Silence

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

1633, pax Christi,

praised be God.

Although for us,

there is little peace in this land now.

I never knew Japan when it was a country of light,

but I have never known it to be as dark as it is now.

All our progress has ended.

A new persecution, new repression,

new suffering.

They use ladles filled with holes, so the drops would come out slowly

and the pain would be prolonged.

Each small splash of the water

was like a burning coal.

The Governor of Nagasaki took four friars

and one of our own society to Unzen.

There are hot springs there.

The Japanese call them "hells," partly, I think, in mockery

and partly, I must tell you, in truth.

The officials told our padres

to abandon God and the gospel of His love.

But they not only refused to apostatize,

they asked to be tortured,

so they could demonstrate the strength of their faith

and the presence of God within them.

Some remained on the mountain for 33 days.

The story of their courage

gives hope to those of us priests who remain here in secret.

We will not abandon our hidden Christians

- who live in fear. - "...who live in fear."

We only grow stronger in His love.

Ferreira is lost to us.

This was his last letter.

Why lost?

This letter came to us when we were traveling from Portugal.

It took years to reach us.

It was hidden, smuggled, ransomed.

Finally, put into my hand by a Dutch trader,

who had other news as well.

He's alive?

That he apostatized,

that he denounced God in public and surrendered the faith,

and is now living as a Japanese.

That's not possible.

Father Ferreira risked his life to spread our faith all over Japan.

We're here today because of him.

Yes. He was...

He's the strongest of us.

He wrote those words

during the most sweeping persecution of all.

Now, things are even worse.

Thousands are dead because of what we brought them.

Thousands more have given up the faith.

You said this trader brought news, but it's not proven, is it?

It could be a slander created to further discredit our faith.

Given the extent of the persecution in that country...

Yes. But, respectfully, there must be multitudes there

- who need us, too. - And the fact,

there has been no other word of him,

and the news brought by the Dutch...

Rumor, Father, only.

I must conclude it is true.

If it is true, Father,

what would it mean

for the Jesuits?

For the whole of Catholic Europe?

It seems to me that our mission here is more urgent than ever.

We must go find Father Ferreira.

I cannot allow that.

How... How can we abandon our mission?

Your mission, Father Garupe, was to find word of Ferreira.

You have found it.

Excuse me, Father,

but this letter relates the most terrible history,

but it says nothing of Ferreira himself.

Whatever happened to him is still unknown.

All that we know of his fate,

is this one slander.

Permit me, Father Valignano, but...

I... I believe our mission still stands.

Do you know how many Christians the authorities executed in Shimabara?

Thousands.

Tens of thousands,

most of them beheaded.

No, it's far too dangerous for you.

Yes, but, Father,

how do we neglect the man that nurtured us in the faith?

He shaped the world for us.

And even if the slander should be true,

then Father Ferreira is damned.

Yes.

We have no choice, but to save his soul.

This is in your hearts, then? Both of you?

- Yes. - It is.

Like our first fervor.

Then I must trust God has put it there.

He calls you to a great trial.

The moment you set foot in that country,

you step into high danger.

You will be the last two priests to go.

An army of two.

May 25th, 1640.

Pax Christi...

God be praised.

Father Valignano, as I begin these lines,

I cannot be sure that when they are done

they will ever reach you.

But I want to maintain your confidence in our mission

and vindicate your faith in us.

Careful.

Today, there was wonderful news.

Your Mr. Chun has found us a Chinese boat.

It will smuggle us into Japan.

And he claims he's found the only Japanese in Macau,

to be our most valued guide in that country.

Come on, this way.

Finally, we meet our first Japanese.

He's not much, you will see.

But after almost two months, he's the only one.

Hey.

Hey, wake up.

Come on, get up.

He was drifting on sea, Portuguese bring him.

He's stuck here, wants to go home.

Is he... Are you really Japanese?

Answer them, you fool.

These are padres.

Kichijiro!

You fool, they will take you home!

Where is your home?

Nagasaki.

What's your work?

He will do what you say.

Fisherman.

You know our language?

Little.

Yes. Little.

You learned it from the Jesuit padres.

You must have, so you're Christian?

No!

No Christian.

Good guide for you. He's Christian, too.

I'm not Christian!

Christian die!

They...

They die in Nagasaki.

Listen to me.

We have money.

If you can help us, we can take you home.

We can take you home to Japan.

Would you like to go home to Japan?

I want...

I want to go home.

Not for money.

Japan is the country of my family!

I beg you.

Don't abandon me here, Father.

Please!

Take me home.

He will be good guide.

Promise me.

- I'll clean him up. - They take me home!

Promise me.

Our guide...

He can't be Christian.

He says he's not,

but can you believe anything he says?

I don't even want to believe he's Japanese.

"And He said to them," Go ye into the whole world

"and preach the gospel to every living creature,"

"even to one such as this."

So our Lord commanded,

and as I prepare to do His work, I see His face before me.

He looks as He must have when He commanded Peter,

"Feed my lambs,"

"feed my lambs, feed my sheep."

It fascinates me.

I feel such great love for it.

Garupe and I had absolutely no luggage to bring to Japan,

except our own hearts.

And during the calm and storm of the voyage,

I reflected upon the 20 years which has passed

since the persecution has broken out.

The black soil of Japan

is filled with the wailing of so many Christians.

The red blood of priests has flowed profusely.

The walls of the churches have fallen down.

Shaba.

We've trusted that man with our lives.

Jesus trusted even worse.

Hurry.

Come.

Here, here!

Kichijiro, where are you going?

Kichijiro!

He's going to betray us.

Kichijiro!

Fact is fact. What you will do, do quickly.

Padre?

Hurry. We have no time.