Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
Although he followed the same method of cultural adaptation initiated by the Brahmin missionary Roberto de Nobili, Father João de Brito distinguished himself from the latter for being much less calculating; undoubtedly benefiting from the pioneering work of the Italian, he no longer favored contact with the higher Hindu caste. João lived for all who would listen.
His mystical experience, paying more attention to the evangelical challenge than to the specificity of earthly life, made him bold and indifferent to the rich, but brought him closer to the populations.
The writer Albert Nevett is probably right when he says: “As far as we can judge (…), he went as far in his methods of adaptation as possible, but it was not his method that did the conversions, but his joy, his friendly personality, his self-sacrifice, his evident holiness.”
The adhesion of Indians to Christianity were not well regarded by their countrymen, especially those of higher castes. In fact, the whole effort of adaptation did not prevent the conversion of an individual from determining the end of certain Hindu practices. Customs such as polygamy or practices such as sati, a ritual in which widows were burned alive along with the corpses of their husbands, were irreconcilable even with the essence of the Christian religion. Family pressure sometimes led to some of the newly baptized falling away and returning to their old religion, a clear sign that opposition was directed not only against the evangelizers, but also against those who followed them.
In April 1674 he entered the mission of Maduré, where he embraced the austere and penitent life of the pandarás-swamis (hindu ascetics), in order to avoid the repugnance of the educated Indians for the missionaries associated with the conversion of the pariahs, the most despised caste in India that made filthy those who were in contact with them.
The prestige of the pandaras-swamis and their growing influence among the populations caused a natural envy on the part of the Brahmins. Whenever a calamity occurred in a certain place (floods, epidemics or droughts, for example) and by coincidence a missionary was there, rumors began to circulate blaming him for what happened. In addition, caste-related prejudices always made the actions of the few religious who worked in the Tamil country touchy.
All these situations, which had already hindered the action of Nobili and his companions, were part of João de Brito’s daily life.
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