António Francisco Cardim

António Francisco Cardim (1596 – April 30, 1659) was a Portuguese Jesuit priest, missionary, and historian who recorded the events of the fathers and brothers of the Jesuit missions in China, Japan, and other places in the Far East.

Early life and education Cardim was born in 1596 in Viana do Alentejo, the son of Jorge Cardim Frocs and Catherina de Andrade. where he was admitted into the Society of Jesus on February 24, 1611, at 15 years of age. As a sign of his devotion to Saint Francis Xavier, Cardim added the name "Francisco" to his own last name.