1635

In 1635, four priests assembled around Father Rubino in Rome, united by a bold and dangerous plan: to infiltrate Japan, a nation in the throes of a brutal persecution of Christians, and to carry on an underground apostolate. Their scheme was driven by a dual purpose—to sustain the dwindling Christian community and to make amends for the apostasy of Christovao Ferreira, the former Provincial of the Society of Jesus in Japan, whose defection had dealt a severe blow to the Church's honor. This year marks a pivotal moment in the narrative of Silence, as it sets the stage for the arrival of the novel's central figures, Sebastian Rodrigues and Francisco Garrpe, and frames the theological and cultural conflicts that define the story.

Background and the Crisis of the Japanese Mission

By 1635, the Christian mission in Japan was in a state of collapse. The Tokugawa Shogunate, under the neurotic Iemitsu, had intensified its persecution, employing increasingly savage methods to eradicate Christianity. The Edict of Expulsion, promulgated in 1614, had already driven most missionaries out of the country, but a few, like Ferreira, had remained in hiding. The year 1635 falls within a period when the Bakufu's campaign had become systematically ruthless, employing tortures such as the "ana-tsurushi" (hanging in the pit) to force apostasy. The Church in Rome, aware of the dire situation through letters from missionaries, was confronted with the humiliating news that Ferreira, a theologian of considerable ability and a source of inspiration, had renounced his faith after six hours of agony in the pit. This event was not merely the failure of one individual but was perceived as a humiliating defeat for the faith itself and for all of Europe.

The Plan for a Secret Mission

In response to this crisis, Father Rubino and his four companions conceived a "wild scheme" to enter Japan secretly. Their plan initially did not win the consent of their Superiors, who were reluctant to send more priests into such peril. However, the Church authorities were also torn by the need to not abandon the Japanese Christians, who had been left without leaders. The prevailing sentiment in Europe was that Ferreira's apostasy was a collective disgrace, and the mission was seen as a way to restore honor. After "all sorts of troubles and difficulties," the group was finally permitted to set sail. This initiative was paralleled by a separate group of three Portuguese priests—Francisco Garrpe, Juan de Santa Marta, and Sebastian Rodrigues—who were former students of Ferreira. They were driven by a personal need to investigate the truth about their revered teacher, whom they could not believe had "grovelled like a dog before the infidel." Their Superiors were also slow to consent, but eventually, overcome by the young men's "ardent importunity," they agreed to the dangerous mission in 1637.

Significance and Thematic Resonance

The year 1635 serves as a crucial temporal marker that encapsulates the central conflict of Silence: the clash between a Western, Hellenistic Christianity and the "swamp of Japan." The decision to send new missionaries, driven by a sense of duty and a desire to atone for Ferreira's failure, sets in motion the tragic journey of Rodrigues and Garrpe. The novel's exploration of faith, betrayal, and the silence of God is rooted in this historical moment, where the Church's attempt to plant its sapling in Japanese soil faces an existential challenge. The year also foreshadows the eventual fate of Rodrigues, who, like Ferreira, will be confronted with the same tortures and the same agonizing choice, ultimately leading to his own apostasy. The events of 1635 thus establish the narrative's central irony: the mission to restore honor and save souls will instead lead to more suffering, more apostasy, and a profound crisis of faith for the very priests sent to redeem it.