STAMPA, GASPARA

I. The Holy Mission in the Homeland

The first printed missionary reports were naturally travel accounts and treatises on the legendary "Prester John" (v.), but soon missionaries also became the first geographers, ethnologists, and historians of the lands of their missions. Suffice it to cite the *Historia de las cosas mas notables, ritos y costumbres del gran Reino de la China* by Fr. Joan Gonzales de Mendoza (Rome 1585); the work of Nicola Trigault: *De Christiana Expeditione Apud Sinas Suscepta, Ab Societate Jesu, ex P. Matthei Ricci eiusdem Societatis Comentariis Libri V. ABBADIA S. D. N. Paulum V* (Augsburg 1616), and, among many others, the publications of Jeronimo Lobo S.J. on Ethiopia and of the Capuchin Giovanni Antonio Cavazzi on Angola and the Congo. Bernardino da Sahagún O.F.M., with his twelve-volume work: *Historia universal de las cosas de Nueva España*, which he worked on from 1547 to 1577, earned the honorary title of the greatest ethnographer of the 16th century. A historian of mission lands was, for example, the Jesuit Martino Martini: *De bello Tartarico Historia* (Antwerp 1654). Fr. Roberto de Nobili is considered the initiator of modern research on Sanskrit. From the 16th century to the first half of the 18th century were the most favorable times for Catholic missionaries to mutually acquaint European and Asian cultures and to defend the human rights of indigenous peoples. Suffice it to recall the activity and CAUSA (v.).

Directly serving missionary practice were the so-called *Cartihas*, i.e., small catechisms with a brief grammar and introduction to learning to read. The most famous of these *Cartihas* is the one compiled by João de Barros: *Grammatica da lingua portuguesa com os mandamentos da santa madre Igreja* (Lisbon 1539), which served St. Francis Xavier.

The polyglot press of the Propaganda printed in the first half of the 17th century *Cartihas* in Arabic and Ethiopic. In many editions and versions, the catechism of Luis de Granada was published: *Breve Tratado en que se declara de la manera que se podrá proponer la doctrina de nuestra Santa Fé, y religión christiana, a los nuevos fieles* (Salamanca 1588).

Among studies on the theory and methodology of mission work, the following are noteworthy: Nicolao Herborn: *Epitome convertendi gentes Indiarum ad Fidem Christi adeoque ad Ecclesiam sacrosanctam catholicam et apostolicam* (Cologne 1532); by José de Acosta: *De procuranda salute Indorum, libri sex* (Salamanca 1588). Protestant mission theorists such as Fabricius, Hoornbeek, and Mel made extensive use of these works. A Tommaso di Gesù (v.) and Filippo Rovenio (v. ROVENIUS, PHILIP).

The Jesuits deserve credit for creating periodical missionary literature. In 1552, *Avisi particulari delle Indie e di Portogallo ricevuti in questi dì anni del 1551 e 1552 da li Reverendi Padri de la compagnia de Jesu* were published in Rome. In the following years, other missionary letters were published under the titles: *Avisi della Cina*, *Avisi del Giappone*, *Avisi delle Isole Filippine*, *Copia de alcune littere del Padre Maestro Francesco Xavier* (Rome, Ingolstadt 1563; Louvain 1571; Zaragoza 1591). The *Annuae Litterae Societatis* then became a regular publication. They span the years from 1581 to 1614 and from 1650 to 1654; they were compiled in Rome from the obligatory letters of the provincials and superiors of missions to the Superior General. The first Franciscan attempt to provide a general overview of the missionary activity of the Order was made by Valentin Fritsch: *Indianischer Religionsstand der ganzen neuen Welt beider Indien gegen Auff und Niedergang der Sonnen* (Ingolstadt 1588).

The *Lettres édifiantes et curieuses* (v.) contain mainly material on the missions of the French Jesuits. We may also recall the *Annales de l'Association de la Propagation de la Foi* (v.).

