John of Montecorvino

My new chapter will be devoted to John of Montecorvino, a Franciscan friar who reached China at the end of the 13th century. His letters focus on his missionary activities. He established two episcopal sees and rendered spiritual service for those in need.

I have copied a few facts, read his letters, and am now processing notes about this person and the milestones of his life.

We enter the period when the united Mongol Empire was split into four polities whose rules had to give up the demand for the world domination. The advance to the Western Europe as well as the incursion into Japan failed to materialize.

The Apostolic See with the aid of newly-created orders of mendicant friars resumed its die-hard policy of spreading the word of God among diverse nations. One of the missionaries called to the banner was an Italian priest-monk Giovanni of Montecorvino.

The Franciscan friar gained immense diplomatic experience. He was involved into negotiations between the Latin and Greek Churches about the issue of reunion. He was the man to approach the king of Armenia and the Ill-Khan of Persia who used his links with the Roman curia to pass their missives.

John's ability to get along with the representatives of sundry cultures and pick up eastern languages - a rare gift among Italian missionaries - made him an ultimate candidate to a new mission to the fringes of the known world.

John of Montecorvino on a windy path to a spiritual perfection
http://www.bdcconline.net/en/stories/img/storypics/portraits/MontecorvinoJohannes.jpg