Prelims 2021 · Q39
MediumConsider the following statements:
- 1.St. Francis Xavier was one of the founding members of the Jesuit Order.
- 2.St. Francis Xavier died in Goa and a church is dedicated to him there.
- 3.The Feast of St. Francis Xavier is celebrated in Goa each year.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) 1 and 3 only
Statements 1 and 3 are correct; statement 2 fails on one point. Francis Xavier died in 1552 on Sancian island off the coast of China, not in Goa; only his remains rest in Goa, in the Basilica of Bom Jesus.
- ✓ 1. In Paris he joined Ignatius of Loyola and Peter Faber; with four others they professed vows at Montmartre on 15 August 1534, the nucleus of the Society of Jesus, which the Jesuits' own site counts as its seven founding companions.
- ✗ 2. He fell ill and died on 3 December 1552 on Sancian (Shangchuan) island off the coast of China, waiting to enter the mainland. His tomb is in the Church of Bom Jesus in Old Goa, which is why the statement is tempting.
- ✓ 3. His feast is on 3 December, and Goa marks it every year with novenas and the feast at the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa.
Remember · Francis Xavier: a founding Jesuit (1534), died 3 December 1552 off China; his relics lie in the Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa (UNESCO site); feast on 3 December.
Sources
- Jesuits.org (Society of Jesus, USA), The Feast of St. Francis Xavier, SJ ↗ · reference work “Four others (James Lainez, Alfonso Salmerón, Nicholas Bobadilla and Simón Rodrigues) joined them, and the seven professed vows of poverty and chastity in Montmartre on Aug. 15, 1534.”
- Holy See, Pope Francis, General Audience of 17 May 2023: Saint Francis Xavier ↗ · reference work “he died at the gates of China, on an island, the small island of Sancian (Shangchuan), in front of the Chinese shoreline … On 3 December 1552, he died in total abandonment”
- UNESCO World Heritage Centre — Churches and Convents of Goa ↗ “particularly the Church of Bom Jesus, which contains the tomb of St Francis-Xavier – illustrate the evangelization of Asia.”
- Department of Information and Publicity, Government of Goa — Control rooms notified for Feast of St. Francis Xavier ↗ “The Collector, North in view of the upcoming celebration of Novenas and feast of St. Francis Xavier at Basilica of Bom Jesus, old Goa scheduled from November 24,2025 to December 03, 2025”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2021, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 1 Oct 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·