In the first half of the 19th century, various religious institutes began publishing their own missionary periodicals, such as the Lazarists in 1834 with the *Annales de la Congrégation de la Mission*, the Seminary of Foreign Missions of Paris in 1841–42 with the *Comptes rendus*; the Missionaries of the Holy Spirit in 1857, the *Bulletin de la Congrégation du Saint-Esprit et du Sacré-Cœur de Marie*; the Oblates M.I. in 1862, *Missions de la Congrégation des Missionnaires Oblats de Marie Immaculée*, restricting communication of their journals to their own members so as not to create discord with the Propagation of the Faith. Some other lesser-known journals, such as the Austrian ones of the Leopoldine foundation and of Central Africa, and the one from Cologne for the "petits nègres," were also aimed solely at members of their associations. The Lyon Office began publishing in 1867 the weekly *Les Missions catholiques. Bulletin hebdomadaire de l'Œuvre de la Propagation de la Foi* (v. MISSIONS CATHOLIQUES, LES).

In a short time, popular missionary periodicals multiplied ever more. Today, every missionary institute publishes its own missionary journals in various countries to foster missionary vocations and secure the necessary funds for its missions. A scholarly journal, suggested by Fr. Roberto Streit, was founded in 1911 by Prof. Schmidlin, namely the *Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft* (Münster 1911). The same Fr. Streit began in 1916 the publication of the *Bibliotheca Missionum*, now under the direction of Fr. Johann Dindinger, reaching volume XVII. It lists and critically examines all sources and books on missionary activity. With Streit and Schmidlin, "missionary science" or "missiology" began.

It is impossible to enumerate here even the most important scholarly-missionary publications of recent decades. For this purpose, one may consult the volumes of the *Bibliografia missionaria*, published by the Missionary Union of the Clergy in Italy.

II. The Holy Mission in Mission Lands

It was Mexico that possessed the first printing press outside Europe, through the Zumárraga (v.), and the first book printed was the *Breve y mas compendiosa Doctrina Christiana en lengua Mexicana y Castellana* (1539), with the printer Juan Pablos (v.). In 1543, the same prelate had printed a *Cartinha*: *Doctrina cristiana breve para enseñanza de los niños*. In 1557, a *Cartinha* was printed in Goa: *Tratado da Doutrina Christiana* extracted by St. Francis Xavier from the *Cartinha* of João de Barros.

In Japan, a *Flos Sanctorum* printed by the Jesuits with Latin characters in Japanese appeared in 1591: *Santos no go-sagreo no Velhi no qui gagu* (Katsusa 1591) in two volumes, accompanied by a Japanese-Portuguese vocabulary. The famous catechism of Fr. Luis de Granada was printed the following year: *Fides no doxi to vite americani xu no riacu* (Amakusa 1592). Also from the same year is the Japanese translation of the Christian Doctrine by the Archbishop of Évora, Theotonius de Braganza: *Nipponno Jesu no Companhia no Superiori yori Christiani no soto no cotouari no tagaino mondo no gotoqu xiadi no vacacchi tamo Doctrina* (Amakusa 1592), which includes an appendix with a Japanese-Portuguese vocabulary. Luis Frois, in his annual letter of 1592, states that a calendar of feast days and fasts for Japanese Christians was printed, and it can be said with certainty that printing in Japanese characters occurred in 1591.

In China, Father Michele Ruggieri had the Decalogue printed using woodblocks. Another xylographic work by the same Father Ruggieri, revised by Father Matteo Ricci, is a *Dialogue between a Pagan and a Missionary*, of which 1,500 copies were printed; it dates to 1584. From the preface of Father A. Valignano to the work *De missione Legatorum Japonensium*, we learn that the book by Father João Bonifacio, *Christianæ pueri Institutio Adolescentiæ perfugium*, was the first to be printed with movable type, at Linas in the Port of Macao, in the House of the Society of Jesus, in the year 1588. Better known is the second book to come from this press: *De Missione Legatorum Japonensium ad Romanam curiam, rebusq. in Europa ac toto itinere animadversis Dialogus*. It was printed in the Port of Macao, in the Kingdom of China, in the House of the Society of Jesus, in the year 1590. The account was compiled by Father Duarte de Sande from the diaries of the legates and translated into Latin.

From 1595, Matteo Ricci began a series of major scientific publications in Chinese on theological, historical, mathematical, astronomical, and geographical topics, and also published a treatise on Western printing.

In the Philippines, the first xylographic prints date to 1593: *Doctrina Christiana en letra y lengua china*, composed by the fathers of the Order of Saint Dominic, ministers to the Sangleyes; and *Doctrina Christiana en lengua española y tagala*, printed in Manila in 1593 at the Convent of Saint Gabriel of the Order of Saint Dominic. In the first half of the 17th century, there was extraordinary development in printing in the mission lands, especially in China and India. Translations of Holy Scripture, liturgical books, and theological works were published, along with ascetical books, biographies, and treatises on the natural sciences.

