Peter Kibe Kasui and companions

The group of 188 martyrs of Japan includes Catholic faithful put to death in hatred of the faith between 1603 and 1639, under the Tokugawa shogunate. This group is composed in the vast majority of laypeople (183 people), including 60 women, 33 young people under 20 years old, and 18 children under 5 years old. There are only 5 religious: 4 Jesuits (Fathers Petrus Kibe Kasui, Julian Nakaura, Diogo Yuki Ryosetsu, and Brother Nicolas Keian Fukunaga) and 1 Augustinian priest (Father Thomas of Saint Augustine Jihyōe Kintsuba). These martyrs testify to the vitality of the nascent Japanese Church, established since the arrival of Saint Francis Xavier in 1549. Faced with systematic persecution aimed at eradicating Christianity, entire communities chose martyrdom rather than apostasy. Among the notable groups in this cause are: * The martyrs of Yatsushiro (1603-1609): 11 martyrs, including the samurai families of John Minami (with his wife Magdalena and their adopted son Luis, aged 7) and Simon Takeda (with his wife Ines and their daughter Agnes). * The martyrs of Kyoto (October 6, 1619): 52 Christians burned alive, among whom the Hashimoto family stands out, including the father John, the mother Tecla, and their five children aged 3 to 13. * The martyrs of Edo (Tokyo): John Hara Mondo, a noble samurai and former page to the shogun, mutilated and then burned alive on December 4, 1623, in Shinagawa, Tokyo. * The martyrs of Hiroshima: Francesco Tōyama Jintarō (noble samurai, Franciscan Third Order, killed on February 16, 1624), Matteo Shōbara Ichizaemon (crucified on February 17, 1624), and Gioacchino Kurōemon (catechist, crucified on February 17, 1624). * The martyrs of Mount Unzen (1627): Christians tortured and scalded in the sulfur springs of Mount Unzen, including the samurai Paul Uchibori Sakuemon and his three sons. * The martyrs of Yonezawa (January 12, 1629): 53 Christians beheaded by order of the daimyo Uesugi Sadakatsu, including Louis Amagasu Uyemon and the young Candido Bozo (14 years old).

The cause for the beatification of Peter Kibe Kasui and his 187 companions was introduced by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan. This historical process required extensive research to overcome the lack of local documents, which had been confiscated or destroyed during Japan's period of isolation (sakoku). Researchers relied on the archives of the apostolic trials conducted in the 17th century in Macau and Manila, as well as on the annual reports of the Society of Jesus. The decree of validity for the diocesan inquiry was issued on May 2, 1997. After the examination of the Positio by historical and theological consultants, Pope Benedict XVI officially signed the decree recognizing their martyrdom on June 1, 2007.

The solemn celebration of the beatification took place on November 24, 2008, in Nagasaki, Japan, at the Big N Stadium (Nagasaki Prefectural Baseball Park). The ceremony was presided over by Cardinal José Saraiva Martins, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and special envoy of Pope Benedict XVI, in the presence of Cardinal Seiichi Peter Shirayanagi, Archbishop Emeritus of Tokyo, and more than 30,000 faithful gathered under pouring rain. It is the largest Christian prayer assembly in the history of Japan.

Their liturgical memorial is collectively set for July 1. Peter Kibe Kasui is also celebrated individually on July 4, the anniversary of his death.

The spirituality of these 188 martyrs rests on a baptismal faith lived with radical intensity, nourished by Marian prayer (the rosary) and the reading of spiritual works translated into Japanese, such as The Imitation of Christ. Faced with the torture of the pit (tsurushi), designed specifically by the persecutors to break the will and obtain apostasies rather than heroic deaths, these men, women, and children manifested a supernatural strength.

Their legacy is immense for the Church in Japan. After the elimination or exile of all the priests, it was the laity who ensured the clandestine transmission of the faith for more than two centuries. These "hidden Christians" (kakure kirishitan) maintained the rites of baptism and prayer until the reopening of the country in the 19th century. In July 2022, a solemn icon of Blessed Peter Kibe Kasui was inaugurated in Tokyo, recalling his courage as a "pilgrim of faith" and tireless pastor.