St Francis Xavier passed away on a Saturday, December 3, 1552, on the island of Sancian. This island, located off the southeastern coast of China, often served as a refuge for smugglers. He had been ill since November 21, 1552, suffering from a high fever, and was advised to rest aboard the ship. However, due to turbulent seas, he was transported to the island, where he was accommodated in a simple hut constructed from branches and mud, which had numerous openings that allowed cold winds to enter. His condition deteriorated daily, and he lacked medical care, basic comforts, medicine, and food. His only companion during this time was Antonio de Santa Fe, his Chinese friend. It is important to note that despite his frailty and high fever, he underwent bloodletting twice, which severely impacted his health.
Following his death, he was placed in a wooden coffin fashioned in the Chinese style, with his body covered in a substantial amount of lime, an oxide of calcium, to hasten decomposition. This was intended to facilitate the retrieval of his bones for transport when the ship set sail for Malacca. Some accounts suggest that this method was recommended by the sailors, while a letter from one João Eiro indicates that it was at the Saint’s own request, as he wished for his bones to be taken to Goa.
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Antonio and Captain Francisco Aguiar, accompanied by two slaves, transported the coffin to the base of the hillock adjacent to a cross erected by the Portuguese. There, they interred the body and marked the grave with stones at the head. The frigid conditions were so severe that neither the Portuguese nor others attended the burial.
Francis Xavier, having endured strenuous maritime journeys, was consumed by his fervor for evangelization, passing away at the young age of 46. In a letter dated January 29, 1552, he remarked that all his hair had turned grey. On February 17, 1553, as preparations were made for the ship’s departure to Malacca, the grave was opened to ascertain whether the bones could be transported. Upon exhumation, the lime was removed, revealing to everyone’s astonishment that the body appeared as fresh as it had been at the time of burial. They examined various parts of the body to confirm this extraordinary occurrence, which seemed to defy the natural order. Despite being buried for two and a half months in a lime-filled coffin, the body showed no signs of decomposition.