To prevent abuses in its own press, Propaganda issued a decree on 7 September 1629 that no work could be printed there without a special decree from the Cardinal Prefect (*Decreta Congregationis de Propaganda Fide*, 1629–75, no. 29, p. 20). To address difficulties arising from the multiplicity of foreign languages, it was further stipulated on 3 February 1631 that books in foreign languages could not be printed in the polyglot press unless the manuscript was accompanied by a translation into Latin or Italian (*ibid.*, no. 60, p. 39). Moreover, on 6 December 1655, Propaganda forbade all apostolic missionaries—“under pain of deprivation of office, active and passive voice, suppression of the work, and automatic excommunication reserved to the Holy See”—from printing books without prior written permission from Propaganda (*ibid.*, no. 195, pp. 153–64; *Collectanea*, I, no. 124 [Rome 1907]). The General Congregation of 28 February 1673 sent a copy of the 6 December 1655 decree to the superiors of all Orders operating in the missions, with the additional clause: “that nothing pertaining to the missions be published in print” (*Acta S. C. de Prop. Fide*, 1673 [43], f. 28v).

The book by the Carmelite procurator general, Vincenzo Maria of Saint Catherine of Siena, *Il viaggio alle Indie orientali*, printed in Rome itself without prior permission from Propaganda, prompted the Congregation to ask the Holy Father to renew the prohibition against printing books in or about the missions (*Acta S. C. de Prop. Fide*, 1673 [43], ff. 76–76v).

Clement X, with the brief *Credita nobis* of 6 April 1673, extended the prohibition of 6 December 1655 to “books and writings that deal with missions or matters pertaining to missions,” under pain of incurring the censures of the 1655 decree, including members of the Society of Jesus. This was because such books, which often contained false and inept material, were causing offense to pious and learned men and harming the Church—perhaps in connection with the question of rites.

The Special Congregation for China of 31 July 1673 prohibited the translation of Holy Scripture into Chinese (*Acta Congregationis Particularis super rebus Sinicis*, 1672–74, f. 52v; *ibid.*, f. 13; *Collectanea*, I, no. 206 [Rome 1907]), a decree confirmed by the General Congregation on 20 November 1673 (*Acta S. C. de Prop. Fide*, 1674 [43], f. 352). The once-flourishing mission press began to decline, resulting in a scarcity of catechisms and prayer manuals. For this reason, the Visitor to Japan and Vice-Provincial of China, Domingos Pinheyro, approached Propaganda to request permission to print certain books “not concerning the Chinese controversies, but on pious matters such as exhortations to devotion and observance of the Holy Law, and prayer books and the like” (*Decreta Sacræ Congregationis* from 1719 to 1740, f. 546). On 28 September 1739, Propaganda granted this permission on condition that such books contain nothing, either directly or indirectly, against the constitution *Ex illa die* of 19 March 1715, and that the Jesuit prepositus general and the bishop or vicar apostolic of the place of printing give their permission for publication and send a copy to Propaganda (*Decreta Sacræ Congregationis* from 1719 to 1740, ff. 546–47). Since Benedict XIV, with the constitution *Ex quo singulari* of 11 July 1742, had confirmed the constitution *Ex illa die* of Clement XI, Propaganda issued a decree on 27 September 1743 requiring bishops and vicars apostolic in China to review all books already printed there to ensure they contained no principles contrary to the aforementioned constitutions (*Acta Congregationis Particularis super rebus Sinicis et Indicis* from 1742 to 1748, tom. 8, f. 59), and on 8 October 1743 it wrote to them “to ensure that all books containing anything contrary to the constitutions *Ex illa die* and *Ex quo singulari* be entirely suppressed and abolished, unless they can be corrected” (*Lettere della Sacra Congregazione e di monsignor Segretario per le Indie Orientali* from 1743 to 1746 [161], ff. 54–57v). By a decree of 28 December 1770, Propaganda granted ordinaries in China and Tonkin that for “short doctrinal works, catechisms, instructions, and prayers intended for daily use by the faithful,” the *imprimatur* of the ordinary would suffice (*Decreta Sacræ Congregationis* from 1768 to 1778, ff. 82–82; *Collectanea*, I, Rome 1907, no. 482).