This week in Christian history: Constantinople falls, Sojourner Truth becomes a preacher

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, May 29, 2022

Christian daimyo baptized – June 1, 1563

Justo Ukon Takayama (1552-1615) was a Japanese Christian daimyo who was expelled from Japan for his religious beliefs. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Justo Ukon Takayama, a Japanese military leader and political figure exiled from his homeland due to his Christian beliefs, was baptized.

Baptized at the age of 11 and taking the name “Justo” in honor of Saint Justin Martyr, Takayama was later pressured by Chancellor Toyotomi Hideyoshi to renounce his beliefs; eventually, he was exiled for his faith to the Philippines.

In 2017, Takayama was beatified at a mass held in Osaka, Japan, that was presided over by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Vatican's ‎Congregation for the Causes of Saints. Beatification is the first step to sainthood in the Catholic tradition.

"Since Takayama died in exile because of the weaknesses caused by the maltreatments he suffered in his homeland, the process for beatification is that of a martyr," noted Fr. Anton Witwer, a general postulator of the Society of Jesus, as reported by The Catholic News Agency at the time.