Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino [SEP] religious order
Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino
Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino (1530 – April 22, 1609) was an Italian missionary with Society of Jesus, of Nanban period (1543–1650). He is an example of Nanbanjin (Barbarians from the south, as the Occidental were called), who visited Japan at that period.
With a motive to promote Christianity in East Asia Organtino joined Society of Jesus, and he was sent to Japan in 1570 via Portuguese India and Portuguese Malacca. Earning a respect of Oda Nobunaga, Organtino built Nanban
local missionaries.
Church membership in Japan grew to 130,000 during Cabral's leadership, as a number of "daimyo" converted to Christianity in order to trade with Macau. However, the isolated Jesuit mission lacked funding. Cabral believed that the mission had been abandoned by God due to the sins of its members, and by 1576 had asked the General of the Society to let him return to Europe.
A number of Jesuits, including Visitor to the Eastern Missions Alessandro Valignano and Father Gnecchi-Soldo Organtino, were opposed