Franciscanos nas ilhas da Indonésia: da Idade Média ao século XVII

Abstract

This article offers an overview of the Franciscan work in the «Archipelago», that is, in present-day Indonesia. The chronology covers between Late Middle Ages and 1641 and the Portuguese abandonment of the port of Malacca (present-day Malaysia), the fundamental platform that defined the entire Portuguese presence in Southeast Asia, particularly in present-day Indonesia. Without forgetting to point out something of the Franciscan presence in the region after the Dutch conquest of Malacca, it intends to articulate the the attempt to spread Christianity in the Archipelago and the Franciscan missions on islands such as Sumatra, Java, Celebes, in the Moluccas and Timor, Flores and Solor. More than evaluating the successes or failures of the mission, the principal objective of the order, it is also essential to clarify the role of the Friars Minor in the knowledge of these islands since the Middle Ages, when they were pioneers in their exploration and travel reports and journeys in search of other stopovers, such as China.