Pedro Martins

Pedro Martins (Coimbra, 1542 – near Singapore, February 1, 1598) was a Portuguese Jesuit prelate of the Catholic Church, serving as the Bishop of Funai.

Biography He entered the Society of Jesus at the age of 14, on May 25, 1556. He earned a doctorate in theology from the University of Évora on July 16, 1573, later becoming a professor at the same university.

He arrived in Nagasaki with six other missionaries from Macau on August 14, 1596, becoming the first resident bishop in Japan. On November 26 of that year, he had an audience with Toyotomi Hideyoshi in Fushimi. However, this did not prevent the martyrdom of 26 Christians on February 5, 1597.

Death In an effort to curb or reduce Christian persecution in Japan, he traveled to Goa to meet with the Viceroy, Dom Francisco da Gama, 4th Count of Vidigueira. However, during the journey, he died in the Singapore Strait on February 1, 1598. He was buried in St. Paul’s Church, Malacca.