preaching to representatives of the four continents. This analysis will address the question of whether these continental representatives could be considered allegories of the continents and if so, how they fit into the taxonomies and history of such images. I will also examine how these images shaped viewers’ understanding of Xavier as a universal saint working to unite the four continents of the world in Christianity and bring about the ultimate global triumph of the Catholic Church.